Raelia (The Medoran Chronicles Book 2) (38 page)

All Alex could tell was that she was surrounded by trees, but her attention was diverted when Jordan stepped through, followed by the others.

“Where are we this time?” Pipsqueak asked tiredly.

“It looks like we’re back in another forest,” Blink said. No one could say his observation skills were lacking.

“I’m cold,” Skyla complained. “And hungry. And tired. And—”

“Skyla, you’re not going to feel any better whining about it,” Tom said.

“But it’s
true
,” she said petulantly. “I didn’t get to eat anything at the party because Alex and I were too busy rescuing the rest of you from the dungeon. You’re welcome, by the way.”

“We already thanked you,” Pipsqueak muttered. “About a million times.”

“It doesn’t hurt to show a little appreciation for the risks we took,” Skyla huffed.

“We haven’t had a chance to thank Alex yet, and she’s the one who took most of the risks,” Pipsqueak pointed out.

Alex groaned at Pip’s words, knowing Skyla wouldn’t be impressed.

She was right.

“What’s
that
supposed to mean, Philippa?” Skyla demanded.

“Nothing, Skyla,” Alex jumped in. “Pip didn’t mean anything. She knows how amazing you were tonight. We couldn’t have made it out of there without you. But we’re all tired, so maybe instead of talking, we should search for our next set of instructions?”

“Fine,” Skyla relented. “Whatever.”

Everyone else looked at Alex with gratitude, but she was too drained to so much as offer a smile in return.

“Let’s see what we can find,” Jordan said. “Alex, stay there and point the light for us, will you?”

“Subtle, Jordan,” she said with a snort. But she didn’t argue, since she was too relieved he’d given her an excuse not to move. She gratefully slumped down onto a fallen tree and pointed the light around as directed.

“Over here!” Declan called.

They all hustled over to where he stood beside another arrow.

“What is it?” Tom asked.

“It’s another map, I think,” Declan said. “Alex, turn the light a little.”

She did as he asked and Declan held the paper up so they could all see it.

They stared at the map for a few moments before Alex whispered, “Please tell me that means what I think it means?”

“I think it means exactly what you think it means,” Jordan said with a grin. “I think we’re finished!”

“There’s only one way to find out,” Tom said with renewed excitement. He pointed at the arrow. “Who wants to try first?”

“Me! Pick me!” Skyla squealed.

No one argued, and she reached out for the arrow, disappearing in a swirl of colour.

“High maintenance, that one,” Blink muttered, looking at the place where Skyla had just been standing. “Off the charts.”

Again, no one argued, and one by one, the rest of the group travelled through the Bubbledoor until only Declan and Alex remained.

“After you,” she offered. “Then I’ll come through with the light.”

“No way,” he said, and he gently took the vial from her hands. “You first.”

Alex didn’t see the point in arguing, so she stepped up to the arrow. Before she could touch it, Declan called out to her.

“I’m not sure what happened earlier tonight,” he told her seriously, “but Kaiden’s my best mate, and you saved his life. You saved us all, in fact. I gave him my word that I’d keep my mouth shut about everything that happened, and now I’m giving it to you, too. Your secrets, whatever they are, they’re safe with me.”

Alex was so tired that she couldn’t suppress her overwhelming gratitude, so she reached out and wrapped her arms around Declan’s firm torso, grateful to have a friend like him on her side.

“Thanks for coming back for Jordan and me,” she said into his chest.

He gave her an affectionate squeeze and replied, “You know me—I love a good fight.”

She let him go and smiled up at him, knowing the absolute truth of his words.

“Maybe next time your feet won’t be stuck to the ground and you’ll be able to jump in and lend a hand,” she said light-heartedly. “What’s the point in having all those muscles if you can’t use them?”

“You were doing just fine on your own,” he said. “But next time I’ll make sure to bring popcorn for the show.”

She swatted him on the arm and he laughed at her pathetic attempt at violence.

“I don’t want to have to carry you through, so get going before you collapse,” he said, giving her a gentle nudge forward.

