“Whoops,” he gasps, his eyes widening in horror as he realizes his mistake. “I, uh, didn’t mean that.”
“Oh, my,” she says, raising her arm and looking down at her bare wrist. “Look at the time, I really must be going.”
“Okay,” I laugh. “Do you need me to take you the rest of the way?”
“Nope, I’m good,” she says, eyes trained on the ground. “Got to go,” she adds, then darts off into the darkness.
Jacinta snickers as I glare up at Daniel. “Geez, way to embarrass my poor sister.”
We walk back to the senior campus where Jacinta and I say our goodbyes, waiting an extra five minutes for Jacinta to say goodbye to Trey’s tonsils. We head up to our room with exhaustion taking over. I change into my pajamas and slip into bed, falling into a deep, deep sleep, dreaming about that one birthday wish that will never come true.
----------
It’s Friday afternoon after combat training and I’m so thankful this week is over. I walk out of the training room, following behind Trey and Daniel as we head off to find Jacinta. I spot her cutting across the oval coming from her fairy class and call out for her to wait up.
“Hey,” she says with a beautiful smile. “How was training? Annihilate any of the boys?” she asks.
“Of course,” I beam. “How was FEDS? Learn how to use chemical compounds to fry those bastards?”
She rolls her eyes as we sit down in the too-long grass.
Daniel spots Nora and breaks away to meet her. She watches his advance and sends me a smug look as he throws his arm over her shoulder. Shaking my head, I watch as Trey pulls a ball out of his bag and waits for Daniel as he saunters over. I break out singing ‘Don’t cha’ by The Pussycat Dolls as he passes, earning myself a wicked grin and a shake of his glorious head.
Jacinta fills me in on her day when a shadow looms over us, I look up to find Nora standing above me with a very fake smile plastered on her face. “Can we help you?” Jacinta asks, just as dumbfounded as I am.
“You must be lost?” I enquire.
Nora’s fake smile seems to grow wider. “No, actually, I came to clear the air between us all,” she says looking up at Daniel who’s watching the three of us intently. “I just thought, now that things are official between Daniel and I, that I should make more of an effort with his friends. So, here I am,” she says, so damn chirpy that I’m wondering if something might literally be stuck up her ass.
“Um…,” I say as my brows pinch together and I try to form some sort of sentence.
“Look, Bianca,” she starts again, a little more forceful. “I really didn’t want it to come to this, but Daniel is mine and I know it would make him happy if we just got along, and I get it, you’re hurting, but in the end, he chose me. Though you shouldn’t be surprised,” she says, her little act slipping. “It’s time for you to move on and stop moping around after my boyfriend, it’s embarrassing for you. Anyway, chin up, I’ll see you guys around,” she says before turning on her heel and stepping away.
“Oh, Jacinta,” she calls, “I think it would be totally awesome if you and Trey double-dated with us. That would be so great,” she says, a fake smile plastered on before turning and leaving once again.
“What just happened?” Jacinta asks, finally finding her voice.
I shake my head. “I have no idea.”
Twenty minutes later, we head up to our dorm and I check in with Millie. I reach into my bag, feeling around for my phone that’s certainly not there when I remember getting it out during Combat Training and putting it down beside my bag as I got a drink. Damn. If I go quick I can make it before Rylan and Ben lock up.
I let Jacinta know and I head off toward the Combat Room. I get there in record time and burst through the door.
“Oh, geez,” I screech, coming to a standstill like a deer in headlights while I watch Miss Layton uncurl her body from Rylan’s, my heart shattering into tiny pieces.
His eyes snap up to mine and I cut him off before I hear whatever it is that he’s going to say. “I, ahh…shit, sorry,” I fumble, averting my eyes to the floor, wall, anywhere but them. “I didn’t mean to interrupt.” I turn to get my ass out of here.
“Bianca,” Rylan calls, making me cringe before I can make my escape. “What do you need?”
Turning back around, I unscramble my thoughts to try to recall why I ventured down here. “Oh, um, my phone. I left it here,” I say, still standing as awkwardly as ever by the door.
