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Within seconds Alex was feeling immensely better. Her throat no longer scratched and her lungs had stopped burning. She took a deep breath, relieved when she felt no pain, and she smiled at the doctor. “Fletcher, you’re brilliant!”

He waved away her praise and handed her another two vials. “You might not be saying that tomorrow morning if you wake up in pain, so make sure you take these before bed tonight,” he said. “You should be fine after that, but if you experience any further discomfort, please come and see me straight away.”

“I promise,” she said, meaning it.

“Good,” he replied. “Now, off you trot. You’re due to be in the food court soon for Jarvis’s meeting.”

“You’re not coming?”

“No. He’s already spoken with the faculty members. The assembly is just for the students’ peace of mind.”

Fletcher seemed surprised when Alex didn’t ask him any questions, but she honestly couldn’t think of anything to ask that wouldn’t give away what she’d already heard. Instead, she jumped off the bed and straightened her rumpled clothes.

“Thanks again, Fletcher,” she said, motioning to the two vials she held.

“Any time,” he replied, escorting her to the door.

She smiled and waved goodbye as she left the Med Ward and slipped outside into the chilly air.

Thirteen

As Alex walked away fromGen-Sec she wondered about the conversation she’d overheard between Fletcher and the mysterious Varin, but her thoughts were interrupted by an unexpected voice.

“Hello, Alexandra.”

She spun around to find a man standing directly behind her, a man she recognised from the day she’d first arrived in Medora.

“Aven,” Alex gasped, stumbling backwards in an attempt to put some space between them.

“I didn’t mean to scare you,” he said, looking amused.

“You didn’t,” she lied.

If anything, he seemed even more amused.

Alex was conscious of the fact that not so long ago there had been an intruder upon the academy grounds. She glanced to her right and left and was dismayed to realise that there was no one else around. She’d been in the Med Ward for a while—most of her classmates were probably already at the food court, getting ready for the assembly.

Her heart picked up speed as she turned back to Aven. For all his startling beauty—and he looked even better than she remembered—she would never forget how strange he’d acted during their forest meeting. He was not someone she wanted to be left alone with.

“What are you doing here?” Alex asked.

“Why, Alexandra, if I didn’t know any better, I’d say you’re not pleased to see me.”

“What makes you think you know better?” she asked, crossing her arms defiantly. “You kind of weirded me out the last time we met. I’m not looking forward to a repeat performance.”

Aven chuckled and the sound was so charmingly pleasant that Alex felt herself subconsciously relaxing.

“You have nothing to worry about,” he said, still smiling indulgently. “I’m no threat to you.”

“And yet, you still haven’t told me why you’re here,” she pointed out.

He shrugged, and the normally careless motion was carried out with more grace than she thought possible. “It’s been a while since I last visited the academy. I sought to reacquaint myself with memories long buried.”

“Memories?”

“I was a student here myself, once upon a time,” Aven told her.

That helped Alex feel more comfortable. He wasn’t the intruder then, at least. Alumni were welcome at Akarnae, or so Fletcher had told the other man in the Med Ward, which meant Aven must not have been the reason for the Lockdown.