Page 50 of Legend

“Do not worry,” Torq added. “I will not tell anyone why I am suddenly interested in keeping the Earth envoy entertained. It will stay between us.”

I put my hands to both sides of his face and pulled his head down so I could whisper in his ear. “I would say thank you, but I think I’d rather show you my appreciation—in your quarters.”

He let out a low rumbling sound. “Then why are we still standing here?”

Chapter

Thirty-Nine

Vyk

“It is me,” I husked as Fiona squirmed in my grasp, attempting to elbow me in the side.

She stilled, and I released my hand over her mouth as soon as I was sure she would not scream. Then she whirled around, her eyes flashing murder. “What’s with the grabbing? Why does everyone in thisgrekkingschool grab people from behind?”

I enjoyed hearing her use a Drexian curse, but I could not smile. “This academy was forged from violence and secrecy. It still holds that legacy in its walls.”

She glared at me. “It’s been a while since battles were fought here. I think we can dispense with the hands over the mouth.”

“I thought you might make a scene if I startled you.”

She put her waist and jutted out one hip. “How about not startling me?”

I huffed out a breath. This was not going the way I’d intended. “My apologies, but I wished to speak with you.”

“I’m surprised.” She jerked her head toward the open doors of the banquet hall. “I would have thought you were all talked out.”

I frowned at this. So, she had noticed that I had talked with Captain Gorman for most of the dinner. “It was a welcome banquet. I was being welcoming.”

Her eyes became slits. “What’s up with that? You’ve never been welcoming before. Not when I arrived at the academy with the others from Earth. Not when the new class of cadets joined the school. Not when other Drexian warriors have visited. But you went from not trusting Devon to chatting with him like he’s your best friend. What gives?”

“What gives?” I repeated her question, not certain what that exact phrase meant, even though I knew what she wanted to know. I should have expected someone as clever as Fiona, an Assassin instructor, to detect deception.

“You don’t like Devon. I know that because you told me, and you put him through the gauntlet to torment him.” She held up a hand to quell any protests. “Don’t deny it. But you changed your tune by the time this banquet rolled around. I want to know why.”

I did not want to lie to her. She might despise me, but I could not stomach the thought of piling lies onto lies with her. If I did, it would be impossible to untangle myself. It would beimpossible to move forward. I decided to go with the truth, but not all of it.

“Admiral Zoran expects me to treat our visitor with respect, and he wishes the captain’s report to Earth to reflect positively on the human exchange.”

She rocked back on the heels of her boots. “Are you telling me that you’re cozying up to Devon so you can make sure the humans stay at the academy?”

“That is what I am saying.”

She laughed, the sound bouncing off the high ceiling. “Well, that’s quite the about-face, isn’t it? You went from trying to get rid of the humans to kissing ass to keep us here?”

I blinked at her a few times as I tried to digest her words. “I might have shown the captain hospitality, but I promise that I did not kiss any part of him.”

She grinned widely, and I wondered why she was suddenly enjoying our conversation. “It’s an Earth expression, but trust me, sweetie, you were.”

The term of endearment was surprising, but from her tone I did not believe that she meant it. Humans were so confusing, and their language and expressions made no sense.

Fiona stepped closer to me, and I instinctively took a step back toward the shadows hugging the walls. “Do you want to know what I think?” She did not wait for me to answer. “I think you are keeping your enemies close.”

I chose not to respond, since any denial would be a lie.

“It’s not a bad strategy,” she continued. “It might be what I would do if there was someone I didn’t trust. Keeping yourfriends close and your enemies closer is smart, especially if you’re the kind who doesn’t trust easily.”

Again, the accusation that I did not trust.

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