Page 50

Chapter

Fifty

Tivek

" T he Kronock weren’t as powerful as we’d heard,” I explained to Kalex as we walked behind Morgan and Zoey along the promenade. The rounded cobblestones beneath my boots felt strange after so many years of treading the smooth stone floors of the academy. "Their technology was damaged and lagging.”

Kalex nodded, his expression thoughtful. "That's reassuring but concerning in its own way. If they're weaker than expected, why risk confrontation with us at all?"

"Desperation, perhaps." I kept my voice low, though the gentle hum of environmental systems, the murmur of conversations from passing couples, and the occasional burst of laughter from nearby cafés provided sufficient cover for our conversation.

"Or maybe they're testing our defenses, probing for weaknesses. "

“Even more worrying.” Kalex clapped his hands behind his back as we walked. “You said they attacked you as you jumped away?”

"The jump calculations were corrupted after we took fire. We were lucky to end up anywhere habitable at all."

“But you had no idea that you were in our sector?”

“None,” I shook my head, wondering if that would have changed my actions. “Our navigational sensors were down.”

Morgan's voice drifted back to me. "Did you ever worry about what would happen if Kalex had to leave the station? I mean, would you have gone with him?"

I felt a jolt at her question. I had not broached the subject of leaving the academy or her coming with me. I would never presume to ask that of anyone.

Zoey's answer floated back. "We'd figure it out. That's what you do when you love someone. You make it work, whatever 'it' turns out to be."

Hope flickered in my chest, unwelcome and persistent. The possibility of being with Morgan both thrilled and terrified me, but I also knew I couldn't allow her to give up her promising career as an Assassin for me. The academy needed her talents, and she deserved to fulfill her potential there.

But could I pass up the chance to be with her? And making it work could mean a lot of different things.

My mind raced with possibilities. I could visit the academy regularly under the guise of official business.

She could come to Earth when her training permitted.

Perhaps we could arrange to meet at neutral outposts or stations.

The logistics would be challenging, but not impossible. Not if we were both willing.

"You're a thousand light-years away, my friend," Kalex observed, breaking into my thoughts.

I blinked, forcing myself back to the present moment. "My apologies. It's been a trying few days."

Kalex clapped a hand on my shoulder, the weight of it grounding. "No need to apologize. After what you've been through, a little distraction is to be expected."

The scent of sugar and spice filled the air as Zoey suddenly stopped in front of a small café tucked between two larger establishments. Multicolored lanterns hung from its awning, casting warm pools of light onto the outdoor seating area.

"We have to stop here," she insisted, turning to face us. "Their desserts are incredible. They have this Gatazoid pastry chef who does things with sugar that shouldn't be physically possible."

I caught Morgan's eye as we settled around a small table on the patio.

The ambient lighting softened her features, giving her skin a golden glow.

She looked away quickly, but not before I noticed the hint of color in her cheeks.

My own pulse quickened in response, a reaction I was still struggling to control whenever she was near.

A server approached with a tablet, but before they could speak, Serge rushed up.

"Well, well, well!" Serge planted both hands on his hips, one foot tapping a rapid rhythm on the cobblestones as he fixed Morgan with a fierce gaze. "You've been keeping a secret from me!"

My muscles tensed automatically. What did the Gatazoid know? Had he somehow discovered what had happened between Morgan and me?

But then Serge leaned down and stage-whispered, loud enough for everyone at the table to hear, "You're an assassin ."

Morgan's shoulders visibly relaxed, and I felt my own tension ease slightly.

"I am," she confirmed, her lips curving into a small smile.

Serge straightened, looking around the table with exaggerated horror. "And that doesn't worry any of you? You're all just fine with it? Sitting here having dessert with a trained killer?"

Morgan laughed, as Serge’s purple hair flushed pink. "Assassin is just a nickname for cadets in the School of Strategy. We're strategists, not killers."

Serge gaped at her, then clamped his mouth shut and harrumphed. "Reina didn't tell me that! I'm going to have to call her again and give her a piece of my mind for scaring me like that."

He began pacing beside our table, hands gesticulating wildly. "I didn't believe her when she told me you two weren't involved," he babbled, waving between Morgan and me. "But then she said you were an Assassin, and well, that I believed! Now I'm back to not believing her about anything!"

He abruptly stopped pacing and pointed dramatically at the air. "I'm calling her right now to straighten this out!" Then he hurried away, still muttering to himself.

There was a moment of stunned silence at the table before Zoey burst into laughter. "I wish you hadn't told him the truth," she managed between giggles. "It would have kept him on his toes if he thought you might kill him at any moment."

Kalex chuckled, shaking his head. "Serge has always had a flair for the dramatic."

I exchanged a smile with Morgan, but beneath my amusement, unease coiled in my gut. If Serge suspected something between us and was discussing it with Reina, how long before others began to speculate? How long before word reached the academy?