“Mother? As in my mother? Or I’m going to be a mother? Wait, that doesn’t even make sense. Could it be Kyte’s mother?”
Tilda throws up her hands. “No idea.”
Uaxin shakes her head, the curtain of her red hair hiding one of her eyes.
“That’s not much to go on. I mean, if they want to go to earth and interrogate my mom, they are more than welcome to it. But, really, all they have to do is promise her a box of Natty Light, and she’ll spill every secret she’s ever known. There has to be more to it than that, right?”
Tilda sighs. “Whatever it is, they’re taking major pains to keep it under wraps, which means that one way or another, a Granterry will get to the bottom of it. When there’s a secret, it makes us itch. And we don’t stop scratching until we find out what’s going on.”
“You really are the best spies.” I rub my stomach, that feeling of being overfull at war with my growing hunger.
“Let’s get lunch.” Tilda sits up and offers me her hand.
“Are you psychic, too?”
“I could hear your stomach growling.” She pulls me to my feet.
The three of us walk to the cafeteria while I silently try to piece together what my mother might have to do with all this. It’s not like she’s ever mentioned aliens to me before. The more I ponder it, the more I’m certain that they couldn’t have meantmymother. She’s just a mean drunk, not a bigtime player in intergalactic politics.
When we enter the cafeteria, it’s not as busy as usual. “Are some of the cadets gone? Like for vacation or something?”
“Yeah.” Tilda loads up on meat. “We only have a week off before classes start again.”
Uaxin sticks to greenery, a lot like Kyte. When we take our seats, I notice I’m getting even more wary glances than usual.
“They’re afraid.” Uaxin whispers. “That’s all. Don’t worry about them.”
I turn toward her, welcoming the sound of her voice. “Hi.”
She smiles and forks something like lettuce on her plate.
“Finish telling us about it all. Don’t leave out any details. So, you were going to seal it, then Warverian showed up, battle ensued, Master Daviti toasted you, you …”
“Died. Yeah, I think I did.” I cut off a piece of meat and chew it. Rubbery, but filling. “And then the guys saved me and sealed the circle. I healed. And then Jeren and I went to the lake. Then Kyte and Ceredes showed up and we …” My cheeks heat, and I focus on chewing.
Tilda grins. “Don’t hold out on me! This is the most excitement I’ve ever had in my life. Same goes for everyone else here. All those fleet soldiers, the high council, the—” She drops her voice. “The traitor among us. Someone opened the shields. Who do you think it is?”
I’m grateful she’s changed the subject from what happened in the lake, so I shrug and lean closer, pulling Uaxin in, too. “A student. Has to be. The Sentients placed a sleeper agent here, posing as a cadet.”
“But why you? Why did the Sentients come for you?”
“No clue.” I wince at the memory of Warverian’s hands on me, at the way he claimed ownership like I was livestock. I clench my eyes shut as my throat closes up.Tamp it down, Lana. Tamp it down. But I can’t, my thoughts come even faster: Warverian’s cruel grip, the pain from the ship exploding in a fireball, and the fear. So much fear.
“Lana.” I hear my name, but it’s so far away. It sounds like Tilda.
“Lana! Stop!”
I feel my skin bubbling, burning, turning to ash. I’m dying. I can’t breathe. I’m dying and no one will save me from it. Not my mother. Not my Alphas.
“Lana.” Kyte’s voice now.
“Help me.” I can’t feel anything except pain.
“You have to calm down.”
“I can’t.”
“You can.” Jeren’s voice wraps around me, and I can almost feel Ceredes at my back, his strength like waves of heat.
