The Hidden Princess At All-Boys Alpha Academy

Chapter 45

“Oh, god, Rafe,” I sigh. shaking my head up at him and glancing down the hall. “Do we have to do this now? My schedule says we have ten minutes for lunch before. our next mystery class –”

“Here,” Rafe says, dropping a wrapped power bar and a bottle of water on top of my books. “Academy isn’t big on hot lunch – just a snack before a big dinner. Eat while you walk, talk while you eat.” He puts a firm hand between my shoulder blades and urges me forward, making me keep pace with his quick stride.

“How do you even know where we’re going.” I murmur, struggling with the wrapper of my lunch with one hand. Rafe sighs, taking the food back and unwrapping it for me before slipping it into my hand.

“I looked at the map, obviously, and don’t try to change the subject,” he says. “What was going on with Luca this morning? He was staring at you, completely freaked out, and Jesse almost had a conniption he was laughing so hard.”

“How the hell should I know!?” I ask, blatantly lying and talking with my mouth. full.

“Ari!” Rafe sighs, glaring at me. “I know you’re lying – I’ve known you since you were born –”

“You were just a baby,” I mutter, even though he’s right.

“Fine!” he snaps, moving on, “pressing subject number two! Why the hell did you invite Jackson to have breakfast with us yesterday?”

I stare up at him for a second, forgetting to chew in my surprise, even though he keeps me moving. “What?” I ask, swallowing hard. “Rafe, that was like, a million years ago –”

“That was twenty–four hours ago,” he says, giving me a withering stare.

“Well a lot has happened in the meantime!”

“A lot that you were hoping would make me forget!” he counters, pointing ahead to a door that I understand from his body language is our destination.

I grin up a him, because…yup. He’s got me there.

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Rafe stops, grabbing my arm, making me stop with him. “Ari, we had a deal – that guy tried to kill you, and you promised never to speak to him again, and all of a sudden he’s at our breakfast table? What the hell!?”

“Rafe,” I sigh, glancing towards the door, knowing that we’ve only got a few minutes to get in there and I really, really hate being late for school. “I promise I’ll tell you, all right? Jackson – he saved me in the obstacle course –”

“What?” Rafe asks, leaning closer, shock all over his face. “He what?”

“He is the only reason I made a better time- and considering that I was the 90(th) candidate let in? If he hadn’t, I wouldn’t be here. We owe Jackson – and I promise that I will tell you all about it, but can we just get to class? None of this is pressing right now, right? We have time.”

Rafe scowls, glancing between the classroom door and me.

professor is in this classroom to see my

doesn’t finish his word, though, because as

the room…

face–to–face with the man

look down at him. But seated at the desk in the front row, Jesse lounging in the seat behind him? Jackson’s just about eye–to–eye

1. me.

the room, shoving me in front of him and heading for the desk next to Jesse. When I hesitate,

dark–haired cadet and the professor – who is, of course, the handsome professor who handed us all the weird orb yesterday,

nodding to all of us

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Chapter 45

that we’re all here, we can begin.”

curiously around the room now,

class of five people?

is going on here?

five of you have been gathered here because out of the 96 cadets admitted to the program, only the five of you showed a particular aptitude for my teaching specialty. Unlike the rest of your peers, you will be enrolled in this class for the entirety of your time

He go

fact that each

is the first to break it, frustration in his every word. “I’m sorry,” he says, though he certainly doesn’t sound it, “I don’t understand. What

desk and pulling from it the black orb, “demonstrated an affinity for magic. I will be here, over the course of the next several months and years, to see whether or not your particular skills can

almost to

sixteen that the Goddess has given each of us a particular magical gift. But that is a

that none of the three of us have shown any either. Which mom and Aunt Cora said not to worry about – they

the hell did the Academy find out? My eyes dart immediately

perhaps seeing the direction of my

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Chapter 45

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magical aptitude – one of my own inventions, very useful. And while it does allow us to identify candidates who have an affinity for magic,

So!”

tucks the ball back into his satchel, smiling around at the five of us. “Does anyone

us sit in absolute

I mean.

that we’re all magic, and that he’s going to train

that is maybe the

definitely a

it, tucking his leg in beneath him. “Surely one of you is aware of what you can