Page 15 of Obsession (Warriors of the Drexian Academy #4)

Chapter

Fifteen

Volten

T he aroma of fried padwump wafted up from my plate, its crispy, golden edges practically begging to be shared. That was our thing—Kann and I would split a double portion every morning, arguing over who got the crispiest pieces while talking over our day. We’d discuss which cadets were challenging and which were excelling, laughing at the number of times we had such wildly different opinions about the same cadet. But today, my best friend's space across the long wooden table was empty.

The staff dining room buzzed with its usual morning energy. Sunlight streamed through the tall windows, catching dust motes that danced above the polished surface of the old tables. The wood, darkened by centuries of use, still bore the nicks and scrapes of countless meals shared by generations of instructors. Around me, the familiar sounds of breakfast filled the air: the clink of utensils, the low murmur of conversation, and the occasional burst of laughter from a group of Blade instructors at the far end.

I picked at my food, checking my comm unit again. Nothing from Kann.

"You look like a guy who’s been stood up,” Ariana said, sliding onto the bench beside me. Her familiar flowery scent was usually comforting, but today it didn’t make heat coil in my core. “At least I know you’re pining for Kann and not another woman.” Then she scrunched her lips to one side. “I’m not sure if that makes me feel better.”

I mustered a smile for her. “I am not pining for him, but it is unusual for him to skip breakfast.” I cut my gaze to the substantial heap of padwump I had no intention of eating solo.

Ariana shrugged. “He’s been acting a bit off lately, don’t you think?”

I slid my gaze to her. “Off? Kann?”

“Maybe I’m reading it wrong, but I don’t think your Blade buddy was crazy about the badass Taori showing up to save the day.”

“They didn’t save the day,” I said, hearing the resistance in my own voice. Maybe Kann was not the only one. “Why would the Taori bother him? There is only one remaining here at the academy, and he is working with the Irons.”

Ariana plucked a long strip of fried padwump from the shared plate and pointed it at me. “Exactly.”

Just because I had taken one as a mate did not make human women less baffling. Before I could ask Ariana to explain what she meant, Fiona and Commander Vyk joined us.

Fiona had a bowl of berries, but the security chief’s plate was loaded with the kitchen's fresh morning bread. The warm, yeasty smell mixed with the padwump's savory aroma, making my stomach growl despite my concern.

"Something wrong, Lieutenant?” Vyk leaned forward and lowered his voice. “Is this about the rescue mission? Do you have concerns?”

I shook my head. "Flying into Kronock territory undetected? That's the kind of challenge I live for."

It wasn't a lie—the thought of pushing my skills to their limit made my pulse quicken with anticipation. Plus, this wasn't just any mission. This was for my mate's sister.

Ariana leaned into me. “We’re both more than ready.”

Naturally, I had told Ariana about the bumped-up timeline for the rescue, and she shared in my enthusiasm and eagerness.

Fiona put a hand over her mouth to cover a yawn. “I stayed up half the night reviewing the available schematics of Kronock prisons, but I’m ready.”

Vyk gave his mate a scolding yet tender look before returning his gaze to me. “I should not have told her. She was too excited to sleep.”

She nudged him with her elbow. “I didn’t hear you complaining when I—”

Vyk cleared his throat loudly to cut off what she’d been about to reveal. “If you are not worried about the mission, then why do you look so concerned?”

Before I brushed off his question, I glanced at his narrowed eyes and remembered why he was our head of security. Nothing got past him.

"Kann never misses breakfast," I admitted, feeling absurd for even mentioning it.

Vyk growled, the sound rumbling deep in his chest. "The Blade instructor probably overslept."

I knew better, but I held my tongue. Kann was as disciplined as they came. In all our years of friendship, he'd never once overslept. He might have lost track of time on the climbing wall, or even in the bed of a pretty alien when we’d visited an outpost, but when it came to the academy, he was on point.

But Vyk was probably right that it was something easily explained.