She resisted the urge to poke her tongue out at him as she reached for the arrow. Once she landed, she had to blink her eyes until they adjusted to the painfully bright light.

“Here’s my favourite patient,” came a familiar voice.

Alex glanced around and almost cried with relief when she realised she’d been transported directly to the Medical Ward.

“Look at you, Alex,” Fletcher tsked, narrowing his eyes at someone over her shoulder. “Hunter, you have a lot to answer for.”

Alex spun around and, sure enough, there stood her teacher, leaning casually against the wall. All around the room her classmates where climbing onto beds, waiting for Fletcher to check the status of their health.

“This is convenient,” Declan said, arriving through the Bubbledoor. “But Hunter, teacher or not, we’re going to have words about the nightmare you put us through this weekend.”

“It’s interesting that out of everyone in this room, Alex is the only one who hasn’t threatened me,” Hunter said with dry amusement.

“I’m too tired to threaten you,” Alex said, and then she remembered something. “But I
am
supposed to pass on a
message from Warden Jeera to let you know that she’ll be in contact about your ‘teaching methods’.”

“I can’t wait,” Hunter said. Rather than sounding sarcastic, he almost seemed excited by the prospect.

“Did you say Warden Jeera?” Declan asked, and his eyes flickered over to Kaiden who was listening closely as well. “As in, Warden Jeera from the palace in Tryllin?”

“Uh-huh,” Alex confirmed around a yawn. “She helped me escape from the military compound after I pretended to be the royal princess. I only wish I’d stayed with her and skipped the fan-flipping-tastic night we’ve all just experienced.”

The only person in the room not gaping at her was Hunter, whose dark eyes glittered with humour.

“
What?
”

Alex wasn’t sure who’d spoken, but she knew the exclamation came from more than one person. She’d forgotten that she hadn’t told them how she’d managed to get in and out of the Soori Outpost.
Oops.

“It’s a long story,” she mumbled. “And it doesn’t matter anyway since we’re all here now, safe and sound.”

She swayed as she said the words and Fletcher caught her by the elbow.

“You’re about to collapse on your feet,” he said, guiding her to a bed.

“It’s just these horrible shoes,” Alex told him, scowling down at her heels as he forced her onto the mattress. She was amazed that she’d made it through the night without breaking an ankle, and she had absolutely no idea how she’d managed to fight Aven while wearing them. “Next time, Hunter, you need to pick more appropriate footwear.”

“I’ll see what I can do,” he said, his voice rumbling with amusement.

“It’s not
just
the shoes, Alex,” Fletcher said with exasperation. “You look like you’ve been through a cheese grater.”

“It’s just a few little cuts, Fletcher. I’ll live.”

“I’ll be the judge of that,” the doctor said in his no-nonsense voice.

“Look after the others first,” Alex begged. “You know they won’t take as long as me. Please, Fletcher, we’re all tired. Don’t make them wait for me.”

Fletcher looked like he wanted to argue, but at her pleading expression, he sighed and relented. “Only if you promise not to move a muscle until I’m done. Agreed?”

“I’m not going anywhere.”

He nodded and moved away to begin checking on her classmates while Alex shifted into a more comfortable position and waited for his return. She was almost asleep when she heard the curtains being drawn around her bed and Hunter’s voice prompted her to sit up again.

“I have to admit, Alex, I’m amazed by your performance this weekend.”

“What are you talking about?” she asked. “You weren’t even there for any of it.”

Hunter’s disbelief was clear. “Do you really think I’d send eight students into the wild without having a way to keep an eye on them? Just because you couldn’t see me doesn’t mean I wasn’t following you.”

“You were watching us?” Alex said, incredulous. “Why didn’t you help when we needed it?”

“When did you need it?”

