Page 32 of Revenge (Warriors of the Drexian Academy #6)

Chapter

Thirty-Two

Deklyn

S erge was practically vibrating with anticipation as he escorted me down a pristine white corridor, his platform boots clicking against the polished floor with each step.

His purple hair seemed spiked even higher than usual, and he gestured wildly with his hands as he rattled off an endless list of preparations that apparently required my immediate attention.

“—and then we need to discuss your ceremonial blade choice, and after that we have the last fitting for your dress uniform, since you have yours…”

I slowed my pace gradually as his monologue continued, letting him pull ahead while he remained completely absorbed in his planning. When he rounded a corner still talking animatedly to himself, I slipped away down a side corridor that led toward the command deck.

I needed to find Tivek. With all the Academy personnel arriving and media crews setting up equipment, our carefully constructed deception was about to face its biggest test yet. I needed the Shadow’s advice on how to hold a deception together.

But before I could reach the bridge, familiar voices echoed from the intersection ahead. I turned the corner to find myself face-to-face with a group of Drexian warriors I knew all too well. Commander Vyk, Volten, Kann, and Torq, had clearly just arrived.

“There he is!” Kann boomed, his face breaking into a grin. “The groom himself!”

“We demand details,” Vyk said with mock seriousness, though I caught the genuine curiosity beneath his commanding tone. “How does one go from prison break to wedding planning in less than a week?”

“It’s the shortest courtship on record,” Volten added. “Even by Drexian standards.”

They surrounded me with the easy camaraderie of warriors who’d fought together, steering me toward the officers’ lounge without giving me much choice in the matter.

The space was empty and not officially open this early in the station’s day cycle, but that had never stopped a group of determined soldiers before.

Vyk, Kann, and Torq immediately headed behind the bar to raid the liquor supplies, even though the thought of drinking made my stomach lurch.

Volten hung back, his expression curious. When the group was distracted by their search for glassware, he pulled me toward the observation window.

“What’s really going on, Deklyn?” he asked quietly. “Ariana is worried that you and her sister are acting irrationally, that Sasha’s going to get hurt.”

Of course, Ariana was suspicious. I didn’t blame her for doubting us. If “only she knew whose idea it all was.

“I would never hurt Sasha,” I said firmly.

“I know that, but you have to understand how sudden this seems. Ariana is only worried about her sister.”

I opened my mouth to deflect his concerns, to spin some story about a whirlwind courtship, but the lie stuck in my throat. Volten was an honorable Drexian, and his worry was genuine. He deserved better than deception.

Before I could figure out how to respond without betraying our mission, the lounge door slid open with a soft hiss. Tivek entered first, followed immediately by a Drexian who made my spine stiffen. I’d assumed Admiral Zoran would attend, but I hadn’t anticipated seeing him so soon.

“Gentlemen,” the Admiral said, his deep voice carrying easily across the space. “I hope you don’t mind an old warrior crashing your celebration. I wanted to toast our groom before the festivities begin in earnest.”

The effect on the assembled warriors was immediate. Conversations stopped mid-sentence, backs straightened, and the casual atmosphere shifted to something more formal. Even Commander Vyk, for all his gruff demeanor, showed proper deference to the Academy’s commanding officer.

As the others busied themselves with proper greetings and offers of drink, I moved closer to my brother, keeping my voice low enough that it wouldn’t carry over the general conversation.

“How much does he know?” I asked, nodding subtly toward Admiral Zoran.

“Enough,” Tivek replied quietly, then leaned closer. “The Admiral has always known about the treachery on Earth. He wants to help you expose it.”

The revelation should have been reassuring, but it sent a chill down my spine.

How many people were now involved in our conspiracy?

How many moving pieces were in play that I didn’t know about?

Each new ally increased our chances of success, but also multiplied the potential for disaster if something went wrong.

Kann had found an appropriate bottle and was passing out glasses filled with ruby red liquid. The familiar ritual of warriors sharing drink should have been comforting, but all I could think about was how many secrets were hidden behind the easy camaraderie.

“To the shortest romance on record,” Vyk said, raising his glass with a grin that suggested he found our whirlwind courtship more amusing than suspicious. “May your marriage last longer than your engagement.”

The others laughed and raised their glasses, but I caught the speculative look in Volten’s eyes as he drank. He wasn’t convinced by our story, and that meant Ariana wasn’t either. If they started asking too many questions, started digging too deeply into our motivations...

I sipped my drink and tried to look like a man celebrating his upcoming nuptials rather than someone worried about a conspiracy that was growing more complex by the moment. The alien gin roiled my gut, reminding me of the night before and doing nothing to ease the knot tightening in my chest.

But there was nothing I could do except play my part and hope it was enough.

“Another round,” Admiral Zoran declared. “We’re celebrating the union of two heroes, after all.”

As glasses were refilled, and conversation resumed, I caught Tivek watching me. He knew the weight of maintaining cover identities, the exhausting mental effort required to keep lies straight while appearing calm.

Despite all the planning and preparation, despite the allies we’d gathered and the evidence we’d uncovered, I had the growing feeling that Sasha’s quest for justice was going to cost us all more than we were prepared to pay.