The Hidden Princess At All-Boys Alpha Academy

Chapter 0504

"You're late!" Faiza says, sing-song, as I push open the door to her office and skitter inside.

"I know, I'm sorry," I say, panting a little as I shut the door behind me, leaning against it as I try to catch my breath. "I had to learn how to put my rifle away, lock it up."

"Rifle?" she asks, raising an eyebrow, instantly interested. I grin, nodding eagerly, and Faiza likewise smiles at me from where she's sitting behind her desk with her feet up on it, lounging back in her chair. "Cool," she says, her eyes flashing, genuinely intrigued. "It is cool," I sigh happily, pushing away from the door and taking my seat across from her.

"You know, I never got into guns," she says, pulling her feet down and leaning across the desk towards me, leaning her weight on her elbows. "Knives just seem so much more...personal."

I just stare at my tutor, shaking my head at her. "Sometimes, Faiza," I whisper, wrinkling my nose, "you say the weirdest stuff."

She bursts out laughing and leans back again in her chair, grinning at me. "So," she says on a happy sigh when her laughter fades. "Have you been practicing?"

I mutter, with a sigh and reaching into my bag, pulling out the sack of marbles she gave me and tossing

sleight of hand, which apparently are going to be incredibly useful to me in my future life as a spy for this nation - though how, especially if I'm stuck up in a sniper blind, I haven't yet quite figured out. But apparently, the

slip marbles into their pockets at varying points over the past two days. So did Blaze. Daphne I almost got - until I realized that her dress didn't have

know that

up straight and staring at her. "Why!?

Faiza says, pressing her fingers delicately to her chest, "punishments are the great delight of my life. And two, because you're privileging your other lessons over mine! This is just as serious as sniper rifles and poisonous substances, Ariel! Those disciplines are trying to teach you how to use weapons, but I'm trying to

suppose she's right - I did let that practice fall to

she says, snapping her fingers in my face and making me look at her. "Listen to me

her

right now - marbles in pockets, I know it seems silly. But being able to steal a quarter from someone's waistcoat eventually turns into being able to slip poison into a cup unseen. To being able to hand a note to someone without anyone else noticing - or distracting a man while you steal the key to his room.

sigh, newly determined, a little disappointed in myself. "What is my