Page 351 of Axis of Fire

“And now I'd appreciate it if you'd stop asking questions. It's bad enough that we live together. Now I'm expected to run after you like an overprotective mother hen.”

“You'll survive,” Stasia replied with that trademark steel-edged smile of hers.

Joelle ignored her completely.

When Gia started asking another question, Stasia drifted closer to me and lowered her voice.

“You look terrible.”

That was putting it mildly.

I'd seen myself in the mirror that morning.

No amount of concealer had been able to hide the shadows beneath my eyes.

“I had a nightmare around one,” I admitted. “Didn't sleep a minute after that.”

I was exhausted.

Distracted.

During the morning rush, I'd forgotten where I'd put half my things.

Gia had ended up reminding me more than once.

My gaze met Stasia's.

For a moment, I wondered how she survived her visions.

How anyone could.

But that wasn't a question I could ask.

Not yet.

******

As it turned out, we were among the last to arrive.

The only available seats were at the very front—a five-person table that, judging by the empty space around it, no one else had been brave enough to claim.

Joelle disappeared toward the back of the room almost immediately.

As for me, I tried my best to ignore the stares following us as I took my seat.

There had to be over forty people packed into the room.

“Why are there so many?” I whispered to Stasia as she sat down beside Gianna.

“No idea,” Stasia whispered back. “Tarven told me the strongest class usually admitted, at most, thirteen students a year.”

“I heard they're planning to split the strongest class into two groups this year because of the number of applicants,” Gianna said, leaning closer to us.

Then she glanced over her shoulder.

“And it looks like there are upperclassmen sitting back there too. There's even—oh...”

Gianna stopped abruptly.