Chapter 5
Chapter
Five
Britta
“ W hat are you hiding?” Morgan peered at me over the top of her cards, her gaze probing.
I pressed a hand to my chest and gave her my most innocent look as I kept my cards close to my chest—literally. “Me? Hiding?”
She huffed out a breath. “I still don’t know your tell, but I suspect that you have good cards.”
She was wrong. My cards were shit, but instead of trying to hide any tells I might have, I’d made a point to exhibit a wide variety of sighs, frowns, and smiles as we’d played. I was so emotive that no one could tell if there was any truth hidden in the lies. Jess said it made her feel like she was playing with the Joker, but so far, I’d stayed in longer than I ever had before.
I swung my head to take in the staff dining room that glowed from the warmth of the wall sconces, their light dancing off the polished black stone. A pile of cards lay in the middle of one of the polished wood tables and everyone’s half-empty glasses sat in front of them. Even though it was long after the last meal had been served, the room still held the aroma of salty, fried padwump and yeasty bread. Not that I could smell much anymore but the Noovian whiskey in front of me.
“I’m in.” Fiona said, from where she sat shoulder-to-shoulder with Commander Vyk, not that her shoulder reached his much broader one. He grunted in approval although he kept his eyes on his own cards.
Who would have thought the stern security chief could look so content? Or that our toughest instructor would melt into him like that? Not me, since I’d witnessed more than one stand-off between the two. But now they seemed truly happy, which made me smile. I still wanted to beat them both, but I was happy they were happy.
Across from them, Volten kept sneaking kisses to Ariana's temple between hands of cards, making her giggle and nudge him playfully.
Jess and Torq weren't any better. The massive Drexian practically pulled her into his lap every time she won a hand, which was often. Not that she seemed to mind. Our resident strategy expert had gone from being intimidated by the cocky Blade to being completely smitten.
Morgan caught my eye and made a gagging motion at all the coupled-up sweetness. I stifled a laugh and took another sip of whiskey, the bite of the alien liquor almost making me choke as it burned my throat.
"I raise," Torq said, sliding credits into the pot.
Jess peered at her cards. “This may not be my best strategy, but so do I.”
“Too rich for my blood.” Ariana tossed down her cards, before twisting to look at Volten. "How many first-years do you think will make it into Flight this year?"
Volten grinned. "All the arrogant ones, of course."
"Then there won't be any left for Battle," she teased, shooting a grin at Kann.
The Drexian clutched his chest in mock outrage. "You wound me, Wing." But his eyes sparkled with humor as he laughed along. "I'll have you know that Blades are the picture of humility."
I snorted into my drink, earning a playful glare from him that made my cheeks warm.
"Sure, you are," Morgan said, as she studied her hand. "That's why you're all so quiet and understated."
"Speaking of Battle," Volten glanced up from his hand, "how's the ancient challenge coming along?"
Kann's eyes met mine briefly before he looked away. "Still working on the simulation with Zav. Need to make sure it's safe before we test it properly."
Torq puffed out his chest. “And I’ll be helping test it.”
“Wait.” Jess sat up. “Is this dangerous? An ancient challenge seems like something I should be worried about.”
“Zav will make sure it’s safe.”
I bit back the urge to remind him that I was also part of the project. Since I’d been working so closely with the Taori, it had only been natural that he’d included me in the design of the simulation. Kann did know that, didn’t he?
"Why didn't you invite him tonight?" Fiona asked, gesturing at our gathering with her glass. "The Taori should join our card nights, especially since he’s now an instructor.”
Jess gave me a pointed look I did my best to ignore, as I became very interested in arranging my cards. I could feel Kann's gaze on me but refused to look up. Instead, I took another sip of my drink, regretting that I hadn’t cut the whiskey with something. Not that any of the Drexians would have let me use a mixer with their precious Noovian whiskey without making a stink.
“Was it a surprise to anyone else that he’s suddenly teaching engineering classes?” Fiona asked.
My cheeks warmed and my head swam as I thought of my own shock and downed the rest of my drink in an effort to banish the memory and the embarrassment of the moment.
“It’s not like you instructors tell cadets anything,” Morgan said smoothly, rescuing me. "I fold, by the way. I don’t know what Britta has, but I know what I have. These cards are garbage."
We went another round of raising, and I shook my head. “I’m out.”
“I knew it,” Morgan whispered, winking at me.
