Chapter 6 Emery
EMERY
Three days of reciting the plan repeatedly until I can say it without even thinking is finally good enough for Mori. His standards are ridiculous and this strategy is shit. I’ve thought of a better one, but I don’t see the possibility of anyone actually listening to me, so I keep my mouth shut.
It’s the first full day we’ve had off from drills and strategy training. It’s a shame there’s not much for us to do around here. We’re only allowed upstairs if Thomas escorts us there like a nanny.
An exasperated breath escapes me as I crack open a book I snagged from Mori’s stack. He hasn’t noticed its absence yet, and if he has, then he doesn’t care to make it known. I wasn’t sure if reading was something I enjoyed, but after the first few pages I knew that this was something I cherished.
My eyes slowly flick over to Mori, looking devilishly handsome in his workout sweatpants and gray hoodie. Of course he never takes a day off from drills. I force my gaze away before he has a chance to catch me staring like he already has four times since that night in the gym.
I can’t even think about that evening without blushing. I lift the book higher so it covers more of my face, and half hoping he realizes that I took one of his things so that he’ll pester me about it.
It’s still only a little past ten in the morning and everyone already seems bored to tears. Kayden is right back at it, taking his gun apart and putting it back together, while Gage is talking to Thomas about female soldiers they might be able to see upstairs if they go during the lunch hour.
I roll my eyes and try to focus on the book.
It’s poetry, dark poetry. From the dark ages of British literature.
It’s gothically beautiful. Thought-provoking.
It makes me yearn to know if I’d spent much of my time before indulging in books like these.
I can see why Mori is so persistent on reading them.
“Hey, Emery, we’re going upstairs today. You down to join us?” Gage sits back on the edge of my bed, making my ass sink in his direction and rudely pulling me from the lines I was reading.
I glower at him. “I’m good, thanks.”
Gage furrows his brows and flicks my forehead. “You’re coming.”
“Why? So I can watch you guys stare at some women and try to flirt with them? Hard pass.” I rub my palm over the spot he flicked.
It’s so weird, I don’t feel anything except the touch of it, as if someone barely tapped my skin.
But I know from experience that Gage’s flicks fucking hurt.
He’s been reprimanded for it on several occasions already.
Getting used to the way the medication affects me has been taking longer than I thought it would. I’ve already had a few bloody noses since the first night and this insatiable warmth that builds between my thighs whenever I’m near Mori. I practically get feverish.
I’m too embarrassed to tell Nolan about that side effect, so I’ve kept it to myself.
Besides, it’s not like it’s putting me in any sort of harm.
He specifically said to only report back bleeding or severe complications, and something tells me that being a little horny doesn’t compute having severe complications.
Kayden sets down the gun he was piecing back together and laughs. “There are way more men up there for you and me to look at so quit pouting,” he winks at me. I swear I hear Mori grunt his disapproval from the top bunk.
I groan, how can I refuse Kayden anything when he puts it like that? The day would go faster, I guess. “Fine.” I stick a torn piece of paper between the pages of the book and toss it in the center of my bed.
We are allowed a few outfits for our days off. Simple civilian clothing that feels much too vulnerable to wear since I’ve grown used to the thick fabric of the Dark Forces tactical gear.
I slip into a black hoodie. It falls to my mid-thigh and covers my ass. Dark gray leggings piece the outfit together nicely with my ebony combat boots.
The rest of the squad is dressed similarly, dark grays and black are all we ever wear. It would be grim if I actually enjoyed bright colors, but for some reason I don’t mind the darkness of the world I’ve woken into.
“Oh, we should get tattoos! Kate said that Wednesdays are her slow days and she takes walk-ins,” Gage says excitedly. He likes Kate, it’s so obvious it’s painful.
A tattoo wouldn’t be a bad idea though, considering that everyone has one except me. My eyes flick over to Mori. He’s standing with his arms crossed, his gray hoodie sleeves are pulled down to his wrists. Black rings over some fingers, a few are real, others tattooed on.
His pale blond hair is still wet from the ice bath he took earlier. A lock of it is misplaced and follows the curve of his forehead. I find myself tracing the red scar that cuts through his eye. I long to see him up close again. Unfortunately, Mori excels at keeping his distance from me.
