Page 109 of Knox Academy Omnibus
“It takes the exact same amount of time to get back as it did to get here,” I point out.
“It doesn’t. This is ages. Getting home was fun. Well, once I stopped crying. Baxter booked me flights to a whole heap of places.”
“Well this is direct. More or less.”
“What does that mean? It’s either direct or it’s not.”
“We have a small layover, but it’s just to refuel.”
“That sucks. So we’re going to be stuck on here forever?” she whines like Kalen, but pouts in a really adorable way which my brother definitely can’t pull off.
“Pretty much,” I chuckle.
“Ugh.” She throws her head back against her seat, huffs and folds her arms. Wordlessly I pass her a set of wireless earbuds like mine and drop the tray in front of her. Setting my iPad on it, I press play on a film and settle back to watch alongside Amelie. Ithink the only reason she accepts the earbuds from me is so that she doesn’t have to speak to me.
Eventually though she falls asleep, her head resting on my shoulder, giving me way too much time to think while enjoying her warmth.
I have to acknowledge some painful truths: I wasn’t fucking around with Amelie, and while I did technically lie when I said I quit my job to be with her at the airstrip, I’ve had enough time to come to mean every word. I want to be with her, and I’m still mighty pissed with my brothers for the stunt they pulled – even all these weeks later.
I’m not sure how we’re going to pull her initiation off. She’s sharp, curious, demanding. She’ll want to know everything up front and won’t go for the usual cloak and dagger stuff that The Order likes to promote. It’s already been decided by the board that her initiation will be brought forward – no doubt in a bid to ensure she doesn’t pass. I don’t understand why though, if they’re so keen to see things fixed, like our father said. Someone on the board obviously doesn’t want her in if that’s her punishment. But why?
I feel like our father didn’t give us the full story in his office, and I hate being in the dark. I strongly suspect that our grandfather, who’s on the board, might have something to do with it all. He’s dead against bringing women into The Order. Amelie would be the firstrealrecruit, though of course we do have female contacts and friends. But none are in power or properly initiated. Amelie would be the first, and from what our father was saying, the most important for some reason.
With the odds stacked against us, I’m not sure how we’ll get her through the tests, especially if they’re setting her up to fail.
Amelie sighs in her sleep and I quickly snap a selfie of us together, her head still resting peacefully on my shoulder. I’ve missed her. I may not have been working at Knox Academy thelast few weeks, but the place still hasn’t been the same without her around.
Not to mention the total nightmare Laura has been. You’d think her daughter was murdered the way she’s been carrying on, yet she doesn’t give a shit about her at all. I mean, we all know it, so why the games? I despise that woman. I can’t wait until we have the full weight of The Order behind us; I’ll be using our connections to sort her out.
Thinking vengeful, murderous thoughts, I allow my eyes to drift closed as I get some rest. I must be crazy, agreeing to a non-stop round the world trip to pick Amelie up and come straight home. My bones feel weary. But as Amelie’s warmth seeps through my shirt and I doze off, I can’t help but think she’s worth it.
Chapter Four
Slate
Kalen paces the airport, his anxious energy, caused by his ADHD, pissing Onyx off. Everyone is twitchy already without having to absorb his restless excess energy on top.
My stomach twists. It’s been almost six weeks since she left us, after refusing to hear us out. Sawyer told us to wait at home today, but Kalen insisted on being here, and there was no way I trusted him to be the first – well, second – Knox to see her. Dad sent Sawyer to get her, probably because he knows he’s the most rational of us all. If anyone could convince her to come back, it would be him.
While I wait, I can’t help but think back to the day she left. It was a total shit storm. No one would have known it was her that posted all the files if she hadn’t made it so damn obvious. Why would she do that?
The only people spared from her wrath were Elsie and Branson. Elsie I understand; they had become good friends in a relatively short space of time. Why she felt loyal to that fool, Branson, though, baffles me.
The announcement comes over the loudspeaker to declare that her flight has landed which brings me out of my thoughts. Hopefully, it won’t be long before people start exiting. I keep watch while Kalen continues to pace.
I know it’s stupid, I’m still mad as hell that she spilled our secrets, but our father says we need to play nice and I promised I would try. Half of me is seriously channelling my twin right now and I want to wrap my hands around her dainty little neck and squeeze until she takes her last breath. Yet the other half of me wants to see her run through those gates and when her eyes land on me, run into my arms like you see in movies. Which is definitely more Kalen’s style. Sappy twat.
Both of those options are ripped out from underneath me when she comes into view. She steals my breath away. I couldn’t lay a hand on her if my life depended on it, and she certainly doesn’t look like she’s about to run into my arms. She completely ignores us and heads in the direction of the customs check before the exit. Well, I guess she’s still pissed off then.
Sawyer heads in our direction.
“Hey, bro,” Onyx says. Kalen has already taken off after Amelie.
“She still pissed?” I ask.
“Yes, she made some old lady switch seats with me after she fell asleep and woke up with her head on my shoulder.”
“Did she do that?” Onyx asks, pointing to Sawyer's black eye, a smirk on his face like he’s hoping Sawyer will say yes.
