I glanced over to Jace. His jaw flexed as he kept his eyes trained on Mr. Tuner. Then he slowly turned his head toward me, but looked right past. I’d never seen his eyes look so angry, wild. Not even when he’d almost fought that Narco at Cogs. He was staring at the Narcolym troops. I’d need to perform major damage control before he started a rebellion.
Mr. Tuner continued. “Since our creation, we’ve needed humans to need us. But we’ve made a discovery, and we now have a choice. We can cancel out our human dependency, freeing our kind.” He paused. “And this is not us asking you to cooperate. Your Council is making a decision for the good of all Kythan. If you haven’t chosen a mate of opposite race by the end of the Academy year, then one will be selected for you.”
I reached over and grabbed Jace’s hand. I knew he was about to leap from his seat. Sure enough, as my eyes slid in his direction, he was hovering—mid-spring. I squeezed his hand, imploring him to stay seated—not to act.
Mr. Tuner looked around the stunned room. “In an orderly fashion, I’ll gladly answer any questions you may have.”
At first, no one moved. I gripped Jace’s hand tighter. There was no way he could speak yet. Nothing good would leave his mouth. Finally, hands started going up. Mr. Tuner pointed to a Narco in the first row.
The Narco hesitantly stood. “How is uniting the races going to set us free from the humans?” He slowly sat back down.
“Excellent question,” Mr. Tuner said. “Unfortunately, that information is classified. Just know that we have no doubt that after the races are united, in just a matter of years, not many at all, you’ll see this realized. The proof will be evident. But for now, the Councils have to keep this information secret, for fear that a possible rebel alliance would try and use it against us.” He paused, glancing around. “And I say this now: if there is any thought of rebellion, know you’ll be dooming your race to extinction. We ask at this time for your trust and faith in our methods.”
Hands lowered. It seemed everyone realized in unison their questions wouldn’t be answered. Or, they feared being labeled a future rebel.
“Well,” said Mr. Tuner. “I think that wraps things up at this time. Though please remember, you’re expected to find a mate by the end of the year. The sooner we begin, the sooner we assure the survival of all Kythan.” He smiled. “Thank you.”
The guards at the door parted, permitting a path to the exit. As everyone stood and began filing out, I held onto Jace’s hand. We shuffled down the row in deafening silence.
As I rounded the aisle, Reese caught my eye. The look on his face said he was feeling the same as me. Confused. He shook his head once. We couldn’t talk about it now—definitely not here. He stepped out in front of us, and my eyes trailed after him.
My mind reeled. Reese and I were the only ones here, besides the Council members, who knew this experiment had been conducted before and had ended badly. Why would they try it again? And why so many years later? It made absolutely no sense. For reasons I could never understand, the “product” of the first trial union had been disposed of, yet Reese and I were proof that a union between the two races could work. Although, I had no idea how bonding could free Kythan from being guardians.
I didn’t have time to figure it out. Jace’s hand shook in mine. He was beyond any level of anger I’d ever seen in him. I needed to get him away. If not from the Academy, then at least from all Narcos at the moment.
Once we were out of the auditorium, I turned toward Lana. “What do you say about skipping first block?”
“Oh, yeah. I think that’s a good idea,” she said, eyeing Jace. “Let’s head to the basement. I’m not too concerned about smelling like disinfectant right now.”
We dipped out of the crowd and down the corridor toward the gym. It was vacant, so we hurried to the basement before first block began. The whole time I held onto Jace, I felt currents of Charge beneath my hand, sparking. I had to get him calmed down.
Nick closed and bolted the door behind us. I raised my eyebrows. “Think that’s a good idea?” I asked him.
“At this point, I’m not too worried about the janitorial staff’s need for mopping supplies.” He hustled to the closet and pulled out buckets, turning them over to use for seats.
To my surprise, Jace actually sat. I scooted my bucket closer to his as Lana and Nick pulled theirs nearer, forming a circle. I didn’t want to be the one to start this conversation. I didn’t know what to say. For them, this was utterly shocking. And I was plenty alarmed, but for a whole different reason.
This was blasphemy, but I knew it had been done before. What I couldn’t understand was why it was being done again. The only thing I could figure out was that the Councils wanted us bound to our mate to secure a union between races. Kythan were different than humans in that way. We couldn’t simply marry and divorce if things didn’t work out. Bonding was for life.
Jace cracked his knuckles and flexed his fingers. “We’re going to find out what the Councils are up to.” He lifted his head and looked at each of us in turn. “We’re sneaking aboard the Narcolym Council’s airship.” A beat. “Tonight.”
Silence. For a long moment, we said nothing.
Then Lana spoke up. “Fine. I’m in.” She nodded her head once. “But we’ll need supplies.”
“Can you get Devon to cover that in time?” Nick asked.
“I think so,” she said.
“We’ll need something to get us onboard and a backup plan to get out if we get caught,” Jace said, narrowing his eyes at Lana. “Use your analog communicator. Tell Devon to meet us at Cogs.”
I held up my hands. “Hold up.” I glanced around, wide-eyed. “Are you guys serious? We can’t sneak onto an airship. We’ll be crucified if we’re caught.” I gawked at them when no one agreed with me. “You guys! You saw those troops. They’re prepared to take out any rebel activity on the spot and ask questions later.”
Lana shot up. “I won’t be forced to bond with someone I don’t love.” She glared at me. “Devon and I had plans after the Academy. We—” She broke off, her voice trembling. “No. Just no.”
I lowered my eyes from hers. “I had no idea, Lane.” I took in a deep breath and stood beside her. “I’m sorry. I wasn’t trying to—”
“I know…It’s okay.” She shook her head and wiped a stray tear away with the heel of her hand.