The Hidden Princess At All-Boys Alpha Academy

Chapter 55

I shrug a little, letting him see through my summer camp lic. He just laughs, shaking his head as we draw close to our targets.

“Bullshit, if you ask me,” the tall blonde says, sighing as he gathers his arrows off the floor and I pull mine from the target’s body. “We’re forced to embarrass ourselves on the first day just because we haven’t trained in an antiquated form of weaponry? I mean honestly, who even uses archery anymore on the battlefield?”

“I don’t know,” I say, popping my arrows into my quiver as we turn around and start back. “I see the logic in being able to handle all weapons.”

The blonde shrugs, conceding the point but clearly expressing that he’s still not happy with it. “I’m David, by the way,” he murmurs.

“And I’m Hai,” the other says, nodding to both of us.

I smile at them, but we’re all lost in our thoughts about how to improve as we make our way back to the line.

“Again,” says the Captain, nodding. We all get into our stances and raise arrows to bowstrings, ready to fire.

The Captain has us going for hours, until my arms ache from drawing my bow. As we fire round after round, he works with each of us, giving more basic pointers to the other two and working with me to refine my shot. By the end, I hit the bullseye with consistency, and I can’t keep the smile from my face.

At the end of our four–hour class, the Captain tells us to return our bows, his face blank. We do as he says as he gives us instructions for how and when to practice, letting us know that this gym will be available to us twenty–four hours a day and suggesting that we make use of it. My smile deepens at the prospect – I like marksmanship, always have. The idea of having this be my homework, when I get sick of Chemistry?

God, does that sound like a relief.

As we finish hanging our bows the Captain tells us we’re dismissed and we troop for the

Chapter 55

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my arrows neatly in the quiver, probably being more picky than I need to

I turn towards the door, I’m surprised to hear the Captain’s voice call

on you this year, Clark,” he says, leaning against the wall and giving me

turning to him with wide

asks, quirking an eyebrow.

the success of their students?” The words fall from my

little, “I was surprised when your Uncle Roger didn’t take the opportunity to bet on his own nephew. Didn’t comment at all when he saw your name on the list of Marksman cadets.”

my very best to keep all emotion off my face as the Captain studies me, and

awkwardly stand stock still in front of him, saying nothing for far too long. The Captain just grins, shaking his head and laughing as he lifts his chin towards the door. “Get out of here, Cadet. Good work today – keep it up. Don’t

and head out.

starting to suspect? He’s clearly not pushing me to

have an empty afternoon next, so that I can study for our Chemistry class tomorrow, and I’m on strict orders to head directly back to the rooms with no pit stops. Rafe, predictably, flipped out about

can’t even survive walking from the classroom to the dorm, what chance do I

elevator at the end of the hall, climbing in and pressing the button for the dormitory floor. Because today, in Marksmanship, I considered for the first time – perhaps naively that we really are being trained for combat.

–

about running obstacle courses and getting class schedules and learning the chemical makeup of poisons had made it seem…theoretical.

today, shooting real weapons?

being trained as a weapon myself. And that I’m going to be asked

become a sniper, as the school clearly hopes I will be. Am I prepared for this? For the reality of looking

lower lip, troubled by it, as I cross the hall and head up the winding

thing that breaks me out of

–

realize that actually for the first time in weeks I am…completely alone. Like completely alone not just in absence

grin takes my face, even despite my troubled thoughts.