Page 44 of Legend

Fiona

Ireleased a whoosh of air as I spotted the women walking toward me. “I’ve been looking for you.”

Jess glanced at Morgan. “You have? Is this about the mission to find Sasha? Has something happened?”

I immediately regretted my breathless voice and urgent tone. “No, nothing like that, but I do need your help.”

Jess flicked her fingers through the dark hair that swept across her forehead. “You can count on us. Is this Assassin business?”

I swept my gaze to include Britta, an Iron, who stood by their side with her silvery-blonde hair pulled into a high ponytail. “No. It’s not even official academybusiness.”

Morgan lifted her eyebrows. “Even more intriguing. What’s up?”

I swiveled my head to make sure the corridor was empty, but it was just as deserted as the rest of the school. Not only were there not the throngs of cadets that would normally fill the halls, but the few of us who were left were probably at the welcome banquet.

Before I could speak, Jess narrowed her eyes at me. “Is this about the envoy from Earth who arrived earlier?”

I nodded, trying to think how to word this so I didn’t undermine my authority with the women. After all, they were still cadets, and I was their instructor. In the case of Jess and Morgan, I was an instructor in their school. “The envoy sent by Earth is someone I know. We were stationed together right before I left to join the academy.”

“Small world,” Britta said.

Too small, I thought.

“So, you know him?” Jess asked.

“I do know him.”

“How well?” Morgan asked with a smile twitching the edges of her mouth.

Leave it to an Assassin to read between the lines. Of course, these women would pick up on the real issue. “Let’s just say we were very close right before I left, and I might not have given him closure.”

Britta’s eyes widened. “You ghosted him?”

I shifted from one foot to the other, starting to regret sharing this with anyone. “I don’t think it can be called ghosting if I’m on the other side of the galaxy. I left and he stayed. There was never going to be anything more.”

Jess cocked her head at me. “Did he know that?”

“Maybe not.” I let out a half sigh, half groan. “I feel awful about it, but I never thought I’d see him again. No time soon, at least.”

“And you never imagined that he would be the one sent to evaluate the human integration into the academy,” Morgan said, her hint of a smile fading.

“Not even a little bit.” I gave them a tentative smile. “This is where you all come in.”

Jess linked her arm through mine and started walking me in the direction of the banquet hall. “So, what’s the plan?”

I hadn’t come up with a specific plan, but the cadet was right. We needed a plan. “I’m afraid that the captain might have come here hoping to start things up again.”

Morgan hooked her arm through mine on the other side as we walked four astride. “And you do not want that?”

I thought about Devon and our night together. It had been fun—hot, even—but I was sure that was because I’d been leaving the next day. The fact that he was my colleague, and I wouldn’t be seeing him again, had combined to make a potent cocktail of forbidden and last-chance love. It had been great, but I did not want to go back for seconds. “Not even a little bit.”

Britta leaned forward to catch my eye. “Has he told you he wants to start things up again?”

“Not in so many words,” I admitted. “But I get the feeling that he does and he’s waiting for a moment to get me alone.”

“Then our job is to make sure he never gets you alone,” Jess said, squeezing my arm closer to hers. “We run interference.”

Morgan snapped her fingers with her free hand. “With the three of us, we can keep the guy distracted while he’s here.”

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