Chapter 31

Jackson takes a long moment to size up Luca, I think feeling more comfortable with direct confrontation than small talk. “No secrets, Grant,” he says quietly. “Just genuinely f**king good at it.”

Luca’s smirk deepens. “At least you’re good for the grunt work,” he says quietly, and my spine straightens at the cruel edge to his words. “Even the military needs its brutes on the front line.”

The table goes quiet at the clear implication in Luca’s words. My eyes flick over Luca again, unsettled by this aggression.

“I seem to recall,” Jackson says slowly, carefully, “that I beat you out on the intelligence exam too, Grant.”

Jesse’s mouth forms into a scandalized, delighted little “o” as he looks eagerly between Jackson and Luca, and a scandalized little laugh stumbles from Ben’s mouth. Rafe and I are completely silent.

Luca just leans back in his chair and grins, flicking his eyes over Jackson like he knows he could take him.

Even though…honestly, he might be the only person at the table who believes that.

“Thanks for breakfast,” Jackson says, smoothly breaking the awkward silence and standing up from his chair.

“Stay,” I say, leaning forward, the word popping from my lips before I realize it.

“Nah, I’m finished, and I want to warm up,” Jackson says, pushing his chair in and looking towards the tray–bussing station. But before he goes, he flicks his blue gaze back to me and holds my eyes

seriously. “But thank you for the invitation. No one…no one has asked me to eat with them yet. It means a lot.”

I stay still for a moment, captivated by his gaze, but then he just nods to me.

And I nod back.

And then he’s walking away.

“Ari, why the hell did you ask him to eat with us?” Rafe growls, leaning across the table to yell at me once Jackson’s out of earshot.

“Because I felt bad for him, Rafe,” I say, gesturing in Jackson’s direction. “Didn’t

– no one, for two whole weeks you hear what he just said

“And did you ever imagine,” Luca says, his voice dry, “that maybe there’s a reason why no one asked him to eat with them? Because he’s a dangerous jerk?”

I snap my head to glare at Luca, suddenly angry. “Don’t talk to me like I’m an idiot, Luca,” I say, my voice low. He blinks at me in surprise. “Don’t try to pretend I’m silly enough to not have bothered imagining why people might not like Jackson. But I also don’t imagine that most people have your particular reason for disliking him, okay? Just because you don’t like him doesn’t mean that everyone else needs to feel the same way.”

I hold Luca’s gaze while he just stares at me, I think a little shocked to see the funny little Shrimp he’s gotten to know push back like this.

“What on earth are you two talking about?” Jesse asks, leaning forward, fascinated.

“Nothing,” Rafe snaps, standing up with his own tray and nodding up towards the clock. “No one’s talking about anything anymore. It’s time to go.”

I take a deep breath, because I know Rafe is right, and push to my feet, my hands shaking a little as I grab my tray. Rafe waits patiently for Luca, Jesse, and Ben to move ahead, falling in next to me as we walk to bus our trays.

“You’re explaining this,” he says quietly, glaring down at me, “the moment we get into the Academy. All right?”

I sigh and look up at him, words on my lips ready to explain –

But then I grin instead, my eyes crinkling as I look up at my brother. “Does that mean you think I’m going to get in?”

Rafe nods, assured, and then stalks forward to deposit his empty tray, taking my full one from my hands and putting it on the rack below his. “It does,” he says, his voice sure. “I believe in you, Ari. Even if I’m going to kick your ass for that stunt the moment we get inside,” he sighs, slinging an arm around my shoulders as we head for the gym, “I do think you’re going to pull it out. You’re a Sinclair, after all. We don’t fail at shit like this.”

Happiness wells in me at my brother’s confidence, and honestly?

I think it’s precisely what I needed to hear as I head into the gym, ready to meet

my fate.

We enter the obstacles course in groups of ten according to our ranking, which means that Luca, Jesse and Rafe are invited in way before Ben and I. I give Jesse and Rafe both hugs and wish them good

luck, knowing that I won’t see them again until the ceremony in which the final rankings are announced. We’ll be allowed back in the barracks after the obstacle course, but just to grab our things. We’ve got to get outside as fast as possible.

Since I’m currently ranked in the middle of the pack a status which will surely change after this obstacle run – I don’t have too long to wait.

