“Plus, I’ve seen guys get into this during field training. Much worse cases. And they all came out okay.”
Now Ana was listening. She was glad for the distraction. “You’ve been to field training?”
He nodded, surprised at her interest but happy to talk. He needed the distraction himself. “Rockwell kids start training when we’re young. I did my first overnight survival training when I was nine.”
“What’s that like?”
He considered for a moment. “Well, a hovercraft picks you up and drops you in the middle of the forest with nothing but a rucksack. When you’re young, they leave you with other kids and food. The older you get, the lighter the pack gets, if you know what I mean.”
They talked and passed the time while Ophelia slept.
Holden and Ana decided not to return to their classes. It was nearly the end of the school day now, and neither of them felt right about leaving Ophelia. She mumbled in a fitful sleep. Her pale hands tore at the sheets. Her body glistened in a sheen of sweat.
Finally, the nurse came back around. “Visiting hours are over. Ms. Fleur will stay the evening in our care.”
“No,” Ana said a little too loudly. She could feel panic rising in her chest. She couldn’t leave Ophelia alone. She had left her mom alone. This was her fault. Those shears had been meant for her. “I have to stay with her.”
The nurse put her hands on her hips. “Ms. Halt, this is a medical care center. Patients are sleeping. I’ll thank you to keep your voice down.”
Ana was ready to argue the point when Ophelia opened a bleary eye.
“Ana,” she said in a dreamy voice.
“Yes, I’m here,” Ana said, grabbing her hand.
“I’m fine. Really. Go to bed.” She noticed Holden, standing behind Ana’s shoulder. “Both of you.”
Holden walked Ana back to her door. They didn’t say much on the way. Holden was comfortable with the silence, and Ana was preoccupied. Who had tampered with the sheers? Who was responsible?
Back in her room, Ana eyed the untouched box of chocolates on the kitchen counter. Samuel’s words echoed in her head. Never forget one of these people is the reason for your family’s fate. Maybe even your mother’s death.
Well, she wasn’t going to be a sitting duck. No way. With a decisive swoop of her arm, she raked all the remaining gifts into the trash can.
14
Midnight Stroll
Ana couldn’t sleep. Not after what happened to Ophelia. It was nearing midnight when she decided to go find Samuel. Ordinarily, he came to her, but she couldn’t afford to wait. She wanted answers. She wanted a strategy. She wanted to get the hell off this campus.
It was time to find out where Samuel lived.
After the parade, he had said that he would be living in town, above a bakery. She fished a box out of the garbage can. La Rue Bakery. She smiled. She had a destination.
It was after curfew when Ana crept past the Fleur and Rockwell dormitories, knowing most of the students would rat her out in a heartbeat. She made her way down the stairs, past the arched doors, and into the fresh night air of the courtyard. She was sure no one had followed her.
She crossed the checkered courtyard, glancing back up at the windows to make sure nobody was looking out. The coast was clear. She moved steadily toward the front gate. Guards waited there, standing at attention. Would they let her pass?
It was after hours, and she was out of bounds. Chances are, they would not. Still, what other choice did she have? She could hardly scale the stone walls. They were more than ten feet tall. Maybe there would be a break in the wall. Another exit. One less guarded. She decided to look. If she couldn’t find one, she would double back to the main gate and try her luck.
She passed the greenhouses and continued toward the west wall. She wasn’t too far from the Rockwell Practice Fields, where Adam and Holden ran drills and exercises in the early mornings. In the distance, the stone wall loomed into view.
Someone, or something, was walking on top of it. From this distance, she could only make out a shadow. Curiosity pulled her in.
It was a person. Who would be out here at this time of night? If it was a student, they were breaking curfew. It was Adam Rockwell.
“Adam,” she called, waving up at him. She was only a few yards away now.
He muscles tightened, but his reflexes kept him from losing his footing. When he saw her, a smile slid across his face. “Anabella Halt, fancy seeing you here.”
