Chapter 19
Chapter
Nineteen
Kann
I held her against me, barely breathing as the footsteps grew closer, trying to ignore how perfectly she fit in my arms. The sounds of the leaves crackling under boots, of salty wind whipping through trees, of dark voices rumbling—it all seemed to go quiet as my own heart thudded in time with hers.
Calm breath, I told myself as I tried to remember my training. Breathe in for four, hold for four, breath out for four, hold for four, breathe in…
But it was hard to steady my breath when I held Britta and could feel even her slightest movement—her tensing arms, her stiffened spine, the shiver that went through her as a cold blast of air hit us.
The crunch of leaves grew louder, and I tightened my grip, hoping we wouldn't be discovered. Was this a group of hunters or cadets also trying to hide? Neither one was good, considering I was with a female who had no business being on the grounds of the ancient academy.
A shudder passed through me as I realized I had no weapons and no way to defend Britta against whatever was out there. But I was a Blade. I had been trained to use my body as a weapon. I would just have to hope the simulation wasn’t so real that the NPCs—as Britta liked to call them—were skilled fighters.
I braced myself to push Britta to the ground and leap into action, but then the footsteps stilled.
“I thought I heard voices here,” one of the mystery Drexians said, his tone gruff.
"Probably some first-years who can't keep from talking during the hunt.”
A grunt of agreement. “Assassins.”
“They do like to talk about their strategies to escape capture, which makes it easier to catch them.”
Rough laughter came from multiple males.
"Might have been animals moving through the brush. Cadets would have run by now.”
"True enough." There was a pause, followed by the sound of branches being pushed aside. "Should we check the pit traps? Those are usually good for catching a first-year or two.”
I bit back the urge to groan. I had almost forgotten about the pit traps.
The footsteps resumed, but they were moving in the opposite direction. Even so, I waited until I could not hear them at all, in case one of the group had remained to draw out hiding cadets. When I was certain they were truly gone, I relaxed my grip on Britta.
She whirled on me. “Pit traps?”
I nodded, not meeting her gaze. “The Silent Hunt was filled with traps and snares. I had almost forgotten about them, but I did include them in the design.”
Britta folded her arms across her chest. “I didn’t work on any traps or snares, but I wasn’t the one doing most of the work.” She blew out a breath. “If you put them in the design, we have to assume they’re in here. Zav is very thorough.”
Hearing Zav’s name sent a pulse of irrational frustration through me. “Of course, he is.”
She shifted her gaze to me, annoyance flickering across her face. “What does that mean?”
I made a harsh sound in the back of my throat. “Nothing.”
“You aren’t blaming him for the mess we’re in, are you?” She threw one arm wide. “Or maybe you think this is my fault?”
I made a motion with my hands for her to keep her voice low, forgetting for a moment the sign she’d taught me for quiet. “I never said it was anyone’s fault.”
“If it’s anyone’s fault…” she grumbled, as she dropped her voice.
I blinked at her and then touched a hand to my chest. “Me? You think it’s my fault?”
She wouldn’t meet my eyes. “You are the one who had to have an accurate simulation of the old academy and its old, brutal challenge.”
Okay, she was right about that. I was the one who had wanted the simulation created. But my intention had been so I could run it with myself and maybe a couple of other Blade instructors to determine if it was a better option for placing cadets into schools than the maze. My intention had been to test it with full safety protocols engaged. I had never imagined getting stuck inside it without knowing if the safety protocols were functional. I had never envisioned being trapped inside it with Britta.
Some of the fight inside me dissolved, but I still shot her a look. “It is not as brutal as the maze.”
“I guess I should be happy there are no lava floors or terrifying alien monsters trying to kill me.”
“You should be. You’re welcome.”
Her eyes widened at my snarky answer, then her lips started to quiver. She slapped a hand over her mouth and her entire body started to shake as she dissolved into laughter.
Watching her silently laugh made me start to laugh, but I also put a hand over my mouth to muffle the sound. When my side began to ache, I straightened and took a breath. “You are right. I am the reason this simulation exists.”