As we left the dining room, I walked with Ariana down the wide marble staircase leading to the main hall. Morning light poured through the massive windows, casting long shadows across the worn steps.

"Maybe he’s preparing for the mission,” Ariana said, slipping her hand into mine. “Kann is leading the ground offensive.”

“Maybe, but he considers his morning padwump to be a necessity.”

“Kann?"

I turned my head as Morgan and Jess hurryied down the stairs behind us. Morgan gave me an apologetic grin. “I didn’t mean to eavesdrop, but the only Drexian I know who considers padwump to be a food group is Kann.”

Jess laughed and nodded. “He’s obsessed with the stuff. Not that I blame him. It’s kind of like bacon, and I’m obsessed with that.”

“Anyhow,” Morgan said, as Jess got a wistful look in her eyes. “We saw him earlier. He was looking for Britta and said something about the holochambers."

I released a breath. This must have something to do with the holo-simulation to recreate a past academy challenge.

“See?” Ariana squeezed my hand. “A simple explanation.”

Then the lights flickered and died, plunging us into darkness for one heart-stopping moment before humming back to life.

When the main hall was illuminated again, Jess’s eyes were wide. “That was weird.”

“The academy is old,” I said. “I am surprised we do not have more power fluctuations.”

When we reached the bottom of the steps, Ariana tugged me toward the School of Flight. I resisted her pull.

“Aren’t you coming? Don’t you have class?”

I did, but an uneasy feeling told me I needed to see Kann first. My first-year flight class could wait. “I will meet you there after I speak to Kann.”

Ariana didn’t try to dissuade me or tell me I was being absurd. Instead, she popped up on her tiptoes and kissed my cheek. “See you later, fly boy.”

I added her reaction to the immense list of reasons I adored the woman as I watched her head for Flight. Then I pushed through the growing crowd of cadets and made my way to the School of Battle.

I strode purposefully under the stone arch and down the long corridor, getting a few curious glances from Blades who were walking with less urgency. I spotted Torq standing outside an open doorway leading to a room with the elevated battle rings inside. Cadets were already gathering for their morning grappling sessions, their excited voices booming off the walls as they warmed up inside the cages.

I barely nodded to Torq as I passed, my focus locked on the entrance to the holochambers ahead. Kann wouldn’t have been the one doing the technical work on the simulation, which meant he would be watching Britta work. I frowned. Was there something going on between my best friend and the Iron cadet?

I shook my head at this. “No, he would have told me.”

But had I told him about Ariana?

My internal debate was interrupted when I entered the holochamber area. Kann wasn’t there, and neither was Britta. They must have left, I told myself. But how had I missed running into Kann? Was he already in one of the Blade classrooms?

Then my gaze snagged on something. One of the holochamber control panels hung open, its lights flashing. I stepped closer. A program was running.

I glanced at the closed chamber door. Were Kann and Britta inside a running program? Had they lost track of time?

I tried to activate the comms that would project my voice into the chamber, but the console blinked back at me with an error message. That was odd. I attempted to pause the program. I got the same error message.

My pulse quickened. Why was the chamber unresponsive? Then I remembered the lights going out. Was this a result of the power surge?

"Volten?" Torq appeared beside me. "You looked like you were racing to a battle when you passed me. Is something wrong?"

I pointed at the readout, my fingers hovering over the unresponsive controls. "Something's not right. I can't shut it down or open the doors.”

Torq stepped forward, his massive frame casting a shadow over the panel as he tried a series of commands. Nothing. I might not be an expert in holotech, but I knew enough to read the life sign indicators pulsing on the screen.

"Who's inside?" Torq's voice was unusually quiet.

My heart sank as I stared at the two steady signatures. “I am relatively sure it is Britta and Kann.”

“We need to find someone who knows more about holo technology.”

Torq disappeared as I stood staring at the panel. Kann and Britta were trapped inside a holo simulation, and I had no idea how to save them.