The Hidden Princess At All-Boys Alpha Academy

Chapter 81

“Cadet Clark, keeping his damn secrets,” Jackson sighs, slipping his hands into his pockets and heading again for the stairs.

“Just for now!” I call after him, smiling.

“Damn well better be for now,” Jackson says, turning to look me sternly up and down for a moment, which just deepens my smile. “Or I’ll…I don’t know, beat you up or something.”

I grin, laughing at the threat. “Oh, come on, Jacks, at least challenge yourself. We all know you could do that with your eyes closed. The secrets are worth the wait, I promise it.”

But he just growls, low in his throat, glaring at me in a way that…

God, but my stomach flips over. Does somersaults, if I’m being honest or more accurately hurls itself of a cliff in freefall. And then my mate smirks at me, laughing as he shakes his head and makes his way down the stairs, ducking his too–tall head so he doesn’t hit it on the ceiling as he goes. The moment Jackson disappears, I slump back against my door, my knees…a little bit weaker than I’d ever want to admit.

Time passes quickly after this, faster than I’d like to see it go because there’s just an incredible amount to do and, it seems, not enough hours to do it.

Predictably, the insane workouts that Rafe and Jesse put me through take up the majority of my time and energy. They really do press me to the edges of my abilities, and while the work is grueling I understand that there’s a great deal of love behind it. My brother and my cousin, I know, are rooting for me and are only making me fall into bed every night in at state of complete exhaustion because they want to set me up well for the Examination.

The rest of my time is spent working quite hard on Chemistry and Marksmanship, which quickly outstrip Magic class as my favorites. I don’t make the mistake of going to Alvez alone anymore, always finding a way to casually ask Rafe or Jesse to come with me, which they always oblige. Alvez, I know, sees right through me –

and looks at me in a way that promises retribution which I know he will enjoy. But…well, I’ll deal with that when I have to.

None of us make any more particular progress in that class, either because we haven’t yet figured out how to work with our powers or like Jackson because we refuse to reveal

manifested anything yet, especially when they see Tony’s demonstration of being able to breathe under water. We all stood around

out how to melt anything besides a little glass marble yet but…well. Considering that Magic is a class that doesn’t have any threats of expulsion attached to it, it

is kind of a delight – I quickly outstrip my classmates as the Captain’s favorite, ensuring that his bet on me at the beginning of

pet, Dr. Neumann…god, I don’t think he likes any of us. Or, at least the punishing way he administers his grades on our quizzes, exams, and projects suggests that we’re all horrible

end of the term, missing about twenty points worth of credit. I put my head in my hands as I stare at

I glance at the other students in the class, wondering if their results were as devastatingly bad as mine. Considering the horror on everyone’s faces, though, I think they might have been. None of us have really become friends, honestly, except for maybe Hai, who

be quite independent, not to lean on each other for support.

it does make for lonely days with no

desk at the end of class, after almost everyone

note of his voice. “I’m working, Sir,” I say, my

great deal of time with your family and your friends,” he says, crossing

in surprise.

“This is serious work, Clark, not a game. You have

break. Now? Work.”

together and nod, guilt running through me because he’s right. It’s

prove my worth here at this Academy, to demonstrate that I

and

grab my bag and my test, heading out the door and up to my

relief. Wright has stopped bothering me, either because he’s scared of my bodyguards or has his own things to worry about,

considering the amount of muscle that Rafe and Jesse have put on this semester

pretty much everyone is here. Rafe raises his eyebrows in surprise. “You okay?” he asks.