My phone rings and I fish it out of my pocket to find mom calling. I hit speaker and both Millie and I call out. “Hi, mom.”
“Oh, my beautiful girls. Are you together?” she says with a smile in her voice.
“Yes,” Millie says, sounding just as happy as mom does, then steals the phone out of my hands and chats away.
I lay back in the grass and close my eyes, relaxing in the sun as I listen to Millie tell mom all about the movie night we’ve planned for Saturday night when the warmth on my skin disappears. My eyes spring open to find a scowling Rylan hovering over me as he looks down at me while also blocking out my sun, which I must say, I’m not too impressed about.
“Whatever it is, I didn’t do it,” I tell him as Millie goes quiet beside me, listening in.
“Oh, so you’re telling me you didn’t go to the mall on the weekend, break into the security office, tie up the guards, and steal footage.”
“Uhh…”
“Got to go, mom,” Millie cuts in. “Bianca is about to get in trouble and I don’t want to miss it.” I hear my mother’s squawk through the phone before Millie hits end.
“I’m waiting,” Rylan says.
Jacinta gets to her feet beside me and pulls Mille up with her. “We better let you two sort this out,” she says.
“Not so fast,” Rylan says to Jacinta. “Don’t act like you weren’t the one she put up to the task of creating a diversion.”
“Uhh…” she says, mimicking my earlier statement as she scrambles for some kind of excuse.
I also get to my feet to stand before a very cranky man. “It wasn’t us,” I lie.
“Bianca, I’ve told you a million times. You’re a terrible liar,” he says.
“I agree,” Jacinta adds. “You really are.”
“Shut up. You’re worse,” I laugh then turn back to Rylan. “How’d you find out?”
“A complaint was made by the men who were tied up, though apparently, the students managed to keep their identities hidden the whole time, so no formal charges can be made.”
“Okay,” I say. “So, if they don’t know who it was, why are you coming to me?”
“Call it instinct,” he says. “I don’t need to see the footage. I just know it was you and I’m assuming, since Daniel was in the infirmary, it was also Trey.”
“Are we in trouble?” I ask with a cringe.
“Only with me,” he says.
Crap. I don’t know what’s worse. Being in trouble with The Guard or being in trouble with Rylan.
He looks over to Jacinta and Millie. “I’m going to steal her for a while,” he says then looks directly to Jacinta. “Make sure Millie gets back to the junior campus safely,” he adds, making my heart swell seeing just how protective he is over my little sister.
Jacinta gives him a firm nod. “Of course,” she says then loops her arms through Millie’s and gives me a knowing smirk before taking off.
Rylan shoves his hands deep in his pockets and indicates with a flick of his head for me to follow him. We start walking back up to campus and I make sure to keep my distance so to other students, it looks innocent. “Are you mad?” I ask as he leads me up towards the combat room.
He lets out a sigh. “I really want to be. I hate that you went there again, especially without me to watch over you, but how can I be mad when I would have done exactly the same thing?”
“You know, I’m not living if I’m living in fear,” I tell him, feeling extremely philosophical and wise beyond my years. “And neither are you,” I add as an afterthought.
“Bianca, knowing that you’re safe is the only thing that helps me sleep at night,” he tells me as we round the corner of the combat building, plunging us into the shadows, finally hidden from the world.
“I know, I promise, after graduation, I’ll find a new mall to shop at,” I tell him.
He shakes his head in exasperation then leans down and kisses me. “Now, what’s the deal with Brax? Am I going to have to kick his ass?” he asks.
“He’s harmless,” I laugh. “But didn’t you already kick his ass?”
“It doesn’t count when he doesn’t know why I’m kicking his ass,” he smirks. “But there’s just something extremely annoying about that kid,” he says in frustration.
“I know, I feel it too,” I tell him, placing my hands on his rock-solid chest and running them up around his neck. “I’ve already told him to back off. He just has a crush from when I did that first seminar with The Guard.”