Britta shook her head and silvery strands of hair flew around her face. “There are plenty of holo simulations that are more deadly than this one. It is only by chance that we were inside when the power fluctuated. That isn’t your fault.”
I was grateful for that, but it did not make me feel any less responsible for her safety. “Maybe not, but the least I can do is keep us safe until we can be rescued.”
She glanced around before whispering, “Do you remember where the pit traps are in the design?”
I searched my memory for the map of the Silent Hunt that I’d found in the academy archives. I’d spent a decent amount of time studying it before incorporating it into the overall simulation design. I nodded.
She grinned and waved for me to lead the way.
I recalled the sign for quiet and made it, which gained me a silent clap of her hands. A warm sensation fizzed in my chest as we silently bantered. This was what I loved most about my friendship with Britta—the easy conversation, the teasing banter, the hum in my chest when she smiled at me.
The ancient forest breathed around us as we moved silently through the underbrush. Every step was calculated to land on moss and not dry leaves, and I moved slowly enough for Britta to match my strides. The grounds were familiar—they shared the basic layout as the ones that surrounded the academy in our reality, though experiencing the older version in person was vastly different from reviewing schematics. The air was thick with the scent of tree sap and rotting leaves, rich and earthy, and impressively captured by Zav. I would be sure to commend him once we got out. Right after I punched his lights out.
Distant screams echoed through the trees, followed by the startled cawing of birds taking flight. Beyond that, I could hear the eternal rhythm of the Restless Sea crashing against the cliffs. It was so real I could almost convince myself that my ancestors had walked through the same woods.
I spotted the telltale depression in the ground ahead—one of the hidden pits. Without thinking, I grabbed Britta's hand to guide her around it. Her skin was soft against my palm, sending an electric buzz up my arm that I tried desperately to ignore. Just like I was trying to forget how perfectly she'd fit against me when we'd hidden from the hunters.
Focus. Keep her safe. Don't think about how good she smells or how much you want to—
Britta yanked me backward, hard. I blinked, realizing I'd nearly walked straight into a trip wire. She mouthed "you're welcome" with a hint of a smirk.
I gave myself a mental shake. Some Blade instructor I was, getting distracted by a pretty human when we were in actual danger.
We continued threading our way through the holographic forest, as the sun sank, painting the world in lengthening shadows. My stomach tightened. Either no one knew we were missing yet, or something was seriously wrong with the system. Neither option was comforting.
The trees grew more massive as we pressed deeper into the old-growth forest, their trunks wider than three Drexians standing shoulder to shoulder. My eyes locked onto a particularly sturdy specimen with branches thick enough to support us. Perfect.
I motioned toward the tree, miming climbing. Britta's eyes widened and she shook her head frantically. I nodded more insistently—we needed the safety of height for the night. She glanced up at the towering branches and mouthed, "No way."
"We need to—" I started to whisper, but the sound of crashing underbrush cut me off. Someone was coming, and they weren't being subtle about it.
I leapt for the lowest branch, muscles bunching as I swung up. Reaching down, I extended my hand to Britta. She glanced behind her as the sound grew louder, then back at my outstretched fingers. Finally, she grabbed my hand, and I hauled her up beside me, her cloak flaring out behind her.
We climbed higher, my heart pounding as I guided us up the massive trunk. At each new branch, I'd pull myself up first, then reach back to help Britta. The rough bark bit into my palms, but I barely noticed, too focused on getting us to safety.
When we reached a branch wide enough to hold us both comfortably, I pressed us back against the trunk. Below, two young cadets crashed through the underbrush, terror evident on their faces. A moment later, their pursuer appeared—a massive Drexian hunter moving with deadly grace despite his size.
The hunt passed beneath us, but I felt Britta trembling against me. I wrapped first her cloak and then my arms around her, drawing her closer to both me and the trunk. Her soft hair tickled my chin as she pressed back against me. I told myself I was just being protective, that holding her like this was purely about keeping her safe. But the way my heart raced had nothing to do with protection and everything to do with desire.
Desire I had no right to feel. Desire I had to ignore. Desire that could endanger us both.