She gaped at him. “Are you kidding? Where do I start? Maybe when Pip almost fell off the mountain? Or what about when there was a
mind reader
at the military compound?” She lowered her voice so it wouldn’t carry to the others when she hissed out, “A mind reader who just happens to be an ‘associate’
of a homicidal Meyarin? Kaiden and Jordan were almost captured at the outpost because of him! And then me—I can’t even begin to explain what it was like having to deceive General Drock and Major Tyson. And that’s nothing,
nothing
, to how it felt being at Sir Oswald’s party when everyone else was imprisoned because your ID tags were counterfeit. Great job with those, by the way.”

She broke off, trying to rein in her words, but couldn’t resist adding in her still lowered voice, “Am I right in thinking you somehow knew Aven would be there and you sent us along anyway? I’m guessing you didn’t tell Darrius—he never would have agreed to that! Did you know Sir Oswald’s little party would turn into a Villains ‘R’ Us sorority group meeting? Because that’s what happened. And we barely escaped with our lives. Where were you
then
, Hunter?”

Throughout her rant he continued to look at her calmly, and that annoyed her more than anything else.

“Well?” she demanded.

“First off, if Philippa
had
fallen, don’t you think her backpack would have opened her parachute, just like everyone’s did when you all fell down into the river?” Hunter asked.

Alex realised he was right. But she hadn’t known that at the time.

“What about the rest?” she pressed, unwilling to concede his point.

“Signa’s presence was an unanticipated challenge,” Hunter admitted. “He was meant to be away from the outpost for the weekend, but his trip was cancelled last-minute. Kaiden and Jordan both have gifts that helped them to evade capture, and the same goes for you. Your creative use of subterfuge tactics made your act all the more believable. If there had been any real problems, I would have stepped in personally, but I also had a man on the inside who would have helped get you out of
there if I couldn’t. Coincidentally, he was also the same man who helped you get
in
there.”

Alex had to think about that before the answer came to her. “Major Tyson?”

“He’s a close friend who was willing to assist me in your training exercise,” Hunter confirmed. “He admitted to being impressed with your ability to remain calm under pressure. That’s high praise from someone of his ranking.”

“Why didn’t Signa pick up on his thoughts?” she asked, confused. “Or yours, if you were as close as you claim?”

“Upper-level military officers—and Wardens—have to undergo extensive training to protect their minds from intrusion,” Hunter said. “Signa couldn’t read Tyson’s thoughts because he wasn’t able to break through his mental barriers. As for me, I’ve undergone similar training to the same effect.”

Alex grudgingly accepted his explanation. Not for the first time, she was relieved that her gift allowed her to skip the ‘extensive training’ and simply reap the benefits of ultra-mind-protection.

“What about Sir Oswald’s party?” she asked. “What’s your excuse for the way that panned out? And did Darrius know about it beforehand?”

Hunter shook his head. “No, he did not. But leave that conversation to me.”

Alex almost wished she could be a fly on the wall for that discussion, since she was certain Darrius wasn’t going to be pleased that he’d invested so much effort in keeping Alex safe from Aven only to learn that one of his teachers actively sent her out to meet him, and unprepared at that. In fact, she wondered how the headmaster was able to justify allowing
any
of his students to go off on dangerous SAS trips away from the academy. But then again, if Hunter was supposedly trailing them wherever they went, it was likely Darrius trusted that
the SAS teacher would keep them safe. Either that, or Hunter worked with the ‘better to ask forgiveness than seek permission’ attitude when it came to his classes. Alex had a feeling the latter was more likely.

“Tonight was the real test of your weekend,” Hunter went on to explain. “But remember, I warned you that would be the case.”

Alex thought back to the note addressed to her. “You told me it would be dangerous—more so for me than the others. Does that mean I’m right about you knowing that group was meeting tonight?”

“A while ago, Headmaster Marselle asked me to keep an eye on any unusual developments amongst the elite social circles,” Hunter said. “When Sir Oswald’s dinner party was first announced, I thought it might be a good idea to have an informant on the inside, just in case there
was
something underhanded going on. As a performer, Samson had the perfect cover. But when he went to audition for the role of entertainer, another mind reader happened to be visiting Sir Oswald at the same time, and Samson’s true intentions were discovered.”