As they call my name as part of the next group of 10, I wave to Ben, who gives me a wink and a salute of good luck. I grin as I turn away from him, hoping to hell he makes it too – Ben, he’s become a good friend. It would be heartbreaking to have to say goodbye to him now.

little As I walk with the group of ten through the entrance to the course, I’m a chagrined to see that Graham Wright is part of my pack. But I sigh and just do my best to stand far away from him. As we pass through the door, I’m surprised to see a small group of Academy professors in black waiting there, making us all stand in a straight line. I’m studying them, my eyes catching again on the handsome brown–haired professor who I noticed at the intelligence examination. Today, he holds a shiny black orb in his hands.

But before I can study him further, I do a bit of a double–take, because

Because Jackson is there, at the start line of the obstacle course, kneeling down and messing with the tie of his boot of all the things. What the hell…

“Clark!” Someone barks, and my attention is pulled away from my mate. I shake my head to clear it and step into place at the back of the line. Once I’m there, the professors begin to move slowly down the line, the handsome professor at the center handing the orb to each of us in turn and observing us carefully for a few seconds before taking it back.

Each of the candidates looks as confused as I do after the experience, but…I mean, nobody looks any worse for the wear. So I attempt to pat down my anxiety as my

turn comes.

“Candidate Ari Clark,” a Lieutenant says, making notes on a clip board as the professor comes to stand in front of me. When the Lieutenant nods that he’s

ready, the professor looks me seriously in the eye.

“Please take the sphere in your hands, Clark. Nothing else is required of you.”

“What is it?” I murmur, looking down at the glass ball. But no one answers me. As I stare at the orb, I realize that it’s not a solid ball of obsidian glass, but instead…clear glass, in which shadows swirl and pulse. I go still with surprise as I watch the black clouds, and as I stare I even see…little pulses of purple lightening flash through them, as thin as thread and so fast you’d swear your eyes were playing tricks on

you.

“Thank you,” the professor says, and I jump a little before handing the sphere back to him.

“You’re welcome,” I reply, and then I blush, because I feel a little ridiculous. I mean, I didn’t actually do him any favors. He smirks at me, looking me up and down before he moves with his colleagues to the back of the room.

I’m still staring after him when someone barks my name again.

I twist and then curse as I realize that all of the other candidates are lined up at the start of the course waiting for me.

L

I run over, falling in line, putting my hands on my left knee in a runners stance, ready to make a break for it when the whistle sounds.

To my shock, a tall form takes the spot next to me in line.

But, of course, I know immediately who it is even though I don’t look up. I can tell by sense of smell.

“Why are you still here?” I whisper, feeling like it is…not chance, that Jackson is running this route with me and not with my brother. But why would he do that? Does he…does he mean me harm again?

“Problems with my shoe,” Jackson says, his voice light as he too bends over, ready

to run.

I exhale, trying to put my anxiety out of my mind – because whatever Jackson’s going to do in the course, I have no control over it now. Better to concentrate on what I can handle.

“Did you read the handbook?” Jackson asks suddenly, and this time I look up at

Chapter al

him, completely baffled. Why why on earth is he asking me this seconds before we enter the course?

“What handbook?” I ask.

He turns a little to look down at me, frustrated. “The one your f**king uncles wrote, Clark.”

I scowl. realizing that I never even knew there was a handbook because Rafe and Jesse – they’ve probably had it memorized since they were kids. “No, I never read the handbook,” I murmur, turning my eyes back to the gauntlet ahead of us.

“Interesting phrasing,” Jackson murmurs, glancing over at the Lieutenant at the sidelines, who starts to raise his whistle to his lips. “When they describe the rules for going through the course, it’s very clear that candidates will be disqualified for actively helping each other. But, there isn’t any language that prevents you from using other candidates‘ bodies as leverage.”

“What?” I breathe, staring at him in utter confusion. noveldrama

But Jackson he just turns his face away.

And suddenly the bell whistles, and I swear he’s gone in a flash-

And I’m just left standing here alone on the start line, wondering what the hell

“Go, Clark!” the Lieutenant barks. “The trial has begun!”

Cursing at my idiocy for letting him throw me off the game, I launch into a sprint, heading into the course already behind on my time.