Lana sidled up next to us. “I suddenly feel like going to class is pointless,” she said with mock laughter in her voice. “I mean, if they have my whole life planned out, what do I really need to learn?”
I took her arm in mine as we headed into the hallway. “Well, regardless, let’s lay low. We don’t need to bring attention to ourselves by missing any more blocks.”
“Agreed.” Reese slipped his hand into my free one. “Let’s just make it through this week. Once the barrier spell is lifted, we’ll go from there.” His eyebrows furrowed. “Maybe the humans leaving is just an adverse effect of the spell. I’m not familiar with the magics, but anything’s possible.”
I laced my fingers through his. “That’s a good point.” He was right. The spells were only used by the Councils, and even they didn’t fully understand how to control them anymore. Because the Councils would suffer by the humans’ departure, too, I had to trust that Reese was right. Maybe they didn’t raise the spell correctly. It was all we had to go on.
Lana brightened. “At least our data communicators work again.” A smile struggled to break across her face.
“Yeah, but I wouldn’t send anything personal,” Reese said. “Anything you don’t want the Councils to read.”
We paused before our classroom, and I looked up at him. “You think we’re being monitored?”
He arched an eyebrow. “Don’t you?”
The rest of the day went on without incident. We went to our blocks, half paying attention to distracted teachers as they sent students out for testing. We kept our heads down. And Jace continued to ignore me.
At dinner, he and Nick sat on one side of the cafeteria, and Lana, Reese, and I sat on the other. I felt bad for Lana. She was also getting the cold shoulder from Jace because she was hanging around me.
“Don’t sweat it,” she said, flicking a bean around her plate. “He’ll come around.”
I nodded halfheartedly. “I just miss him,” I admitted. And I did. This had been the longest time besides the change that I’d been distant from him. I truly wanted to believe Lana. But deep down, I feared the worst—that I’d lost Jace forever.
Chapter Twenty-Four
DURING THE WEEK LEADING up to my test, I met with Reese every day at the falls. We were taking a huge risk by sneaking off grounds, but it was the only way for me to train. The basement was occupied by Jace, and even if we could find another place at the Academy to practice, I didn’t feel comfortable maxing out my power anywhere near there now that I knew they were looking for me.
I had to learn to rein in my power to levels the Councils would never suspect, and that required first getting a feel for my full strength. I never allowed myself to reach the dangerous level, though, as I always kept the crystal on me. The fear of losing control still hovered over me. I never told Reese that I felt I could push myself more. I was frightened about what that could mean—just what my power could do.
After watching how Jace treated Lana, I’d asked her to go back to Jace and Nick. I couldn’t stomach the triplets being separated and Jace ignoring her. She was hesitant, not wanting to abandon me, but I assured her Reese and I had to focus on getting me past the test. She conceded, reluctantly.
Seeing them back together made things feel almost right again. But I also had ulterior motives. I knew how Jace’s mind worked. Finding out the truth about me had to have increased his hatred for the Narcos. And with the Councils pushing the union between races, I knew it was only a matter of time before Jace snapped and tried to launch a rebellion. I needed Lana to keep an eye on him. I couldn’t focus on my training if I was constantly worried about him getting himself in trouble—or worse—killed. I told Lana to act as if she were upset with me, that way Jace wouldn’t keep anything from her. I only prayed he’d keep it together until Reese and I figured something out.
The day before my test, Reese and I sat on the bank near the river, passing currents between us. I held my glowing blue hands up before me, palms toward Reese, as he sent a stream of Charge to me.
“Can you feel the level of the current?” he asked, maintaining the current’s strength.
I smiled, taking in his serious expression and hard eyes. “Yes.” I felt a ripple of current along my skin. “And at this low level, I think I’m having a difficult time focusing on anything.”
His eyes shot open, a half-grin sneaking across his face. “Are you trying to sidetrack me? Do you know what I do to misbehaving students?” He broke the current, pulling me toward him then to the ground. “Okay, I think you got it down.” He buried his face in my neck.
I giggled. “Do you think I can really pass the test? I feel like I control Charge pretty well.”
I felt him nod. “Yup, and with that neat little trinket, you don’t have anything to worry about.”
My crystal pressed into my thigh as Reese lay on top of me. It was small enough that I could easily conceal it under my clothes during the test. Reese felt I didn’t even need it, but it was my security blanket. I was nervous about going in front of the Councils, and even if I didn’t need it, I felt comforted by its presence.
Reese pushed up and stared into my eyes. “You’re going to be fine.”
I locked my arms around his neck, drawing him to me. We’d been training so intensely that we hadn’t had much free time for anything else. I loved the feel of his weight bearing down on me, his body molding to mine—connecting us in an intimate way. His skin heated, sending waves of warmth over me as I pulled him closer.
I knew Reese wanted to wait—to make it special—but I couldn’t picture a more special moment. Every time his hand caressed, lingered, grasped, I wanted him that much more. Heat spread between my thighs, and I wrapped my legs around his hips, pressing his lower body persuasively against mine.
Reese pulled away and buried his head between my shoulder and neck, releasing a strained breath. “You’re killing me, Dez.”
I rested my hand on the back of his neck and weaved my fingers through his hair. “Well, that’s not the reaction I was going for.”
He palmed the ground on either side of my head and pushed up. “Come on,” he said, grabbing my hand and bringing me with him. “We should get back. We’ve pressed our luck this week.”