Chapter 695

"Which was?" Rafe asks, raising an eyebrow at me, not so delighted with my performance as everyone else. "Seriously, Ariel, the Captain's not going to be happy. You're going to be in deep shit about this - way deeper than he was." My brother points at Tony here.

"Did you get in trouble?" I ask, blinking at Tony in surprise.

"Demerits," he says with a shrug, like it can't possibly matter to him. "Restriction to my room until further notice. That sort of shit."

I frown. “But I...just saw you in Newtown..."

"What the Captain does not know," Tony says, "does not hurt him." He presses a sincere hand to his heart - one that is immediately betrayed by his wicked grin.

I laugh, opening my mouth to ask more, but Rafe interrupts.

"I'm serious, Ariel," he says, his face looking a great deal like dad's as I turn my head to him in surprise. "What's your plan here, trouble? It's one thing to throw a grenade into the Games just to throw everyone off - but have you thought about the fallout to this?"

"Of course I have, Rafe," I say, frowning at him, not liking how much he's underestimating me here. "Don't talk to me like I'm stupid and did this just because I'm mad."

"But then why -"

Almost precisely as if I timed it this way, a hard knock comes at the door. Rafe goes quiet as we all turn towards it.

"That will be for me," I say with a sigh, standing up and smoothing my hands down over my uniform before starting off for it.

"Ari," Rafe says, standing up and starting along with me.

But I turn back to him as I reach the door, putting a hand out towards my brother. He goes still. "My grenade, Rafe," I say quietly. "My fallout. I'll handle this."

I turn back to the door and pull it open. As I turn my face up to the Captain's glowering one, I unconsciously press my thumb against the mini mark that Jackson gave me this afternoon, wanting this tiny support even if I'm pretending to be all brave and stoic and alone on this. A warm pulse of support comes down my bond with Jackson and I wrap it around my heart, letting it bolster me.

"Cadet Clark," the Captain says, glaring down hard at me. "Would you like to join me in my office?"

"No thank you, sir," I say quietly, quite calm, folding my hands behind my back and looking up at him as evenly as I can.

He goes immediately beet red with rage.

"Please, sir,” I say, stepping back and nodding towards the rest of the room. "This involves more than just me. There are several here who are necessary to this conversation."

"This conversation is regarding your insubordination and your possible expulsion."

"Yes, sir," I say quietly, still holding my ground. "Amongst other things."

His mouth falls open a little bit as he sees me refuse to collapse to his will. "You will come downstairs, Cadet, or you will be expelled from this Academy."

"With all due respect, sir," I say quietly. "I am not leaving this room before we have this conversation in the presence of all of these people."

"Really," the Captain says, sneering

down at me and glancing over at the group assembled in the room. "You risk expulsion because all of these people need to be present for this conversation? Including the

Academy's youngest tailor?

I grimace a little, realizing I may have made a mistake there - and as I glance at Daphne and see the way she shrinks a little against the couch I realize that she's probably not supposed to be here.

But. What's done is done.noveldrama

"Yes," I say, boldly raising my chin. "I stand by my statement. All of them."

"Well, Cadet," the Captain growls. "If you refuse to come downstairs, then I am forced to inform you here and now that will be journeying down there myself to process your expulsion paperwork. For

ovel:

insubordination and blatant defiance

of orders."

"You'll regret that," I say quietly, still meeting his eyes. "In expelling me you'll cost this military the strongest weapon it has. Something that could actually turn this war around."

The Captain blinks at me, shocked and confused. But then his anger retakes possession of his will. "Your actions have been deliberately insubordinate, Cadet," he growls. "You were ordered to play in the Games as

et

drafted and you madeca

mockery of the exercise,

intentionally disrupting other Cadets' educational training. While you were a fine military candidate, your arrogance and willful determination to have your way at the expense of your fellow Cadets mark you as a danger to the future of the nation's military." He leans closer now, anger boiling in him as he says his final words through his teeth. "Not it's savior. And for that, you will be expelled."

I nod, hearing every word he says. When the Captain straightens I loose a long breath, keeping a tight hold of my wolf's fur between my mental fingers, not letting my temper slip for a moment.

"All right, sir." I say, nodding once. "Are you finished?"

He pauses for a moment, studying my face. "I am.”

“Good." I take a deep breath and straighten my shoulders. "Then let me begin."