“That’s the same kid?” he asks in suspicion, putting two and two together.
“Yeah.”
“Hmm,” he says and is thoughtful for a few moments before looking down at me. “I have to go, but the second the sun goes down, I expect you at my place.”
“Really?” I ask with a huge smile. “You were serious this morning about making up for lost time?”
“You bet your ass, I was,” he groans as he presses his lips into the soft skin of my neck.
“Can I stay the night?” I ask, mentally going through my underwear drawer and picking out the sexiest lingerie I have as my hands begin to roam over his body.
“Of course, but I have to leave early in the morning,” he warns.
My eyebrows pull down in confusion and I look up at him, my hands pausing on his chest. “Why?”
He grins down at me with a wicked sparkle in his eye. “Daniel’s navigation test,” he tells me.
“Shit,” I groan, feeling sorry for the poor guy. I can only imagine the torture Rylan is going to put him through. “Can you just remember that he’s one of my best friends and had a part in saving my life,” I say then add. “Oh, and just remember the fact that deep, deep down, you actually kind of like him.”
He lets out a sigh. “Is he still in love with you?” he asks.
“Nope,” I smile, knowing I’ve already won this round.
“Fine.”
Chapter 16
There are two weeks to go until graduation and I have been doing an amazing job. I am completely back to my old self and more. My target skills have come soaring back with a vengeance and I would bet big money that my average will finally rival Rylan’s.
But my combat skills…wow.
If I might be so bold as to say, I am incredible. With Rylan’s return and his extra push in the right direction, it didn’t take long for my body to adapt and prove to everyone that Bianca Moore is a force to be reckoned with.
I’ve spent every day for nearly the past three months working my body into near exhaustion. Studying the art of combat and making sure that I am the best, well apart from Rylan, though I must admit, if anyone in the Academy was going to be able to take him down, your best bet would be me. Is that too egotistical? Wait a minute…I don’t give a crap. I’m just that good.
As I had hoped, I have my pre-Head Office body back, thanks to Ben’s diet plan which he’s been making sure I follow every chance he gets, and to say I look freaking amazing would be an understatement, well, judging by the way Rylan can’t seem to keep his hands off me.
So, to sum it up, life as I know it is everything I could have dreamed of. Every single piece of the puzzle has fallen right into place. There’s nothing more I could possibly want for. Brax successfully backed off, though whether that was from the sheer disappointment of constantly being shot down or if Rylan had something to do with, will forever remain a mystery.
In some odd twist of events, Jacinta and Nora have seemed to become quite good friends, though tensions are starting to build again now that finals are getting closer. After all, they are both fighting for the same position. Hell, even Nora has finally started to soften to me now that Daniel has pulled his head out of his ass and told her he loves her, which honestly was quite the relief for everyone. Oh, and I haven’t even been bugged by Miss Layton or sent to visit Ms. Peterson.
I am on a roll.
Graduation. Two weeks and everything will change again. We will have our yearly examinations in a week
and a half and the combat students will go through whatever ridiculous and outrageous trials the Guard deems entertaining enough for this year’s ‘show’, then we will have a party, much the same as the midterms where I will officially be crowned the top-ranked combat student, you know, unless I majorly screw up my trials and put to waste all Rylan’s efforts in getting me this far.
Oh God, what a disappointment I’d be.
Just as I expected, Trey is still my number one competition, but he’s starting to give up hope. He knows I’m going to kick ass at the trials and has started to give in a little easier during practice, which sucks for me because I need him to give me everything he’s got. The harder he fights me, the more I push myself to win and the better I get.
With my speed, agility and newly found fitness, I’ve even been giving Rylan a hard time during training, though nothing I ever do will be able to cancel out his sheer strength, combined with his agility. He’s a lethal weapon, but I will die a happy woman knowing I’ve kept him on his toes the last few months. I’ve even caught him in the gym a few times working on his own agility, trying to keep that lead over me, but I’ll catch up to him one day and when I do, it will be the best day of my life.
