Ariana pulled back slightly, studying my face with the scrutiny that made her such an excellent pilot. “Are you sure the Kronock didn’t replace you with a replica? Because the Sasha I grew up with would have said none of this.”
I laughed, the sound half sob and half genuine amusement. “No, they didn’t replace me. But going through what I did made me realize who I loved and what was truly important.”
Her expression grew solemn, concern creeping into her features. “Was it really awful? In the prison?”
Images flashed through my mind—the cold stone floor, the sound of claws on metal, the smell of unwashed reptile. But I pushed aside those memories and buried them beneath layers of protective instinct. Ariana didn’t need those nightmares in her head. She’d already suffered enough worrying about me.
I dredged up a smile, hoping it looked more convincing than it felt. “All that’s behind us now. Both of us.”
Before she could respond, footsteps echoed in the corridor outside, and Volten appeared in the doorway. He stopped short when he saw us, his expression shifting to one of polite embarrassment.
“Sorry,” he said, backing away. “I didn’t mean to interrupt.”
“You’re not,” I said quickly, stepping back from Ariana. “I should go anyway. You have a class to teach soon, right?”
Ariana nodded, but she pulled me into another fierce hug before letting me go. “I’m glad we talked.”
“Me too.”
As I headed toward the door, I wagged a finger at Volten with mock sternness. “You’d better treat my sister like gold, flyboy.”
His face lit up with one of those genuine smiles that transformed his usually serious features. He crossed to Ariana and swept her into his arms, spinning her once before setting her down. “She’sbetter than gold,” he said, his voice warm with affection as he looked down at her.
The love between them was so obvious it was almost embarrassing to witness. But instead of the stab of envy I would have expected, I felt only happiness for my sister. She deserved this kind of love, this easy partnership with someone who clearly adored her.
Part of me wondered what it would be like to have that kind of connection with someone. In the past, all the guys I’d been attracted to had turned out to be players. To a one, they were charming and exciting in the short term but ultimately interested in conquest rather than commitment.
Like Deklyn.
The thought of him sent an unwelcome flutter through my chest, along with a surge of irritation at my reaction. He was exactly the type I needed to avoid—cocky, dangerous, the kind of guy who collected hearts like trophies. The fact that he’d risked his life to save mine didn’t change his fundamental nature.
I needed to get over this attraction and focus on how he could help me. Nothing else.
I was almost to the corridor when Volten’s voice drifted after me.
“I just wanted to give you a quick kiss before I head out,” he was saying to Ariana. “I’m meeting with Commander Vyk to show him the tweaks I’ve made to the fighter jets after the mission.”
My pulse spiked so suddenly I had to stop walking to catch my breath. Commander Vyk was the academy’s security chief. If Volten was meeting with him, that meant Vyk wouldn’t be in hisoffice. Which meant this was the perfect opportunity to do some reconnaissance.
The admiral’s office would be ideal, but it was also the most heavily secured location in the academy. Vyk’s office would have been central to coordinating the rescue mission. He would have known about the unauthorized nature of the operation and would have records of communications and decision-making processes.
If I were going to find proof of the conspiracy that had left me to rot, his office was the perfect place to start.
My heart hammered against my ribs as I forced myself to walk calmly down the corridor, away from the simulator room and toward the administrative wing where the senior staff had their offices. I couldn’t afford to look suspicious or hurried, although who would ever guess the mind of the rescued Earth pilot was whirring with thoughts of breaking and entering?
Chapter
Eight
Deklyn
Ihurried up the main staircase, my boots silent as I landed on my toes. Luckily, the cadets had all dispersed into classrooms, so the corridors were empty. At the top of the stairs, I pivoted toward the administrative wing. If Sasha wanted evidence, this was where it would be.
I approached the first door and placed my palm against the sensor panel beside the frame. The mechanism recognized my biometrics—apparently my Inferno Force status came with more access than I’d expected—and the door slid open to reveal a startled instructor hunched over a tablet, his finger frozen in the air. He looked up at me with wide eyes, clearly not expecting an unannounced visitor.
“Sorry,” I said quickly, stepping back. “Wrong office.”
The door slid closed again, leaving me standing in the hallway feeling like an idiot. But I couldn’t shake the certainty that Sasha was up to something, and that something was likely to get her into serious trouble.
