Page 72 of Lies That Bleed
Everyone had heard about the attack on my life and the fact that two drill instructors were now dead over it, so all my fellow candidates stared at me as they passed.
“I mean, did you call him out on it or did you hold a knife to his throat and almost kill him over it?” Tetra asked seriously.
Damn. She had the tongue of a viper when she wanted to.
“The triplets were home. He could have?—”
Tetra rolled her eyes. “He could have tried to kill you plenty of times but he hasn’t. In fact, he seems to have the hots for you. He flipped out over Jace taking a fry off your plate. That’s not normal.”
I wanted to tell her what he said about me being his at karaoke night so badly that I had tophysically squeeze my lips to keep quiet. Doing that would reveal his gift, and although I was pissed at him, I wasn’t that pissed. I trusted Tetra, but even knowing this could put her in danger.
“So you’re saying if he broke into your mom’s house you would be cool with it?” I asked her.
She gave me a look, a look that I had grown to know meant she was about to say something I didn’t like.
Alek and Roc were just checking out at the lunch counter; they would be here any second. For now we were alone.
Tetra leaned into me and lowered her voice. “Have you stopped even once to ask yourself why your father would steal a sentimental pocket watch off of a dead man and keep it in his office all these years?”
I gasped. When she said it like that, it made my father sound like a lunatic hell-bent on revenge.
I met her gaze. “Ravi Badshah was a terrorist who killed over?—”
“I know.” She held out her hands to stop me, and then flicked her gaze to where Anika was sitting next to Kohen, chatting happily. “Unless… we don’t have the whole story there.”
I frowned, and she swallowed hard.
“I’m just saying… what if we don’t know everything?”
So Anika had been talking to her too. I opened my mouth to argue when Alek dropped next to me,concern etched all over his face. “I heard about the attack. Are you okay?” His gaze frantically ran over my body as if looking for injuries and I nodded, giving him a tight smile.
“My father has enemies even in his own backyard it seems. Luckily, the perpetrators have been taken care of and all is well now.” The coined answer Lucinda Lark, my father’s personal secretary, had written me this morning, informing me that I was supposed to tell anyone that asked.
Alek frowned. “But the instructors?—”
“All is well now,” I assured him, placing a hand on his and giving him a look that saidLet it go.
“Damn, I regret not getting tater tots,” Roc said, peering at his plate. “I would take one of yours, Aisling, but I’m afraid Kohen will rip my ear off for it.”
Everyone at the table burst out laughing, everyone except me.
I peered across the room at the same time Kohen did and our gazes caught. Even from here I could see those piercing blue eyes locked with mine. It was like he was peeling back my protective layers one by one and trying to stare straight into my soul.
I had so many questions. Why did I see heartbreak in his eyes? Who broke it? Me?
He finally looked away and it felt like I was suddenly all alone. Confused and alone.
Chapter
Nineteen
“Aisling and Kohen finally have powers to show us!” Lieutenant Ashendell told our squad. I’d gone to her and told her that the night I was attacked I had acquired the ability to conjure fire. Though it was really smoke, Liana had assured me I could conjure fire when needed.
Everyone cheered and I swallowed hard. Hopefully, Kohen had something else to display, because everyone finding out he could see the future would sign his death warrant.
“Kohen, will you please do the honors of going first? I think we’ve waited in anticipation long enough.” Ashendell looked bored, and I perked up as I watched the former Imbrian prince walk across the field and stand in the middle.
He looked so calm. Like he’d been practicing, or just wasn’t scared. I envied that. I was terrified as hellto turn into a fireball for the first time, and in front of my peers.