Did I mention that two weeks also represents when Rylan and I can stop hiding our relationship? I mean, I love the whole sneaking around thing as it adds an extra thrill into the mix, but nothing will compare to the feeling of telling the world that I’m in love with the most incredible man.
I. Can’t. Wait.
So, now that everything is right in the world, this must be the part where I ride off into the sunset with my hunky combat instructor, get married, have 2.5 kids and maybe get a dog, right?
Wrong.
This is the part where the other shoe drops and my perfect little bubble explodes, which is exactly what happens when Jacinta and I are startled awake by Ms. Peterson’s nagging voice in the extremely early hours of the morning.
The PA system comes blaring to life with a high-pitched squeal making Jacinta quite literally jump out of bed and look around in absolute terror, not that she can really see anything, only the dim light coming in through the window cast by the moon that’s still fighting with the sun over who gets to shine.
Following the high-pitched squeal comes that awful static sound and then Ms. Peterson’s voice. “All senior students, report to the assembly hall in ten minutes for an urgent announcement,” she says then finishes her message with another high-pitched, static squeal.
“What the hell was that?” Jacinta asks as she sits back down on her bed and rubs her eyes.
“No clue,” I say throwing back the blankets and groaning as the cool air hits my skin, making it crawl with goosebumps. “We better get up though, it must be important for her not to wait till the start of the school day.”
“Agreed,” she says on a yawn, proving once again that this blonde beauty is definitely not a morning person.
We get dressed and ready as fast as we can, which I must say, I’m definitely a lot faster than Jacinta. I make us each a coffee in our little closet-sized kitchen while I wait. I pour them into our matching travel mugs and then make a third for Nora as I have a feeling she will be stopping by on her way out.
Just as I thought, a soft knock sounds at the door just as we grab our things to leave. I pick up the coffee and hand it over to Nora who smiles gratefully as she takes it from my hands. “You’re amazing,” she tells me as we head out into the freezing, dark morning.
“I know,” I tell her as I spot Rylan, his eyes searching me out. I raise a questioning eyebrow, wondering if he knows what’s going on, but he shakes his head and shrugs. Hmm, Rylan always knows what’s going on so it must be serious if he doesn’t.
We head into the assembly hall and I’m shocked to see High Council Member Jackson Lewis standing behind a podium with Ms. Peterson, but what’s more shocking is seeing Brett Norrington right there with them. Yep, it must be bad.
I glance over to Rylan who’s seeing what I’m seeing and watch as his eyes suspiciously narrow on his father, trying to work out what could have possibly brought him here.
I grab Jacinta by the wrist, being as careful as I possibly can not to spill her coffee and barge my way through the throng of students. I go right up to the front of the hall and take a seat, front and center before the podium, watching their mouths to see if I can make anything out.
Brett notices me right away and gives me a soft smile before searching the room and stopping when his eyes land on that one familiar face. His eyes linger on Rylan for the briefest moment before scanning the rest of the room. I don’t miss the longing in his eyes, that dream of having his son in his life but I think we all know it might never happen, though I do wish Rylan would give the guy a chance. After all, he’s actually a really cool guy, well, as cool as a political guy can get.
Rylan comes and sits a few seats down from me, while Trey, Daniel, and Brax fill the empty seats between. “Thank you all for being so prompt,” Ms. Peterson says as the room falls dead silent around me. “I know it’s early and many of you wish to get a few more hours sleep before classes commence this morning, so we will make this as brief as possible,” she says. “Do keep in mind that you will be graduating in two weeks. So, you need to treat this matter with the utmost care as if you were already a full member of The Guard.”
