Chapter 219

When Jackson and I arrive at my room we find the door already open and Rafe and Jesse lounging casually in the living are. Rafe’s eyes immediately snap to us. “So?” he demands, raising an eyebrow. “What the hell was that all about?”

“Oh, just mom,” I say with a happy sigh, stepping into the room. “Telling me that I’m her favorite and assuring Jackson that he’s her new Meatball.”

Rafe narrows his eyes at me as Jesse laughs. “Such an obvious lie,” Rafe sighs, shaking his head. “Mom would never even joke about that. I’m her eternal favorite.”

“Get in line, lil Prince,” Jackson says, pulling me tight against his side. “I’m #1 son now.”

Jesse laughs again as Jackson turns his head to look down at me, speaking softly. “I’m going to run to my room, unpack. I’ll be back in a little bit?”

“Okay,” I say, standing on my toes and giving him a little kiss. “Um,” I glance at my brother and my cousin. “Do you mind if I tell them what really happened?”

He considers for a second. “No, that’s fine,” Jackson says, straightening up and taking a step towards the hall. “Just…the two of them, though? Is that all right?”

“Of course,” I say, beaming at him. Jackson nods to me, grabs his backpack from its spot by the door, and waves as he starts down the hall.

“You got him trained up good, Ariel,” Jesse says as I grab my own backpack and walk over to my beloved little Nook, tossing it onto the bed. “That wave was very nearly a goodbye that our favorite foundling gave us.”

“Yes, he’s coming along beautifully,” I say with a happy sigh as I start quickly to unpack the very few things I was able to bring from the Palace.

“So?” Rafe says, unwilling to be deterred by small talk and jokes. “What happened?”

With a glance towards the door to ensure that we’re alone, I very quickly fill Rafe and Jesse in.

“Damn,” Jesse says as I finish unpacking and move to my regular spot on the couch. “I mean, I knew Jackson’s story was dark but I didn’t think he was a spy.”

“He’s not,” I snap, glaring at him. “So don’t even joke about it.”

Jesse raises his hands, silently promising he won’t, while Rafe takes a deep and contemplative breath. “Things are getting serious,” Rafe says, shaking his head slowly back and forth. “Atalaxia declaring war from our south and east, now the Community in the north working with them…I think big things are coming for us.”

My heart sinks even if he’s only confirming what I already knew. “What do you think it means for us, though?” I ask quietly, my hands clasped together in my lap.

“I think that if things get serious enough that dad and Uncle Roger won’t hesitate to call up the Cadets,” Rafe says, looking between Jesse and I. Jesse is unusually serious, simply nodding softly as he considers it.

“Wait, really?” I breathe, leaning forward towards my brother. “Do you – do you seriously think that we could see war? Like soon?”

“He won’t send us out green,” Rafe says, moving his eyes to me. “But if we can make a difference? Dad won’t hesitate – and he shouldn’t.”

“A lot of the warriors in our class are ready for it,” Jesse says softly. “Your Jacks among them. Me and Rafe too – Luca, if he works a little harder at the strategy and actual theory behind it. Physically, he’s ready. Mentally,” Jesse shrugs, like he’s not sure he’s willing to count Luca in yet.

“I’m not ready,” I say softly, looking down at my hands, shaking my head.

“Your program is different, Ari,” Rafe says, his voice gentle. “And you haven’t been training as long as the rest of us. Neumann will get you where you need to be – the Captain too.”

I nod, agreeing, trusting my professors who so clearly trust me. “I’ll work as hard as I can.”

“We know you will, Ari,” Jesse says, his voice warm and cheerful again. I raise my eyes to see him smiling kindly at me, indulgent. “If there’s a prize for hard work and dedication, you win it. And we all see that.”

A little warmth thrums through me at my cousin’s clear praise. “Thanks,” I say, smiling at him. Rafe nods at me too, confirming that he too thinks what Jesse has said is right.

A little knock comes at the open door and I turn, gasping with delight when I see Ben leaning against the door jamb, smiling fondly at all of us. “Well, you Sinclairs are a sight for sore eyes.”

“Benny!” I shout, laughing and launching myself off the couch and towards him. Ben laughs as he catches me in his arms, giving me a warm hug.

“Hey, Clark,” he says, smiling fondly down at me as I hug him back and then tug him into the room.

“Did the train get in already?” Rafe asks, sounding surprised.

“First one,” Ben says, nodding. “The one that came from the city this morning – I was able to get on that, though I didn’t see Daphne anywhere. There will be another later tonight for people coming longer distances.”

“Was Luca on your train?” I ask, eager, as we sit down on the couch together.

“I sure was,” Luca says from the doorway, and I gasp again, leaping to my feet and running this time over to him. Luca laughs as he catches me, spinning in a circle, holding me tight and murmuring his hellos into my hair.

Things are quite cheerful after that as our little group falls into our old routines, chatting happily and joking around. As Ben falls into a serious conversation with Rafe and Jesse about the roles of ambassadors in the upcoming conflict with Atalaxia, Luca tugs on my sleeve and nods over towards the nook, asking me for a minute.

I send an anxious glance towards the door and Luca immediately knows why.

“Just five minutes, Ariel,” he murmurs, leaning close to me on the couch and drawing a hand down the length of my arm. “To make sure we’re good before term starts?”

I bite my lip though, looking back at him. “I promised Jacks,” I whisper, and I don’t miss that Luca fights quite hard against a scowl at the mention of his name. “That I wouldn’t do any displays of affection with you when he’s around. And the same goes for him too – when we’re all in a group like this, I think it’s best to keep things pretty…platonic.”

“Well, he’s not here,” Luca says, apparently accepting the terms and giving me a little shrug. “And I just want to talk for a minute – just the two of us.”

I hesitate again but then nod. “Okay,” I whisper, taking his hand and pulling him over to the nook. We settle on the bed and I have to admit that I’m pleased when Luca makes no move to close the little velvet curtain. “What’s up?” I ask, reaching out to take his hands as we sit across from each other. “I thought we left things…pretty okay.”

“We did,” Luca says, nodding seriously to me, and I can’t help smiling a little as I stare into his pretty brown eyes, again take in his handsome face. “I just…wanted to ask how your holiday went.”

I grin and give him the short story version which leaves out a lot of the best parts, which involve my deepening connection to Jacks. “What about you?” I ask, genuinely wanting to know.

“It was good,” he says, dropping his eyes and giving a little shrug. “I missed you but…it was good.”

“Luca,” I murmur, reaching out and cupping his cheek in my hand, making him look up at me. “What’s wrong? You’re so…subdued.”

“I’m still mortified, Ari,” he murmurs, holding my gaze. “At…how I acted the morning after the fight. I’m so fucking ashamed of myself.”

I groan, pitching myself forward so that I lean against him, hating that he feels that way. “I thought we were beyond that, Luca,” I murmur, my arm slipping around his back.

“You might be,” he murmurs, raising a hand to stroke over my head, down my neck, down my back. “I just…the self-loathing is a bit real. I am coming to realize that I have grown to be a very arrogant man with very little reason for arrogance.”

My lips twist with regret as I study my mate, hating that he feels this way about himself. Luca just heaves a sigh, tracing his fingers across the soft green blanket that my brother gave me.