“Okay, by all means,” he says, watching me closely before sweeping his arm out in the universal sign for ‘go ahead.’
“Right,” I say, under my breath, eyes trained on the floor as I make my way into the room. ‘Left foot, right foot, left foot, right foot.’ I repeat my mantra in my head, over and over again, until I finally reach the steps where my phone is laying, I pick it up and hastily turn around to make my exit.
I fly out of the room like a bat out of hell, not bothering with the door behind me. I make it at least halfway to my dorm before the first tear comes rolling down my face and for the first time since meeting Rylan, with my navigation test starting on Monday, I’m glad I won’t have to see him for the next four days.
Chapter 29
I groan at the sound of my alarm demanding my undivided attention. I scramble out of bed into the darkness and make my way into the bathroom to take a quick shower as I know it will be the last one I get for the next 48 hours. Yep, that’s right, it’s Navigation Test day.
I get ready for my test, throw on a pair of black tights and tie up my sneakers. I pull my hair back and grab my things as I head for the door. A garbled noise comes from Jacinta that sounded a little like ‘good luck’ but with her face squished into her pillow, her words are lost.
I begin my descent down to the Combat Room, dreading the inevitable meeting with Tessa. I push through the door and come to a halt when I find a very unimpressed and tired looking Rylan propped up against the wall, arms crossed over his broad chest. He stands beside a yawning Ms. Peterson, who looks to still be in her pajamas and robe. “What’s going on? Where’s Tessa?” I ask, confused as I search Rylan’s eyes for some sort of answers.
“Bianca,” Ms. Peterson says, from across the room. “Unfortunately, I’ve got some bad news for you, dear.”
I try my hardest to compose myself at the shock of walking in here to find Ms. Peterson and Rylan standing before me. “And what’s that?” I ask hesitantly, my eyes flicking between the two.
“Well,” she says. "As you would have noticed, Tessa has been on leave for the past few weeks and as of last week, she requested to be transferred to the Elementary Campus. That request was accepted by The Guard on Friday.”
“Okay,” I say. “But what’s that got to do with my Navigation Test?”
“The rules state that your companion for your test must be a senior instructor of equal sex. So, unfortunately, with Tessa’s transfer, she’s now unable to escort you,” she says.
“What? But she has to go. There are no other female Combat Instructors in the whole academy. It has to be her,” I say, slightly hysterical.
Ms. Peterson cringes. “This is where Rylan comes in.”
“Huh?” I grunt in confusion. She must still be too tired. Her words aren’t making any sense.
My eyes flick to Rylan’s once again and I see a strain behind his eyes, and I suddenly don’t like the way this conversation is going. “We have discussed your options with both your mother and The Guard, and due to the fact that you are now eighteen years of age, we have come to the conclusion that the best course of action will be for Rylan to escort you on your Navigation Test,” she explains.
Well, shit. This is going to be interesting.
“Now, if you’d excuse me, I’d like to get back to bed.” Ms. Peterson nods before making a hasty exit while wishing me luck on my test and I’m left standing alone in the big room with Rylan.
I turn my glare on him almost instantly. “You knew about this las
t week and you didn’t say anything?” I hiss.
He lets out a sigh and pushes off the wall. “Well, I was planning on sharing that bit of news with you on Friday when you stormed in here, guns blazing, but you really didn’t give me the chance.”
“Oh, please, you looked a little busy. Would you have preferred I stuck around and waited until you were finished figuring out Barbie’s cup size? My guess is a D, by the way.”
He looks slightly taken back at my bad attitude. “What the hell is your problem?” he snaps, walking right up to me and getting in my face. “Just so you know, your other option was to wait for Tessa’s replacement and since you’re the only female student and are already eighteen, The Guard would never have replaced her, hence, no Navigation Test for you, automatic fail. Now, grab your shit, let’s go,” he demands, storming past me and knocking into my shoulder in the process.
Damn it, that hurt.
