Page 79 of Nova Academy

‘Arty?’ Reece was suddenly in front of me, both of his wide, strong hands gripping my shoulders as his eyes forced mine to make contact. ‘Arty, you okay, man?’

The way he addressed me as if I were someone else, somethingelse, was like a bucket of ice water thrown over my head. I jolted at the sensation, then shrugged him off so I could back away.

‘Yeah, sorry. I don’t like talking about it,’ I explained.

‘No, I’m sorry. I shouldn’t have asked.’

My answering smile was weak. ‘It’s okay. I guess I haven’t really talked about myself much. I should’ve realised one of you might get curious.’

I tried to brush it off as if it were nothing, but I didn’t think I was fooling anyone. They were each looking at me as if I were someone to be pitied, and Ihatedthat. I was a survivor, not a victim. I endured all of the shit from The Program, I got out,andI was stronger for it.

I never should have let them see through the cracks in the first place.

‘We should get going,’ I changed the subject. ‘You finally get a chance to stretch those wings, Cadmus. Wouldn’t want to be late.’

The smile he shot my way was gentler than any I had seen from him before, and I didn’t know how to feel about it. But they took the bait and rose to leave.

‘You’re just desperate to see my wings. Don’t lie,’ he teased, and it dragged a genuine laugh out of me.

‘Of course,’ I didn’t bother denying. Iwaseager to see them.

As we left, Urman stopped me and we hung back behind the others as we walked. ‘Would you check on him?’

‘Who? Dorian?’

‘Yes. He can be sensitive about his roots sometimes, especially around all these people who have never struggled once in their lives. I would talk to him myself, but I think it would be better coming from you.’

My brows dipped in confusion. ‘Me? Why would he listen to me?’

‘Because your upbringing was closer to his than ours,’ he said as if it were obvious.

‘Urman, my upbringing was nothing like Dorians. You’re his friend, you should be the one to check on him,’ I objected.

The look he gave me screamed disappointment, but I wasn’t sure why. Dorian and I weren’t exactly close, and Urman had become his closest friend here. It would mean a lot more coming from him than me.

When I said as much, Urman pursed his lips and looked even more disappointed. In me? Because his friend was upset? I honestly didn’t know. Either way, he picked up the pace to leave me behind, and I hurried to catch up before the elevator shut without me in it.

???

I was right about Cadmus. He was more than just eager to stretch his wings and take to the air. He was practically jumping at the bit. Before the rest of us had even managed to open our lockers he had removed his top and wing restraints, shoved them haphazardly on top of his gym clothes, and was already in the air and circling the dome by the time the rest of us caught up.

And he didn’t disappoint. His wings weremagnificent. They were smaller than the purebloods’, most likely due to the dilution of his mixed-race genetics, but they were no less stunning. The primary colour was a deep purple that matched his eyes and the tint of his skin, and the further they extended the more the shade blended into lighter colours, turning blue and then green. What was most visually appealing, however, were the bright streaks of red and yellow that broke through in seemingly random places, lending an even greater vibrancy to their appearance.

He caught me watching, my head tilted back as I gaped in open awe at his display. I should have realised what was about to happen when he smirked, a smug look that I thought was merely meant to convey his pleasure at someone enjoying the sight of his wings. Instead, he suddenly tucked them in tight against his sides and swooped low, his descent quick and right towards me.

A squeak escaped my throat as I ducked low, but his wings snapped back out again at the last moment and he soared back up into the dome. But not without the green tips of his feathers brushing against my cheek. They were softer than I’d imagined they would be and tickled where they touched.

It was an oddly intimate action, particularly for someone who had shown no interest in me beyond a friendly acquaintanceship. Neither one of us had made a move to get to know the other on a deeper level, and the conversation around breakfast was the first time I had opened up at all around him. Perhaps he was teasing me for gawping at him, mistaking my intrigue for a different type of interest. And while he wasn’t unattractive in outward appearances, I didn’t think I would have been interested in him romantically even if I weren’t undercover as a boy. He was too much of a spoilt brat to consider him as a viable mate.

Not that I was considering anyone as a viable mate. Even Bromm. I might want to do naughty things to him in particular, and I may have snuck a peak at Reece and Foryk when they werechanging or checked out the way their muscles flexed beneath their uniforms, but that didn’t mean I had to act on it. I had already allowed my feelings for the Griknot prince to grow much larger than was safe, I wasn’t about to add another to the list because of some pretty feathers.

‘What was that?’ Bromm asked, appearing beside me while my attention was still on Cadmus.

‘Hmm? What was what?’ I asked back, not really focused on anything but the aerial show happening above. There were so many distinct colours in all different shades. Some were dark, almost black while others were more vibrant like Cadmus’, and there were even a few lighter and pastel variations to round it out. I had never seen anything so beautiful.

‘You flirting with him now, too?’ he asked, a dark note to his tone that snapped me back to the ground.

‘What are you talking about?’

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