Chapter 643

Luca grabs my arm and hauls me back to his side the moment I gasp, my eyes going wide and shiny, and attempt to dash into Newtown's main - and only - square.

"Ari," he growls, shaking his head.

"But it's so cool," I whisper, fascinated, looking around at the little store and the three bars and the restaurant and all of the rooms above. Who lives here? What sort of stuff goes on in those rooms? And where do the -

“What are you talking about?" Luca says, laughing a little and drawing my attention suddenly back to him. “This place is a dump."

“It is not a dump - why are you being so mean!?"

"Ari," Luca says, a broad smile breaking out over his face as he gestures at the little town, "every single building here is made of plywood. It's a dump - it would all fall over in ten seconds, if it wasn't held up by Cadet lust and debauchery and the need to let of some Alpha steam."

“That's so cool,” I whisper, turning my head back to the square, fascinated. “I've never been anywhere like this."

"Most people would count themselves lucky to be able to say that," Luca says, dry.

But I just flap a hand and give him a scowl. Because Newtown might be...a little ramshackle, but it's fascinating - there are whole lives happening here that I know nothing about! And which I'm desperate to explore.

"Okay," Luca says, taking my other arm and turning me fully to him now so that I can't get distracted by the town. "Come on, Ari, you've got to be cooler than this. You're not the na?ve princess fascinated by the seedy underbelly of Academy life anymore, right? Who are you?"

I sigh, realizing that he's right. "I'm Daphne."

"And what is the number-one rule?"

I sigh again. "To not be obvious or recognized."

"And the number-two rule?"

"That if you say we go, we go, no questions."

"Good," Luca says, nodding once. But then he raises an eyebrow at me. "And? What are we not going to have?"

I stomp a foot, pouting at him. "But it's no fair!"

"Ari," he says, narrowing his eyes, voice low with warning. "This is homework - an assignment."

"But homework is fun!" I protest, my whole heart in every word.

Luca works very, very hard against his smile and beats it. "What. Are we not. Going. To. Have?"

"Any fun," I answer, sighing, looking down at my feet, deeply depressed. Lying, too, because I'm having a great deal of fun even now. Still, know that Luca is right - that

net

have a tendency to get carried away

and that I really do need to be

careful.

"That's right," Luca says, straightening up and letting go of my arms. "And what are the two personalities we're trying out tonight?"

I hold up a finger as I list each that Faiza assigned for my first trip. "Daphne and then dumb as a rock."

"Good," Luca says, giving me a firm nod.

"And then, if we have time, wanton floozie."

"Ari!"

ne

"Come onnnn," I moan, grinning, leaning my body close to him even as Luca puts a hand in the center of my chest, holding me physically back as he scowls at me. "It would be the perfect place to try it! Ben says," I look around, eager, dropping my voice, “Ben says there are Ladies of the Evening here."

"Are you talking about prostitutes?" Luca says, leaning close to me, baffled. I nod eagerly and he bursts out laughing. “Why are you calling them Ladies of the Evening? Are you some kind of like, scandalized pre-industrial waif?"noveldrama

"Yes," I say, nodding firmly. "That's the fourth identity we'll try tonight - I'll be good at that one. See!? Fun!"

Luca can't help but laugh as he shakes his head at me. "Look, I already have the feeling that your brother and your cousin are going to kick my ass for going along with. this. So if we could please just take it easy on night one?” My mate looks at me with pleading eyes and I sigh, straightening my shoulders and nodding.

“Okay, okay,” I say, looking again over at the bars. "Which one are we going to?"

"That one," Luca says, nodding towards a building called the Black Hawk.

"Why?"

“Because," Luca says, his voice dry. "There are the fewest Ladies of the Evening there. I'm not taking any chances of anyone...mistaking you."

"Me?" I gasp, pressing a hand to my heart. "People would mistake me?"