I grab my bag with a huff and scurry after him towards the parking lot where he climbs into a black SUV and starts it up. I climb up into the passenger side and slam the door behind me. I let out an annoyed huff as I throw my bag into the back seat and pull my legs up to my chest, getting comfortable as Rylan peels out of the parking lot.
We drive for thirty minutes in complete silence. I watch him out of the corner of my eye, studying his form as he drives, looking as sexy as hell while he shifts through the gears in that way that only a man can do. Sitting back, elbow resting on the window, my eyes follow his muscled arm right down to where his fingers are casually hooked over the steering wheel then back up and across his defined chest and down the other arm.
My greedy eyes come back up, past his stubble and sharp jawline and finally up to those mesmerizing eyes which I find staring right back at me with a raised eyebrow. Crap, caught checking out my instructor...again. “You about done?” he asks as cocky as ever.
I let out a loud huff and turn to focus out the window as he breaks into laughter, doing my best not to stomp my foot on the floor like an annoyed child. “Come on, Bianca. It’s going to be a very long 48 hours if you’re going to sulk the whole time,” he comments.
“Yeah, well you’re kind of being a jerk,” I snap.
“Yeah, well you’re kind of being a brat,” he says, mimicking my tone. Though I hear the laughter in his voice which makes my blood boil. I let out another huff, my hands balling into fists as the overwhelming need to throw a tantrum comes over me. I mean, how is it this man has the ability to affect me in these ways?
I sit in silence beside him for another twenty minutes, trying to calm myself down when I finally realize that he’s right, as usual. I was being a brat and I might have been a little out of line making those comments about Miss Layton as it’s none of my business what he does in his spare time, or who he does it with.
“Sorry,” I grumble under my breath, keeping my gaze on my lap. “I had no right to make those comments, I was being a brat.” I glance up at him to find his eyes locked on me, a slow smile spreading over his handsome face.
“Don’t stress it,” he says and I watch as the side of his mouth tilts up in a little smirk and I realize he’s trying his hardest not to laugh, and just like that, everything seems right in the world.
“What? That’s it? You’re not going to admit that you were being a jerk?”
“Nope,” he deadpans, making another groan slip through my teeth.
We travel for another three hours, with me flicking through the songs on my phone and Rylan whining about letting at least one song finish before I change it again, though I know he actually isn’t annoyed as his finger taps away on the steering wheel.
“I found Kaylee,” he suddenly says, making my eyes draw over to him in shock.
“Huh?” I grunt.
“My sister,” he says with a roll of his eyes.
“You found her?” I ask. “Seriously?”
“Yeah,” he says with a soft smile. “Some girl made me feel like an idiot for giving up,” he adds, his eyes sparkling with mirth as he looks over at me.
“She sounds freaking awesome,” I grin.
Rylan lets out a small amused laugh and launches into his explanation of how he contacted the police and when they failed to find her, he hired a government-grade hacker who found her information and was able to track her down. I can’t help but smile as he tells his story. His gold speckled eyes keep me mesmerized as he tells me how happy she was when he knocked on her door the week before, and I realize just how ecstatic he is to finally be sharing this with someone. The fact that someone is me, is certainly not lost on me.
So, I sit back in my chair, cross my legs under myself and take in every last detail he’s willing to share.
After taking the guiltiest pleasure in the car ride with Rylan, he pulls down a dirt road with a sign indicating private property and stops by a small brick building. “Last chance to use a proper bathroom before being stuck in the bush for two days.”
“What?” I screech, completely mortified with what the next 48 hours might bring. I mean, of course, I knew that would happen, but I always assumed it would be with Tessa. Peeing in the woods where Rylan could walk past at any moment is kind of freaking me out.
“Make it fast, or you can use the tree’s like the boys do,” he grins.
Crap. I quickly hop out of the car and pull my jacket tight around me as the fresh morning air slams into my face. I use the bathroom as quickly as possible and jump right back into the car. Rylan drives for a further ten minutes when he pulls over and parks the SUV under a shelter and begins getting out.