“Sorry I startled you,” she called, craning her head up to look at him. “What are you doing up there?”
“Sometimes, I run drills in the evenings, you know, to get an edge on the competition. It’s really clear out tonight, I thought I’d cool down and have a stroll.”
“I’d join you, but how did you get up there?”
“I climbed, but there is another way. I’ll show you.” He leaped off the wall.
Ana’s breath caught in her throat. It was too high to jump. But, to her relief, he landed easily in a crouched position. She placed a hand over her beating heart. “You scared me. How did you do that?”
“It’s standard training. I can land a fall from twenty feet. So, what brings you out here?”
“I couldn’t sleep. Needed some air.”
He frowned. “Holden told me what happened in Botany. Are you okay?”
“I’m fine. For now.”
“Whoever did it is daring, I’ll say that.”
“That’s the thing. Who would do that in the middle of a class?”
“I wish I knew.”
“Me too”
They were quiet for a moment.
Ana broke the silence. “So, you were saying about a way over the wall?”
“Right this way,” he said, inclining his head.
They stuck close to the wall, staying in its shadow, just in case there were any staff enjoying a late-night rendezvous.
“Why are you out here practicing so late?” Ana asked.
“When Rockwells graduate, our assignments are made based on grades, combat scores, and leader recommendations. I want to be at the top of my class, so I can get my pick. Besides, my dad wouldn’t accept anything less.”
“He sounds…intense.”
“He has to be. He holds the Rockwell Family Council Seat. He oversees the entire military. Weakness costs lives.”
“That’s a lot of live up to.”
“Yeah.” He kicked a rock with his boot. “What about you? What’s your deal?”
A bitter smile tempted her lips upward. “My deal? Let’s see. My mom was secret royalty from another planet. Now, assassins are trying to kill me, and I’m supposed to take back the family council seat. You know, normal teenage stuff.”
“Well, when you put it like that, being the general’s son seems a lot better.”
They reached an old abandoned sentry post. Inside, a chain had been cut and some electronics pulled out of a casing on the wall.
Ana followed Adam up spiral stone stairs and out onto the top of the wall. The view from the top of the wall was breathtaking. In the distance, she could make out the harbor. Dark waves buffeted the boats tied to the old wooden docks.
“Wow,” she breathed. “Is there a way over?”
“Over?”
“I need to go into town.”
“At this hour?”
“I need to see someone.”
Adam shrugged. “I mean the town is safe enough, but if the academy finds out, you’ll be in a lot of trouble.”
“I won’t tell, if you don’t.”
He laughed. “I think I’m beginning to understand you. Too bad you didn’t bring the sword. Have it your way. Down at this corner, the wall crumbled. You can drop over easily.”
“But how do I get back?”
“Another quarter mile down, there’s another sentry, climb up there.”
“Got it.”
“Be safe, Halt.”
She waved away his concern. “See y
ou tomorrow.”
* * *
Ana walked along the harbor until she reached the town. So far, she had not seen a living soul. The cobblestone streets were nearly as empty as the harbor. She passed an old man sitting in a chair on the front porch, smoking a cigar.
He nodded at her, and she continued past.
Madame Bali had explained that each of the citizens of the town was carefully vetted. Samuel called it a “sweeping move of the council” and an “obliteration of privacy but one that was handy.”
Finally, she saw it. La Rue Bakery. She recognized the name of the bakery from the boxes Samuel brought her on occasion. He said he lived just above. She looked past the wrought iron bistro furniture to a secondary door. This had to be it.
She knocked.
Samuel came to the door. His hair tousled and an old paperback in his hand. “Ana,” he said in surprise, stepping aside for her to enter. “Let’s talk upstairs.”
She followed him up a set of uninspiring concrete steps to the apartment above. It was bland. A blanket was thrown over a couch. Boxes of takeout were piled in the tiny kitchen. An ashtray overflowed on the coffee table.
