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

and Rafe, I know, are disappointed that they haven’t manifested anything yet, especially when they see Tony’s demonstration of being able to breathe under water. We all stood around watching him lay

glass marble yet but…well. Considering that Magic is a class that doesn’t have any threats of expulsion attached to it, it does fall a bit to the wayside, which I think pisses Alvez

outstrip my classmates as the Captain’s favorite, ensuring that his bet on me at the beginning of term was made in good

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 little toads

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

devastatingly bad as mine. Considering the horror on everyone’s faces, though, I think they might have been.

pits us against each other in class, I think on purpose. He wants his espionage students, I think, to be

even if it does make for lonely days with no one to talk to about the rigors of Chemistry track.

on my desk at the end of class, after almost everyone has already left the classroom, “has to get

him, surprised by the stern note of his voice. “I’m working,

spend a great deal of time with your family and your friends,” he

a little in surprise. How how did

Clark, not a game. You have a promising mind – don’t squander your

break. Now? Work.”

and nod, guilt running through me because he’s right. It’s not that friends and family aren’t important

got a limited time to prove my worth here at this Academy, to demonstrate that I

and nods once before turning

test, heading

because he’s scared of my bodyguards or has his own things to worry about, I don’t know which. Either way, I’ve been deemed “safe enough,” and I think everyone in our year has figured out that I’m off limits for bullying if they don’t

of muscle that Rafe and Jesse have put

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