“Is this it?” I ask, excitement filling my voice.
“Nope, just thought I’d get out here to take in the scenery,” he deadpans, then smirks at my unimpressed expression. “Of course, this is it.” He walks around to the back of the car and pulls out a bag as I hop out and have a quick look around. Yep, trees, trees, and more trees. The whole place is completely overgrown with forest and shrubs, I wouldn’t be surprised if I run into a few wild animals on my journey.
Rylan comes and joins me, handing me a map and explaining that I have half-an-hour to study it. He points out a lake and explains that I’m to find the quickest route to the lake, which is where we’ll spend the night, Along the way I need to find certain markers, such as two places to refill water and somewhere safe to eat and then decide on the safest area by the lake to camp tonight where I’ll then have to create a fire, the old fashioned way.
I get set on my task, studying every inch of the map and creating my route. After my half-an-hour is up, Rylan comes and checks on my progress. “How are you doing?”
Confidently, I turn my map around and show him the thick red line I’ve marked out. He studies the map for a moment before looking up. “You sure?”
I take the map, looking over it one more time before deciding it’s the best way. “Yep, now, grab your shit, let’s go,” I smirk, mimicking his words from earlier this morning. I break out into laughter as he grabs his things and follows behind me into the forest.
“Watch it,” he scolds, shaking his head in exasperation.
We walk side by side in light conversation when we make it to my first landmark. Rylan lifts his wrist and checks the time. “Hmm,” he murmurs to himself, deep in thought.
“What’s ‘hmm’?” I ask, studying his face.
“We just got here a lot faster than expected,” he says, pride lacing his voice.
“Why do you seem surprised about that?”
“No other student has made it to their first point within the first two hours,” he comments, still very thoughtful.
“Let me guess,” I say, pulling out my map and grabbing a blue pen from my bag. “You were expecting I was going to go this way,” I say, leaning up against a tree and mapping out a different route.
He looks over my shoulder as I draw all over my map. “Why didn’t you?”
“It’s basically a straight line pointing where to go, It’s too obvious. I was going to g
o this way until I realized that three-quarters of it is uphill. Where, my way,” I say, pointing to my red line. “Seems a lot more complicated, but is all on flat ground, therefore, is actually saving a whole lot of time and energy.”
His smile is dazzling. “Good job,” he says, letting on that I’ve passed the first test and made the right decision. “You’ll go far in this world, Bianca.”
“You shouldn’t doubt me,” I grin as I take off into the woods and look back over my shoulder at him. “I have a pretty good teacher.”
We spend the rest of the day walking and talking and make it to the lake by early afternoon, giving us the rest of the day to chill out together. Well…I like to think of it as chilling out together.
An hour later, after I’ve rested my aching legs, I get started on my final task for the day. Making a fire. I gather plenty of sticks and begin my daunting task. On my third attempt, a small spark grows into a good-sized campfire. Shock fills my features and quickly turns into a full-blown grin. I look up to find Rylan watching me in amusement.
“I would have made an awesome caveman,” I joke, getting up and making my way over to the lake and sitting on a discarded log while keeping my eye on my amazing fire.
“That you would have,” he says, joining me as I take my shoes and socks off to dangle my feet in the freezing water.
Rylan takes a heavy breath and looks up at me, regret in his eyes. “There’s something you should know,” he says, averting his eyes back to the lake.
I give him a small nod, encouraging him to continue. “A report came in yesterday of another attack. Same story, little girl witnessed her father brutally murdered. She’s nine and was home from the academy for her mother’s birthday.”
I sit quietly taking in his words, my heart breaking for the little girl. “What’s her name?”
“Morgan.”
“Okay,” I nod, “Do you know when she will be returning to campus?” I ask.
“Not sure, probably a few weeks.”
“Right, of course. I…maybe I’ll talk with her when she comes back,” I say, hoping there’s something I’d be able to offer this poor girl to help her get past her own nightmares.
Soul and Disaster: Slayer Academy (Book 1) Page 21