I stay close to Kayden as we head out. We pass Lieutenant Erik in the hall just outside the secured door. He nods at us in acknowledgment. His eyes staying on Mori longer, almost sternly as if he’s telling him to behave up there.
It’s on my agenda to find out what exactly Mori has done and to who.
His track record must be public knowledge down in the Under, so it shouldn’t be too hard to get more details.
I know the general rumors about him, but our squad is tight-lipped when it comes to him.
Or maybe it’s only around me that they stop speaking about him.
Occasionally, I’ll catch a pitiful look from them when I’m working with Mori.
Did he do something to me? I ponder as we walk.
“Do you think I’ll see any of the cadets I trained with in the Under Trials upstairs?” I ask quietly as we enter the main hub of the base. Sunlight beams in through the vast metal hangars and enormous garage doors built for planes and tanks. It’s so bright I have to use my hand to shield my eyes.
It’s amazing how used to the dark you become when you’re thrown into it.
Kayden shrugs. “If you did, do you think you’d recognize them?”
I shake my head. “Probably not. But they might end up on the Malum or Warsaw Squad someday, right? If spots open up?” I hate to sound hopeful, but the current assholes on those squads aren’t much to my liking anyway.
They’re hardly ever around as it is. Their missions are long and often far away.
The officers do a good job at keeping us from getting to know one another.
“Already hoping for slots to open up?” Thomas says sardonically. He shoots me an indifferent glance over his shoulder. His mullet is frizzy today with the humid weather.
Gage laughs, but I don’t think Thomas was trying to be funny.
Mori ignores all of us. His hood is pulled up and he looks around carelessly like this is more of a waste of time than lying in bed all morning was. At least the prospect of tattoos will be something new to break up the routine.
I’ve heard Gage and Kayden talk about Kate before, but I’ve never been to her shop corner. I’m surprised at how quaint it is, made up of cubicle walls and tucked away without any signage. No one would ever know it was here.
Kate is leaning over a client when we walk into the tight space.
She flashes us a hostile look before she recognizes the group.
Her expression immediately melts into a warm smile.
She nods at me as a greeting and I return the gesture.
I listen to them talk casually until she finishes up with the soldier, and then Gage steps up to go first.
She has long chocolate-brown hair that’s pulled up into a thick fountain ponytail. She gives me the spiel that she isn’t licensed or technically permitted to give tattoos, but there’s a high enough demand for her to do it, and the rumor is that she shares her cut with the officers so they allow it.
Even the upstairs forces are a little twisted. Go figure. Like the worst thing a person could do is get a tattoo. I stifle a laugh at the thought.
I like Kate. She’s a rule breaker, much like I feel I am somewhere deep down. I just don’t remember that part of me yet.
Gage gets a bullet on his spine, right between his shoulders.
Kayden decides on a small shrimp on his ankle.
It draws a smile to my lips since his codename is Shrimp.
From what I gathered, most of the soldiers get names from their squad mates at the time they join.
Some get the short end of the stick. Kayden apparently ate an entire plate of shrimp after he arrived from passing the Under Trials, and he’s been stuck with the name ever since.
Thomas passes on getting one. Mori does too. Honestly, I’m not sure he has any space on his torso or arms for another tattoo, and those are the areas he seems to keep to.
Kate smiles at me and waves to the seat. She flips her heavy brown ponytail over her shoulder. I can’t imagine how long it is when it’s down. It might even compete with my hair length, reaching my lower back. “You’re next, sweetheart.”
I return the grin and hop onto the chair.
“What do you want?” she asks as she changes out the needle and readies her station.
I suck my lower lip in and bite the corner in thought. As dark as it may be, there is something I can’t get out of my head.
“Can you do one soft, wispy line from the base of my neck down to my tailbone?”
All eyes focus on me, confused mostly. Mori’s gaze in particular fills with something more though. He seems curious.
Kate laughs. “Sure.” She motions for me to stand for a moment while she converts her chair into its flat mode. “Take your top off, hun.”
My cheeks flush and my eyes dart to Mori. I’ve seen everyone’s private parts in the showers except his, and they’ve all seen me naked beside him. Well, at least since I woke up. The idea of him looking at my bare skin makes my heart rate spike.