The Hidden Princess At All-Boys Alpha Academy

Chapter 46

Professor Alvez smiles like a cat who has just caught a canary. “Oh, excellent, Cadet Davis. Please, do share.”

The dark haired boy sighs again, crossing his arms over his chest as he looks around at us, clearly uncomfortable. “Are we sworn to secrecy in here?” he asks, anxious. “I’m not eager to share if this secret I’ve been keeping for twenty–two years is suddenly going to be public knowledge.”

“We are bound by our own rules in this classroom,” Alvez says, looking around at all of us. “If the six of us decide to swear each other to secrecy, then we will be. Thoughts?”

“I think that’s fair,” Rafe says, nodding solidly. “What happens between the six of us should be held in strict confidence.”

“And consequences?” Jackson asks, turning to look at Rafe. “If someone breaks the secrecy?”

We all turn, a little instinctually, to the professor. “Well,” Alvez says, his voice quiet, a little smile playing on his lips. “I am forbidden to offer corporeal punishment…” he murmurs.

I go still, staring him, and Rafe at my side does the same.

“A…little joke,” he says, laughing with a shrug. I relax a little, but I scowl. This professor – he’s almost too casual with his “little jokes.” He could have some sympathy for the fact that we’re all being asked to share our deepest secrets on the first day of school.

“But,” the professor continues, “what has worked in years past has been a jury by peer system. If someone violates the trust of the cohort, a complaint can be raised and we can decide together what punishment is fair. For the worst cases, expulsion could be on the table. Thoughts?”

I look between Rafe and Jesse, who both look at me. Together, we nod. “That works for us,” Rafe says, speaking for our little group.

“Convenient,” the dark–haired boy says, staring over at the three of us. “Considering your little cadre of three has the majority in any voting situation.”

Chapter 46

Rafe just shrugs, holding his gaze, clearly telling him to deal with it.

Jackson, to my surprise, looks over at me. I meet his eyes evenly and nod once, no expression on my face as I ask him, without words, to trust us. He studies me for at long moment with those grey–blue eyes and then turns back to the professor. “I’ll agree to it,” he says.

Rafe turns to look at me, his face stony, because he’s very aware that Jackson – whether he knows it or not is turning towards me and seeking my opinion because he’s my mate. He exhales sharply through his nose, turning to the dark- haired boy across the room, and raises an eyebrow.

“Fine,” Davis says, hanging his head back on his neck as if exhausted. Then he, too, exhales a deep breath and speaks as he raises his head. “I can breathe underwater.”

as I gasp, leaning forward eagerly, because

a time limit on it, or could you do it forever? Do your fingers still get all pruney if

a little before snapping his mouth shut and leaning back in his chair with an apologetic shrug. He’s just excited, is all. “That’s incredible, Davis,” the Professor says, smiling at him. “And likely to be useful in a variety of situations. Would you be willing to demonstrate at the next meeting,

sighs again but then nods sharply before turning

Davis a warm smile. “You can trust us, though,” he says, gesturing to me and

grateful again for my charming, friendly, thoughtful

life.

says, looking eagerly around at

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he says, his voice solid. “We just…don’t know. Our mothers have magic and they told us that we will have magic some day,” he says, gesturing towards himself and

Alvez says, his voice encouraging. “And, the cousin?” he says, turning

blink a little, because of course my story is the same as theirs. But I’m not supposed to have a magic mother, am I? I say the first thing that comes to mind, hoping it’s plausible. “This is all a surprise to me,” I say with a shrug. “I mean, I knew they had pending magic, but I had no idea I did too. Pretty cool, I

nodding, letting me know I’ve done

situation is the same,” Jackson chimes in, tense. “Surprised to be here. No magical family line to speak of. Are you sure I’m in the right place?”

is it just me? Or does that smile look almost…greedy?

scowls, looking at the floor.

we do?” Tony says, his arms still crossed as he slumps in his chair. “Like what is this class about? I already know how to use my magic – what am I supposed to learn? Are there

head. “Instead, we will spend our time nurturing each of your gifts where they are. For those whose magics have yet to manifest, we’ll spend some time attempting to coax them forward. For you, Davis, we’ll work to push your gift to explore its extremes, see if any other details reveal themselves. Then, in future months or years – assuming that you pass the Examination –” he pauses a moment, looking significantly around at all of us, “we will

the arm, mouthing “Examination!?” to him and knitting my brows to show my displeasure that he didn’t tell me about this. Rafe just flaps a hand at me, dismissing

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hands together and hopping down from the desk. “Step one for this program is getting your magics to manifest themselves, and in my previous experience directing this program I have found that magic. does indeed call to magic. As such, we will now pair off in a trust exercise to see if anything…stirs. As you three,” he says, turning to us, “have been around each other for years with no results, let’s try engagement with someone new.”

that his anxiety is not misplaced – because Jackson and I, we have been having physical reactions to each other that I now consider might be a result of our

the air whenever I touch him with my

interrupting my train of thought and gesturing for Rafe to cross the

Jackson with Jesse?” Alvez says next. My

“man” out. Do I not get to

says as he takes three marbles out of his pocket and places one on a desk in front of Rafe and Tony and

again reminded of a cat, and