She turns her attention on Brett and gives him a nod as she steps away from the microphone. “I second what Ms. Peterson has said,” Brett starts. “First, thank you for getting up and making your timely presence a priority. Second, do remember that though you do not graduate for another two weeks, you are all considered Members of The Guard in my eyes. Everything that will be discussed this morning could and most likely will affect us all in the near future.”
A few murmurs are heard around the room, but I know better and keep my mouth shut. I glance to Rylan to find his eyes already on me and from the look on his face, he may have already figured this out.
Ms. Peterson gives one sharp look towards the students and has them all in silence for Brett to continue. “As you know,” he says, his eyes flicking to Rylan and making my stomach crawl with dread as I begin piecing this together. “A few months ago, the Fey Queen was killed during a rescue mission in the Fairy Kingdom and the fey retaliated with a ferocious battle. A few of you amongst us were there and will stand by my word, this battle was deadly. However, due to smart planning, the battle was held in our favor and the majority of the fey fled the scene,” he explains, causing a rush of memories to swarm my brain while I do everything I can to try and keep them out. This is no time for a trip down memory lane.
“As of three hours ago a new Fairy Queen was throned and our sources tell us that this new Queen is after blood and will not stop until she has shed every last drop,” he says as shocked and fearful gasps fill the air. “Though the battle was put forward by the Fey, they believe they still have not avenged their former Queen’s death.”
Brett’s eyes sweep the front row, stopping on mine before moving onto Rylan. “This is where you all come in,” he tells a quiet room. “Their plan for the first battle was to attack the Academy. We believe they may attempt a similar thing, however with that said, we have no proof of this and who’s to say they won’t target the community or Head Office. We just do not know.”
“Guards of the Front Lines will be sent here to help protect the academy in case of a threat, however, our available Front Lines need to be spread over all our vulnerable populations. This means, as of now, each and every one of you is now on call to protect The Guard and our children. In case of a threat, I expect all combat students in the line of fire, all FEDS students working behind the scenes to help eliminate the threats. If you are a student whose particular skills are rendered not useful in this current matter, then I expect you to spread yourselves over the junior and elementary campuses, doing what you can to protect our young,” he explains as heads around the room begin to nod in agreement. “From now
on, all combat students will be fully uniformed and carrying weapons. You can see Rylan or Ben following the meeting to receive these items.”
“I am truly sorry to cause you all fear. I understand you are all still extremely young, especially to be put under such pressure, however you have a duty to attend and I believe that each of you will do your absolute best,” he says with pain behind his eyes. “Now, I ask you all to return to your rooms, updates on the matter will be given as we receive them. Please do not stop living your daily lives in fear of an attack. We are being precautious and ensuring you are ready if the Fey come. Be cautious, familiarize yourself with the signs of the fey and keep your eyes open. Now, you may all be excused. Combat students, please remain.”
Jacinta gives my hand a hard squeeze before getting up and heading out of the room. I stay seated as the rest of my classmates come forward and meet us at the front of the room. Brett steps off the stage and stands before us, all the while Brax is practically going into shock as he takes in Brett’s near-celebrity.
“Sorry to drop this bomb on you all,” he says, looking at each of us in the eye. “As I mentioned, we will be sending members of the front line to help guard the Academy. At this stage, we are unsure of numbers but you can expect around thirty members coming within the next few hours. As for now, go and get yourself prepared and ready,” he orders.
We each nod and turn on our heels. “Rylan,” Brett calls making us both stop in our tracks. “May I have a word?”
I search out Rylan’s eyes and give him a small encouraging nod and without another word, the two men head off into a private meeting room.
I follow behind Ben and the rest of my classmates to the same storeroom that I had been in the last time I prepared for a battle. Ben hands me a new uniform as my last one ended up in pieces and had to be thrown out.
I load myself up with weapons, mainly going for daggers and making sure to grab a few guns and plenty of bullets. The boys decide to get dressed right here and now so they don’t have to struggle to carry everything back to their rooms. So what the hell, I do too.
Queen and War: Slayer Academy (Book 3) Page 11