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.”

bursts into a grin as I gasp, leaning forward eagerly, because that is perhaps

hell did you figure that out? Is there a time limit on

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

then nods sharply before turning to glare at all

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

grin deepening, and I’m grateful again for my charming, friendly,

life.

Alvez says, looking eagerly around

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know. Our mothers have magic and they told us that we

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

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

smiles at me, nodding, letting me know I’ve

Jackson chimes in, tense. “Surprised to be here. No magical family line to speak of. Are you sure

McClintock,” Alvez says, leaning forward to smile at him. And, is it just

looking at the floor.

chair. “Like what is this class about? I already know how to use my magic – what am I supposed to learn?

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 begin

on the arm, mouthing “Examination!?” to him and knitting my brows to show my displeasure that he didn’t tell me about

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Chapter 46

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.

like a mother hen. As he turns away, though, I realize that his anxiety is not misplaced – because Jackson and I, we have

whenever I touch

please?” Alvez says, interrupting my train of thought and gesturing for Rafe to

Jackson with Jesse?” Alvez says next. My heart

“man” out. Do I not get to experiment

in front of Rafe and Tony and then another before Jesse and. Jackson. Anxiety twists in my stomach

and not the sweet kittenish