Volten accused Ariana of counting cards, even though he was clearly provoking her for fun, while Vyk and Fiona engaged in their usual competitive banter that would have sounded like deadly challenges to anyone who didn’t know them.
Fiona slid a few inches away from him. “You're going down, Commander.”
He growled and eyed her like there was no one else in the room. "Not this time, Captain."
One by one, players dropped out until only Vyk and Fiona remained. Their competitive streak hadn't diminished since becoming a couple—if anything, it had intensified. I could only imagine how they burned off their aggression once they left the table and returned to their quarters.
"I should get some sleep.” Jess stood and tugged Torq up with her. "Early class tomorrow."
Morgan stretched and yawned, tossing her pale hair over her shoulder. "Same here."
I gathered my courage to stand, the room swaying slightly. Maybe that last glass of whiskey hadn't been the best idea.
The table emptied quickly, leaving Fiona and Vyk to square off like they ended up doing at the end of every card night. No one knew what happened after we all left, but I hoped for the sake of all the staff who used the dining room that they had the decency not to throw down on the tables. But I was not going to stick around and find out.
I followed the rest of the group from the room, pausing for a beat to put a hand to the wall and steady myself.
“Need an arm?” Kann had appeared at my side and held out his crooked arm.
I was too dizzy to turn down his offer, so I grabbed the inside of his elbow. “Thanks. That Noovian stuff is brutal.”
He kept his pace slow as we walked down the stone staircase. “I’m surprised you didn’t dilute it.”
I swung my head to him. “I thought that would be blasphemy.”
“It would be—for a Drexian.” He rested his hand on top of mine. “But you aren’t Drexian, and you haven’t built up a tolerance over years.”
“That’s your strategy, isn’t it?”
“What?”
“To get the humans drunk on your souped-up booze so we can’t win.”
A laugh burst from him. “I do not know what it is to be ’souped-up’ but I promise that we have no strategy. Besides, I am not the one winning.”
“I still think there’s something fishy going on,” I mumbled.
“Is it bad to be fishy?”
I tried to keep a straight face while I scowled at him. “Very bad.”
The main hall was quiet now, our footsteps echoing off the stone. The others had pulled ahead, their voices fading as they ducked into various stairwells and entered long hallways.
My thoughts were muddled. I wanted to tell him something, but what was it? It was about Zav, but what about Zav? Then I remembered the promise he’d made.
"You forgot your promise," I blurted, then immediately wanted to sink into the floor. The whiskey had definitely loosened my tongue and confused me. That wasn’t what I’d wanted to say at all.
Kann stopped walking and turned to face me. "I never forget a promise."
The intensity in his eyes made my breath catch. Had they always been that shade of gold?
He stepped closer, and I caught the spicy scent that always clung to him. "Name the time, and I'll teach you everything you need to know to seduce any male you want."
My knees went weak at his husky tone. Was it my imagination, or had his pupils gotten larger? I’d meant to tell him that he didn’t need to teach me anything anymore now that Zav was an instructor, but as his gaze held me, I couldn’t imagine turning him down for anything. And he was both an instructor and my friend.
I tried to swallow. This was bad.
Then he smiled that wicked, wicked smile I knew so well. “Should we say tomorrow night—after classes, after dinner—in The Stacks?”
“Okay. . .I’ll. . .okay,” I stammered eloquently, then practically fled into a curling staircase, taking the stone steps two at a time, and managing not to face plant.
I raced across the open-air bridge and caught up to Morgan and Jess just as they reached the female tower, my heart still racing.
I must have imagined the way Kann's voice had deepened, the heat in his gaze, how close he'd gotten. But I hadn’t imagined the promise he’d reiterated. Or the fact that I’d agreed—again.
"You okay?" Morgan asked as we climbed the spiral staircase. "You look flushed."
"Fine," I squeaked. "Just running to catch up and the whiskey."
Jess gave me a curious look as we climbed the stairs and then said goodbye at our doors, but she didn’t pry. It didn’t matter. Nothing had happened. Nothing could happen. Kann was my friend, nothing more. And I was definitely not thinking about how good he smelled or how he’d gazed at me with such intensity that my knees were still wobbly. Or how he still thought I wanted him to teach me to seduce someone else.
I stumbled into my room and slumped against the inside of the door. “We are just friends.”
Now if only my racing pulse would get the message.