The Hidden Princess At All-Boys Alpha Academy



My mouth turns down in a desperate frown, because even if he's relieved...

God, but I love being an Espionage Cadet. I don't want to be reassigned - I want to study it all.

"I'll talk with the Captain," I say, giving an assured nod. "I'll...I'll do both tracks."

Neumann smirks at me and nods. "We'll see," he says, quiet and sure. "Upon your return. Now you'd better head out - you have other professors to meet with before you get some rest."

I hesitate. "Faiza?" I ask, just a whisper.

He smirks. "Don't you worry about my dashing girl. She will be fine."

"You haven't heard from her?"

Neumann quirks an eyebrow at me. "What kind of spymaster would I be if I told you that?"

"A nice one," I growl, showing my teeth a bit. To my shock, he actually laughs.

"Go!" Neumann says, giving me a little shove on the shoulder. "I have work to do, and so do you."noveldrama

I sigh, turning down the hall, my head hanging as I process this sudden news.

"Ariel."

The name rings out after me and I turn back, meeting my favorite professor's eyes.

"You stay alive, all right?" he says, clenching his jaw, working hard to keep the emotion from his face.

A tiny grin takes my lips. "Are you being sentimental again, sir?"

"Not at all, Cadet," he says, his eyes crinkling at the corners. "Just issuing my standard orders. You're very important to this world, as well as to me. Just...make sure you come back."

"Yes, sir." I say, giving him a steady nod.

And then I tear my eyes away and sniff hard, moving down the hall and not letting myself look back.

When I got to Blaze's gym, it's empty, all the lights off.

I frown because I've never seen it like this - so dark and lifeless. But then I realize that I'm just insanely early for our lesson and cross to the little door in the back, rapping on it softly a few times.

And then harder, a few more.

But there's no answer and nothing in the room changes. I call for him a few times, louder and louder, but again - no response.

Sighing, feeling a bit defeated, I trudge all the way up through the castle to our room at the top.

Of course, I'm the only one here

because everyone else has

professors, and an assignment, and things to do. For the first time since I've been at the Academy I'm at a loss for how to spend my time, and I hate it, because right now I could really, really use a distraction.

I do my best to keep busy, first stealing Jackson's strategy textbook and trying to read through the maps, quizzing myself on the little exercises that he sometimes puts me though in the dream state when

we study together. But when that fails to occupy my mind, I put myself to busier tasks, straightening up the room and then pulling the little ironing board from beneath Rafe's bed and beginning to iron a set of each of our uniforms so that we can be pressed and ready for tomorrow.

But that's agony too far too much space for my mind to wander.

Eventually I just groan and throw myself on the couch with a packet of cookies, stuffing myself silly and passively watching TV on Jackson's little DVD player while I wait for everyone to get back.

When the door finally opens hours later, I groan with relief.

"Finally," I sigh, pouting towards the door as Jackson and Rafe come in, Jesse and Luca on their tail. "Where have you been!?"

"We've been getting ready for war," Rafe says, looking at me like I'm a little crazy and then looking around the room where books and cookies and irons are scattered. "What the hell have you been doing?"

"Waiting!" I moan, somehow managing to glare and pout at them all at once. Jackson comes crosses to me, sitting down and smirking a bit as he senses my discontent and eyes all the cookie wrappers. Luca comes to sit across from me as well asl spill out the story of being reassigned.

To my dismay, none of them look surprised.

"You knew!?" I gasp, staring around at the four warrior-track Alphas.

Jesse grimaces, feeling bad. "The Captain told us this afternoon," he says. "I mean, it gets you what you asked for, Ari - we're all going into battle together tomorrow."