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

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

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

me at the beginning of term was made in good faith. We’ve mastered the bow and the crossbow and are now moving on to revolvers, because the Captain wants to make sure we can handle every weapon we come across, not just

am clearly the Captain’s 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,

worth of credit. I put my head in my hands as I stare at my grade- because I worked so hard for this, spent hours studying. What

Considering the horror on everyone’s faces, though, I think they might have been. None of us have really become friends, honestly, except for

He wants his espionage students, I think, to be quite independent, not to lean on each other for support. In the field, after all,

sense, even if it does make for lonely days with no one

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

at him, surprised by the stern note of his voice. “I’m working, Sir,” I say, my eyes wide and genuine. “Honestly,

and your friends,” he says, crossing his arms over his chest and glaring

a little in surprise. How how

giving nothing away. “This is serious work, Clark, not a game. You have a promising mind – don’t squander your opportunities. Save fun for your

break. Now? Work.”

nod, guilt running through me because he’s right. It’s not

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

determination and nods once before

and my test, heading out

and my cousin let me walk through the halls alone now, which is a tiny relief. Wright has stopped bothering me, either 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 want

of muscle that Rafe and Jesse have put on this semester

though, I find that pretty much everyone is