Page 79 of Lies That Bleed
‘Bastard,’I told her.
I could almost feel her grinning.
‘It’s like Instructor Ashendell said, you need to learn what it’s like to take orders.’
‘Hey, how did you know about that?’I asked her. She wasn’t there.
‘You’re a very loud thinker.’
I chuckled at that, and stuck with Kohen and the train like a good little soldier. If we failed this simulation, let it rest on him and the other leaders. My hands were clean.
As we approached the mountain, Kohen flew down to land atop the train and I followed. Liana’s giant claws scratched against the metal as she lowered us on top of the second train car. “The mountain pass is up ahead,” Kohen said to the other cadets, who had been perched on the roof this entire time. “Everyone get inside if you want to keep your head attached to your neck. Be alert for a possible attack.”
The dozen or so cadets, with their creatures in tow, slipped down the roof hatches and into the three last cargo cars below.
Those who had flying creatures, like Alek’s hawk and Dev’s vulture, sent them skyward to fly with us and report back.
Kohen glanced at me: “I’m following the train inside the tunnel!” he screamed over the wind. “You fly over the mountain, and if anything happens, send word to Onyx through Liana.”
I frowned. To flyintothe tunnel was dangerous. Onyx was big, especially with his wings fully extended, and he’d have to follow behind a speeding train. But Kohen was my “leader,” so I just nodded and Liana flew higher to position ourselves up and over the mountain.
Stupid orders.I had to take them and not complain.
Alek’s hawk flew alongside Liana and I, while Dev’s vulture stuck with Kohen. My creature threw Iniki, Alek’s hawk, a few friendly glances. Liana, I had learned, had a very sensitive inner people radar. Sheeither liked you or she didn’t, and she knew in about four seconds which camp you were about to belong to. She liked Alek and Iniki, so that was good.
The first car of the long train sucked into the black tunnel and I held my breath for a second. I scanned the thick forest that covered the top of the mountain, searching for enemies. I waited for a glint of steel, or blond hair, a rustle of movement. I waited to see anything to tell me that our drill instructors were hiding in wait to attack us… but there was nothing. The last train car rolled into the dark tunnel and Kohen flew in after it as I sailed over the top.
Now would be the time. They would shoot a paint pellet at Liana and I to show their presence as a group of “rebels” leaped onto the top of the train coming out the other side…
But nothing happened. The train sailed easily through the tunnel and Kohen popped out the other side, giving me a thumbs-up, which I returned.
It meant that the first weak point we had assumed would be an attack was clear, but we still had the second. It was another mountain tunnel, about two more hours flight time away.
As the day drew on, I grew weary of flying. I had to constantly keep my muscles flexed so that I wouldn’t slip or fall off, and it was exhausting.
‘Lower me to the top of the train. I’m going to check on Tetra and the others,’I asked Liana.
She immediately started her descent. She landedatop the moving train, her talons clicking onto the metal. I nodded to a few of my fellow cadets who stood atop the train car holding swords and bows and arrows at the ready. Alek was there, with Iniki on his shoulder.
“How’s it up top?” he asked as I crouched down so that I wouldn’t fall off the moving train.
Liana kicked off and resumed her place high above us.
“It’s boring,” I told him truthfully, and he grinned.
It had been slightly weird with Alek after he made his feelings known to me at Sleuth, but since then we’d fallen into an easy friendship. I think he realized that was all I could give right now.
Walking over to the ceiling panel that was popped open, I jumped down into the very back train car.
What I saw made my eyes widen a little. The cadets were playing poker, eating snacks, and chatting lazily. They had unholstered weapons and taken off jackets, letting their hair down.
I flicked my gaze to see Tetra sprawled over a few sacks of rice, napping.
“Hey!” I snapped rather loudly, and everyone present jolted into a more erect position, staring up at me. “We could be attacked any moment. We don’t graduate without passing this simulation.” I looked around at all the food wrappers and empty water canteens.
“You’re not a leader, we don’t have to listen to you,” Summer told me.
“You’re right. I’m not your leader today, but one day I’ll be your leader for the rest of your life, so you better?—”