The smell of freshly baked bread lingered in the room. She assumed it vented up from the bakery below. The view of the lane was good too. A stack of books sat in the windowsill. Ana imagined Samuel sat there a lot.
It was weird. She had never thought of what he did when he was away from the academy. She supposed he spent most of his time holed up here. It had to be really boring. Lonely too.
Samuel sat down on the couch. “So, what brings you here?”
Ana told him all about what had happened in botany class—the contaminated shears, Ophelia’s accident, the rush to the med center. Samuel asked so many questions she thought her brain was going to melt.
Where had Ophelia been standing at the time of the accident? How were the shears positioned on the table? Who had been nearby? Could she provide a full list of lab partners?
Hours later, their conversation was going nowhere. As Ana paced across the room, the first light of day filtered through the windows. She ran a hand through her hair. “I don’t understand how you can just sit there and do nothing,” she fumed.
He put his hands to his temples. “Years of practice.”
“If they can reach me inside the academy, what about my brothers? They could be in danger too. We have to do something. We have to strike.”
Samuel stood up and put a hand on her shoulder. “Easy there. Your brothers are fine. Ms. K is watching over them.”
“Let’s call her. Make sure.”
“Why not just send their GPS coordinates out to the council directly? Interspace transmissions are heavily monitored. It would do more harm than good.”
She blew out a frustrated stream of air.
“Sit down. Have a croissant.”
“Maybe one of your cigarettes.”
“It’s a nasty habit,” he said, pulling the carton from her reach and tucking it in his pocket.
“You’re such a hypocrite.”
Samuel’s placid expression hardened for a moment before settling into controlled nonchalance. Ana didn’t buy it. She had gotten under his skin. The unflappable Samuel. She resisted the urge to prod.
“We can’t help your brothers by contacting Ms. K. You’d be naming them.”
Ana flopped down on the couch next to him. “You’re right. I hate that.”
Samuel smiled. “Of course I am. Have you eaten?”
Ana raised an eyebrow at the pile of takeout containers. Samuel offered her some baked goods from the bakery below and a cup of coffee. She sat down to eat, biting into a chocolate drizzled scone. It melted to sugary goodness on her tongue, and she felt endorphins run through her. She took a sip of the coffee. “It’s good,” she said, gesturing to Samuel.
“Decaf,” he said. “Bali would never forgive me if I kept you up all night.”
“I don’t need a parent, Samuel.”
A measure of sadness crossed his face. Or pity.
“Aren’t you going to sit down?” she prompted.
“No and neither should you. That coffee is to go. We have to get you back to campus. How’d you get out anyway?”
“How do you get in?”
He didn’t answer. Instead, he insisted on walking her through town, across campus, and all the way to her door.
“Do you want to come in?” she offered. “There’s only twenty spare bedrooms to choose from.”
“No, I have to get back to…well…never you mind. Let’s just say I have things to do. I want to find out everything I can about this firetongue incident.”
“I already told you everything. Who was in the room, where everyone sat, which greenhouse.”
“Goodnight, Ana.”
He stepped into the hallway, spotted a student, and decided on a different route. He crawled out Ana’s window and climbed down the trellis. A small smile played across Ana’s lips. Sometimes she thought he was more cat than man. As if to prove the point, his eyes glinted in the darkness.
15
Starry Night
Later that morning, Madame Bali moved around the dorm with purpose—cleaning, cooking, and selecting Ana’s outfit for the day. She made so much noise it was almost impossible for Ana to continue sleeping. But she tried. She pulled the covers over her head to block out the clickety-clacking of Madame Bali’s high heels on the tile floor. The woman was a menace. A Mr. Clean in high heels.
It didn’t work. Madame Bali was a woman of single determination, and it was clear she was trying to wake Ana up. It would be only moments before she would launch her out of bed through sheer force of will.
