I laugh, wrinkling my nose at him. “It was a spur-of-the-moment decision. But she’s fine, Jesse. I invited her up tomorrow night for the party.”“Really?” he asks, bursting into a smile. “That will be great.”“Yeah,” I say with a happy sigh, resting my head back down on his shoulder. “I told her you
The next thing I know, Jackson and I are cliffside and he is snatching me close to him with a wicked snarl, surprising a laugh out of me that he quickly silences with a proper kiss – the long, deep, knee-jellying kind that quickly has me rather desperate, pressing my body tight against him and windi
“Well, it’s your lucky day, Jacks,” I say, giving him a big smile. “Because…I kind of asked about that when she froze time and we had a little…secret meeting.”“What?” he asks, sitting up a little.I laugh, nodding. “Yeah, I couldn’t resist - couldn’t not know. She told me that I’m your only mate -
I squeal – just a tiny bit – with excitement when I wake up in the morning, pressing my hands to Jackson’s chest and sitting up, looking over at Rafe and Jesse’s bed through the still-open curtain.“Is it time?” I ask, gleeful. “Can we go? Did the weapons come? Did they deliver my paintball rifle?”
“I know, it’s gross,” Jesse says, slumping next to me with his arms crossed, doing his best to live up to his worthless and profligate reputation.I grin, nudging him with my elbow. “You’re probably good at it too.”“Yes,” he says, turning bored eyes my way, “but unlike the rest of you, I choose not
“It’s so beautiful,” I gasp, on my knees in front of the newly-opened case that holds my paintball sniper rifle, which is matte black and obviously brand spanking new. The helicopters have just pulled away and we’re in a secluded, thick patch of trees that’s growing on a plateau halfway down the cli
“With guns?” I ask, glancing up at him.“Or other weapons,” he says with a shrug. “Paint-coated dulled knives, the like. The point is – you get paint on you, you’re dead. We’re watched from above,” he says, pointing up towards the sky, “with cameras. If you die you’ll get a notification to clear the
Jackson just stares at me, shocked and unblinking – and for a split second I realize how rare it actually is for people to look him in the eye and defy him.But his surprise is not long lived, replaced immediately by anger.“Ariel, you will fall in line –““No way!” I throw back, baring my teeth at
“We won’t be here all the time.” A new voice surprises me and I turn, starting to cry in earnest when I see my dad come around one of the houses, Rafe at his side. “We have a country to run, after all.” He grins at me, opening an arm. “Dad,” I croak, shaking my head and tucking myself against his
“Come back here,” Neumann calls, pointing at the ground in front of him. Midnight appears again in the corner, dismissing her shadows, and dashes back over, smiling her delight. “Are you seriously encouraging this?” the Captain murmurs, shaking his head and heaving a big sigh. Neuman doesn’t rep
“If I’m dismissed from the Academy now,” I interrupt, holding up a hand and conjuring up my blue flames, which make him take a step back in surprise. “Then the military of Moon Valley loses the opportunity to train and make use of its most powerful weapon. Which, if you ask me, is far too much of a
“Ut-oh,” Jesse says, turning to grin at me. “Looks like the secrets out.” “You could look less cheerful about it,” I say, glaring at him even as I climb out of bed and move towards the door as Jackson pulls on his shirt. “It’s not your education at stake, after all.” “Nooo, don’t forbid me my gl
Marigold laughs a little but just nods. “Are we doing this?” Jesse says, glancing up at the clock that looms large over the entire station. “We don’t have a ton of time.” Jackson looks at me and arches a brow. I laugh and nod, grinning at our little party. “Let’s go!” The next morning I wake u
Marigold, perched high on Jackson’s arm, looks around the train station with wide eyes as she munches on a cookie. I bite my lip for a moment, watching her, anxious that she’ll be anxious. After all, her life has already involved so much change… “She’s fine,” Jackson murmurs, smirking down at me f
I can’t help it. I just get incredibly jealous. “Tell me,” Jackson urges, feeling the shift in my emotions, tightening his arms around me. “I just want to do that,” I say, laughing a little, shaking my head, feeling petulant. “It sounds so cool, and important, and…vivid. I want to do that work,
I scootch forward on the window seat, making room behind me. Jackson takes a moment to dip low, pressing a kiss to Marigold’s cheek and then to her hair, telling her how much he missed her and how glad he is to see her. The little girl laughs, beaming up at her father, and I can feel both of our hea
“Ariel,” my mom calls after me. “Please, come and talk to us –“ “It’s time for the meeting anyway, Ella,” dad murmurs. “She needs space to think and we don’t have any more time to talk.” As I head into the darkness of the hall Jackson’s voice appears in my mind, soft and apologetic. Do you wan