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“I envision swags of white roses,” Serge continued, barely pausing for breath “with the dinner served by costumed page boys and serving wenches. And the cake could be a castle itself, with towers and a working drawbridge made of icing!"

I decided not to mention that Morgan and Tivek had never expressed any interest in castles. It would only upset Serge, and it had taken long enough to get him back in my good graces.

“Wedding plans aside, I’m glad they're not leaving right away," I said. "Even if they should return to the Academy soon."

Serge's hair flared pink at the roots so suddenly I almost laughed. “I don’t think we should discuss precisely why they haven't left their suites," he said primly, his voice dropping to a scandalized whisper despite there being few workers around us to hear. "I've made a note not to put any of the new tributes in the South Pacific bungalows. It might scare some of the humans.”

I doubted any of the women from Earth who were volunteering to be tributes for big, burly Drexian warriors would be scared by some enthusiastic moaning, but I didn’t say that to Serge. He liked to think of all the tributes who arrived as innocent darlings.

“Sound does travel over water," I admitted.

"I suppose it's to be expected." Serge straightened his flared collar. "And I don't mind that you used me in your elaborate web of lies?—"

"I wouldn't call it a web?—"

"—as long as the end result is a wedding for me to plan." He patted my arm with surprising gentleness. "Now, tell me about these other couples at the Academy while we await our new arrivals. I need to start planning my calendar."

I smiled, thinking of the matches that had formed during my time there. "There are four new couples, but I can't imagine there will be any more for a while.”

I'm glad you're back, Reina.” Serge squeezed my hand with surprising strength, his small fingers wrapping around mine in abrisk, affectionate gesture. "It hasn't been the same without you, darling.”

A lump formed in my throat as I squeezed back. "I'm glad to be back too," I told him. “Even if I'm a bit sad my Academy adventures have ended."

At the far end of the hangar bay, the energy field that kept us from flying into space hummed as a ship entered and touched down, skidding to a stop near us.

Serge's eyes sparkled as he released my hand. "Oh, darling," he said, his voice dropping to a dramatic whisper, "your adventures on the Island have just begun."

I turned toward the ship carrying new tributes and new possibilities, and I felt the familiar flutter of anticipation in my chest. Perhaps he was right. Perhaps the best adventures were still to come.

Chapter

Sixty-One

Deklyn

The wind off the Restless Sea slammed into me, forcing me to lean forward as I trudged across the shipyard. My boots crunched against the gravel, each step bringing me closer to the sleek, obsidian hull of the Inferno Force vessel that would take me home. Back to where I belonged. Back to what I knew.

So why the hell did my hands keep clenching into fists?

I should've been celebrating. Mission accomplished. Sasha rescued. Both rescue parties back in one piece with intel on those Kronock bastards. All boxes checked. Even my brother’s ship had been found before I’d had to take to the skies myself to find him.

I’d gotten everything I wanted, so why did I feel like I’d swallowed lead?

The salty air howled across the academy shipyard, matching the storm brewing inside me. I glanced back at the imposingsilhouette of the Drexian Academy against the turbulent gray sky. The school had once been my home, but no longer. Now my home was with my Inferno Force brothers in the sky.

I spotted the Inferno Force transport waiting for me at the far end of the yard, the stones cracked and uneven between us. It was time for me to return to my life and my duty.

So why did it suddenly feel like I was making the biggest mistake of my life?

I was so lost in my thoughts I almost didn't notice the figure that stepped out from behind the ship's tail, directly into my path. The wind whipped long hair around a face I'd come to know too well during our time as prisoners.

Sasha.

My heart did a traitorous little flip in my chest that had nothing to do with surprise. She stood with her feet planted wide, arms crossed, hair lashing wildly around her face like dark flames. The dark circles under her eyes had faded slightly, her skin was no longer marred by dirt and bruises, and her tattered clothes had been replaced by an academy uniform, which didn’t hang loose from her body. But none of these improvements did anything to diminish the stubborn set of her jaw that had driven me crazy from day one.

I recovered quickly, slipping into the cocky smirk that was as much armor as any shield. “Did you come to say goodbye, sweetheart?" I drawled, stopping a few paces from her. "I'm touched."

Her eyes narrowed dangerously. "Don't flatter yourself, Dek.”

"Then what brings you out in this weather? Missing me already?"

Up close, I could see the fresh scar along her jawline, a souvenir from our prison break. My fingers itched to trace it, an impulse I crushed immediately.

"You can't go," she said, her voice carrying over the howl of the wind.

My eyebrow arched. "Can't live without me?"

"Hardly," she said, and for a split second, something flashed in her eyes, something raw and hungry that made heat coil in my belly. Then it was gone, replaced by a steely gaze. “But I can't exact my revenge without you."