Reluctantly, Ana crawled out of bed and put on her slippers. She shuffled into the kitchen, where Madame Bali was now cleaning the countertop. She picked up two congealing cereal bowls, some dirty silverware, a purple pen, and a stack of schoolwork and began to put them all in their rightful places.
“Ana,” she exclaimed. “What wonderful timing. I was quite surprised to see you would still be sleeping at such a late hour.”
Ana checked the time: 7:21 a.m. “I usually like to sleep in on the weekends,” she said, stifling a yawn.
“Well, I’m certainly glad you got the chance today. It will be a rare opportunity here at the academy. How are your classes going?”
Ana gritted her teeth and buried her head in the refrigerator. She needed caffeine and sugar. She found the remnants of a gallon of iced coffee. She poured it into a to-go cup and answered Madame Bali’s question. “Honestly, it’s going to be hard to focus after what happened yesterday. I’m worried about my brothers. Samuel said—”
“Samuel? When did you see him?”
“Last night.” Ana decided not to mention that she had gone off campus.
Madame Bali clucked her tongue in disapproval. “He shouldn’t be over so late without supervision. It’s unseemly.”
Ana couldn’t help herself. This time she did roll her eyes. So old-fashioned.
Madame Bali pretended not to notice. “As for your brothers, the best way you can protect them is to become the woman you were meant to be. Focus on your studies, dress and act the part, and form strong alliances. Why, I could introduce you to several wonderful young people this weekend if you—”
“No, thanks,” Ana interrupted. “Really. I’m making lots of friends already,” she fibbed. Did one injured lab partner and two Rockwell boys count as “lots”? She liked to think so.
Bali looked disappointed.
“But I would like to see what you pulled out for me to wear,” Ana said, trying to raise her adviser’s spirits.
Bali perked up a bit. “I think you’ll like it. It’s all the rage in the capital right now.”
Ana tossed the empty iced coffee jug into the trash can. It rebounded and hit the floor. As she bent to pick it up, she noticed a gaping corroded hole in the side. She stood to inspect the inside. The trash had pooled into a pile of goo.
She could only think of one thing that might have caused it. The chocolates. The “present” from Lydia DuBois and her parents.
* * *
A few evenings later, as she made her way to the astrophysics lab, Ana was still stewing over the latest development. How bold could they be? The DuBoises actually signed the card. What sort of person gave out poisoned chocolates and then signed the card?
As far as she was concerned, the DuBoises were now suspect number one in her mind. She ran through the evidence once more. First, there was Lydia DuBois. She had hated Ana from the moment she had stepped foot on the campus. She had been jealous Adam was talking to her and accused Ana of being a fraud. Then there was Henry DuBois. He had targeted Ana from their very first speech class. Plus, there was the firetongue incident in Botany. More than one table of DuBois kids had been present. Any one of them could have snuck over and tampered with the shears.
She’d bet anything they were the people in the black SUV. She’d told Samuel as much.
He hadn’t been as convinced. “Even if they did do it, you can’t prove it.”
“But they signed the card!” Ana had insisted.
“You think they signed the card. You can’t prove they signed the card. They’ll just claim they were framed, and then some poor innocent person will be sent off to the capital for execution. Let it lie.”
The whole thing made her so mad. She didn’t want to let it lie. She wanted someone to pay. She could have died. Ophelia could have died.
She looked up from her brooding and spotted Lydia DuBois walking on the opposite side of the hallway. Like a heat-seeking missile, she tuned into her target, weaving through students, until she slammed her shoulder into Lydia.
Lydia stumbled and fell into another student. They steadied her, and Lydia turned to face Ana. “Hey! Walk much, Halt?”
Ana stopped and turned. “Thanks for the chocolates.”
Students stopped to watch the altercation. Soon, they were blocking all through traffic.
Lydia frowned. “What?”
“You know the ones that melt metal.”
Seven Crowns (Bellaton Book 1) Page 12