Page 1

Chapter

One

Morgan

T he engine hummed beneath my boots as I stared out the viewscreen into the vast emptiness of space.

I’d always loved the idea of space. It was why I’d joined the Air Force on Earth and worked so hard to be one of the first cadets to attend the Drexian Academy.

But now that I was immersed in it as we hurtled toward enemy territory, the vastness seemed colder and blacker. Or maybe that was just my mood.

"Cloaking shields holding at ninety-eight percent," Ariana murmured from the pilot's seat, her fingers dancing across the control panel. The lights from the readouts cast blue and red shadows across her face, highlighting the tension around her eyes. "No sign that the enemy knows we’re here."

I shifted in the co-pilot's chair, trying to find comfort in that.

The cockpit was as cold as the rest of the vessel since Drexians preferred it cold, but I would not be the one to complain.

Instead, I tried to focus on the mission parameters scrolling on my tablet rather than the goose flesh on my arms.

"Any chance we can risk a transmission back to the academy?" I asked, knowing the answer before the words left my mouth.

Ariana shook her head, her short hair and side swept bangs barely moving. "Not until we leave Kronock space. It’s complete radio silence from here on out. One intercepted transmission and we're target practice."

My stomach knotted. I was a member of the School of Strategy, otherwise known as an Assassin, and calculated risks were my specialty, but I preferred planning them to executing.

Flying into enemy territory with no way to send word back to the academy and no way to hear from our friends had always been part of the mission, but I hadn’t known how much that would bother me.

“You're thinking about Britta," Ariana said softly, her eyes never leaving the console.

Like all the other female cadets who’d entered the academy with me, Britta was as close to family as I had left.

When we’d left on the rescue mission to save Ariana’s sister, Britta had been trapped in a holosimulation with Lieutenant Kann.

The thought of her still being in danger made my already clenched gut churn.

"If anyone can keep her safe in that simulation, it's Kann," Ariana continued. "He's a Blade. Protection is what they do best, aside from arrogance.”

My fingers traced aimless patterns on my armrest, and I managed a weak smile “You’re right. Kann won’t let her get hurt, and if anyone can get them out through sheer will, it's Volten.”

Ariana's mouth quirked upward at the mention of her boyfriend. “When he decides to do something, he does it.” Then her smile flickered. “I only hope he doesn’t do anything risky and impulsive.”

“A Drexian? When would they ever be risky and impulsive?”

She let out a low laugh. “Right? What was I thinking? Let's just hope he succeeds so they can join us. We're going to need all the help we can get once we find my sister."

I glanced at the tactical displays on my device.

We didn’t have much solid information on the Kronock prison, but I couldn’t imagine it being easy to breech.

Even if the scaly aliens had been defeated by the Drexians and their control on the galaxy had weakened, it would be foolish to underestimate them.

From all I’d read and seen, they had an impressive ability to rebuild and adapt.

"We'll find her," I said with more confidence than I felt. “We’ve got a great team.”

Ariana shifted in her seat, a mischievous gleam in her eye. "Speaking of our team, I saw you whispering with Tivek earlier."

Heat rushed to my face, and I was grateful for the dim lighting of the cockpit. "We were discussing tactical approaches."

"Is that what they're calling it these days?"

I shot her what I hoped was a withering look. "Eyes on the controls, Wing. I'd rather not crash into an asteroid because you're busy jumping to conclusions.”

“No judgment.” Ariana glanced behind us. “I might be taken, but I’m not blind. The admiral’s adjunct is hot.”

I shifted in my seat at the memory of Tivek pulling me into a storage closet, his body pressed against mine as he whispered his secret.

"I'm a Shadow."

The revelation still sent shivers down my spine. The fifth school at the academy, one dedicated to espionage, is a secret to everyone but those inducted to its ranks. It explained so much about him and the way he always seemed to be three steps ahead of everyone else.

Then I remembered what he’d told me, what had made my breath hitch. Tivek thought I had what it took to be one of them.

The ship lurched slightly as we navigated around a debris field, and I gripped my armrest tighter.

The movement yanked me back to the present and to the harsh reality of our situation.

We were flying into enemy territory on a mission that hadn’t been authorized by Drexian High Command or Earth and we only had a fraction of crew we’d intended to bring.

“Sorry," Ariana muttered, adjusting our course. "Gravitational anomaly."

I nodded, my thoughts still tangled with Tivek. I'd promised him secrecy and sworn not to reveal what he'd told me about the Shadows. The weight of it sat heavy in my chest, especially here with Ariana. We were risking our lives together, yet I was keeping secrets from her.

Not that secrets were something new to me.

I’d grown up in a family where secrets were the norm.

No one could ever know how close we were to eviction or to the lights being switched off or the pantry being empty.

I’d learned from my mom how to put on a brave face and smile as my stomach growled from hunger.

I’d learned how to pretend everything was fine when it wasn’t, and somehow that made it easier to fly headlong into danger and tell myself that everything would be all right.

Outside the viewport, a planet loomed, its swirling storms dark and turbulent. Ariana guided the ship into its shadow, using the atmospheric interference to further mask our approach.

"We'll stay in this orbit for the next six hours," she said, leaning back slightly once the course was set. "You should get some rest."

"I'm fine," I lied, ignoring the heaviness in my limbs. Sleep meant dreams, and my dreams had been full of darkness lately.

The comforting hum of the engines filled the space between us as we both stared at the foreign planet.

"Morgan," Ariana's voice was soft but firm. "Whatever's bothering you, you can tell me. I won’t tell anyone.”

Her words made my heart twist. I'd spent my life building walls and perfecting the art of letting people see only what I wanted them to see. Even my closest friends knew only parts of me.

"Nothing's bothering me except the thought of the Kronock. I’ve never liked things with scales.”

“Then you’ll really hate them,” Ariana said with a laugh before she let the subject drop, turning back to the controls. I resumed staring out at the planet we were orbiting, my brain calculating and recalculating our odds of survival.

Because that's what Assassins do. We plan and we strategize.

But as I sat there in the cockpit, a terrifying thought slipped through my defenses. Maybe my life hadn’t been building up to being an Assassin, like I’d thought. Maybe I’d always been meant to be a Shadow.