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

Chapter

Six

Deklyn

T he morning air in the academy corridors carried the lingering scents of breakfast—yeasty bread and the savory aroma of Drexian padwump that could wake the dead.

My stomach was pleasantly full for the first time in months, the staff dining room having provided a meal that actually tasted like food instead of the processed rations I’d grown accustomed to during my time on Inferno Force missions.

Tivek walked beside me, his stride matching mine as we navigated the wide stone corridors that connected the various wings of the academy. Sunlight streamed through tall windows, casting geometric patterns on the polished floors.

“So what are your plans?” my brother asked, his tone carefully casual in the way that meant he was fishing for information.

I laughed, the sound echoing off the vaulted ceiling above us. “Are you trying to get rid of me already? I just got here.”

“Not at all,” he blurted, but there was something in his expression that made me wonder if my presence was making him uncomfortable.

I realized then that this was his domain now.

For our entire lives, I’d been the successful one—the warrior, the member of Inferno Force, the brother who’d followed in our father’s footsteps while Tivek had struggled to find his place.

But here, walking through these halls with the serene confidence of someone who belonged, he was clearly in his element.

More than that, he was important here. I’d seen it in the way the other staff members had deferred to him at breakfast, the casual way he interacted with the admiral. Whatever role he played at the academy, it was bigger than simple administrative work.

My suspicions had been growing since the rescue that Tivek was more than he pretended to be, strengthened by his presence and actions on the mission itself.

The way he’d performed during the rescue had been impressive and not at all what I would have expected.

He’d been strategic, decisive, and completely at ease with combat operations despite his supposed role as a desk jockey.

Maybe it was time I started seeing my little brother as something other than the academy washout I’d carried in my mind for so many years.

“I’m thinking I’ll take a few more days to recuperate,” I said finally, which was true enough. “Time in a Kronock prison takes it out of you. No point rushing back to Inferno Force duty until I’m at full strength.”

What I didn’t tell him was that I was staying because Sasha had asked me to. That despite my better judgment, despite knowing it was probably a terrible idea, I couldn’t bring myself to leave while she was planning something that would likely get her in trouble.

The sound of heavy footsteps approaching from behind made us both turn. Kann jogged up to us, his massive frame moving with surprising grace for someone his size. The Blade instructor’s face was split by a grin that transformed his features into something almost boyish.

“Perfect timing,” he said, slightly out of breath. “I was hoping to catch you before you disappeared into whatever bureaucratic maze Tiv has planned for his morning.”

“I don’t have a bureaucratic maze,” Tivek protested mildly. “Just a meeting with the admiral.”

I eyed him, wondering if that was true or if he had more important, more strategic things to do.

“Even better,” Kann said, turning his attention to me. “That means I can steal your brother for a few hours. Want to keep busy with some exercise? The climbing wall in the School of Battle has some new routes.”

The invitation was tempting. Physical activity sounded like exactly what I needed to work off the restless energy that had been building since my conversation with Sasha in the shipyard. Plus, it would give me something to do other than obsess over her plans for revenge.

“You should go,” Tivek said, and I caught something that might have been relief in his voice. “The exercise will do you good.”

“Only if you promise to join us for Drexian cards later,” Kann added, pointing a thick finger at my brother. “Morgan too. It’s been too long since we’ve had a proper game.”

“I’ll see what I can do,” Tivek said diplomatically, which I’d learned over the years was his way of saying ‘probably not but I don’t want to hurt your feelings.’

“Fair enough,” Kann said, apparently satisfied with that non-answer. He clapped me on the shoulder hard enough to stagger a smaller man. “Come on, let’s see if you’re still sharp.”

I followed him to the main hall and then toward the corridor leading into the School of Battle, our strides matched. The familiar weight of friendly competition settled over me, the kind of straightforward challenge I understood far better than political conspiracies and emotional complications.

We were passing a junction of hallways when movement caught my eye. It was the flash of dark hair and determined stride that made my stomach clench with recognition.

Sasha.

She was hurrying up the massive staircase with her shoulders set and her jaw clenched. There was something about the way she moved that made my pulse quicken.

I knew that look. I’d seen it in the Kronock prison. It was the same expression she’d worn when she’d told me she was going after whoever had betrayed her, whether or not I helped.

“Deklyn?” Kann’s voice seemed to come from very far away. “You all right?”

I realized I’d stopped walking entirely, my attention completely focused on Sasha’s retreating figure. She disappeared up the stairs before I could decide whether to follow her, leaving me standing in the middle of the corridor like an idiot.

“Fine,” I said, forcing myself to look at Kann. “Just thought I saw someone I knew.”

“Probably did,” he said with a shrug. “This place isn’t as big as it feels at first. Come on, the climbing wall awaits.”

But as we continued toward the School of Battle, my mind was elsewhere. Every instinct I’d developed over years of combat operations screamed that Sasha was about to do something dangerous. Something that would risk her career.

The climbing wall would have to wait. I needed to find out what she was planning before she got herself in serious trouble. The problem was, I had no idea where she’d gone or what her target might be.

But I had to try. Letting her walk into danger alone was unacceptable.

“Actually,” I said, stopping again just before we passed under the arch for the School of Battle, “I just remembered something I need to take care of. Rain check on the climbing?”

Kann’s expression shifted from confusion to understanding, though he clearly didn’t understand what I was really concerned about. “I’ll find you later.”

I left him standing there and headed back the way we’d come, my pace quick but not quite urgent enough to draw attention. If Sasha were planning something, she’d be careful about it. Smart. She wouldn’t do anything obvious or traceable.

Which meant I’d have to be smarter.

For the first time since arriving at the academy, I felt like I was back on a mission. The familiar weight of responsibility settled over my shoulders, along with the razor-sharp focus that had kept me alive through dozens of operations.

Find Sasha. Figure out what she was planning. Stop her from ruining her life.

Simple objectives. Clear parameters.

So why did I have the feeling that this was going to be the most difficult mission of my career?