Page 27 of Obsession

“You’re right that there are more NPCs,” I said. “Luckily, not all are as stern as Master Zolonskev.”

“Is there any reason why you wanted to make him so scary?”

I lifted one shoulder to my ear. “Accuracy. I thought the challenge should be…”

“Challenging?”

“Exactly.” I grinned at her. “The rendering is incredible, by the way. You even made it feel as cold and drafty as the old academy would have felt back when it was heated by fires and didn’t have coverings over windows.”

"I wish I hadn’t.” She pushed back her hood. “Why are Drexian holoprograms always ice battles and barren landscapes? Never once a nice, tropical beach…”

"The space stations have holoprograms that are less hostile,” I said. "For the tribute brides’ fantasy suites.”

"Well, I wish I was in a fantasy suite now.” She paused and wrinkled her nose. "I take that back. I'd never be a tribute bride.”

"Against being mated to a Drexian?" I asked, trying to keep my tone neutral. "Or marriage in general?"

"I don't like the idea of being paired with someone I don’t pick. I have no problem with Drexians—or any aliens.”

"Right," I said, unable to resist the subtle reminder. “You would not have asked me to teach you how to flirt with the Taori if you were opposed to aliens.”

She scraped a hand through her hair. “That was a mistake."

I didn’t trust myself to speak. Was the mistake asking me for help or wanting to flirt with Zav? Not that either had gone particularly well.

Before I could ask what she meant, voices drifted to us from farther down the corridor. Voices that were coming closer.

Britta pulled up her hood to cover her hair, as I glanced to see where we could run. The hallway dead ended in the exit we stood in front of, and the only doors leading to rooms in the academy were too far away for us to reach before we were discovered. We only had one option, as much as I despised it.

“Come on.” Britta had clearly come to the same conclusion I had and had decided not to waste any more time. She grabbed my hand and pulled me with her as she pushed open the heavy wooden door.

Without another moment’s hesitation, I followed her from the academy and into a dense forest. The cold instantly enveloped me, the bitter air biting my skin. I hoped more than ever that we would be rescued before we had to learn just how realistic a holo simulation could be when the safety controls were disabled.

Chapter

Seventeen

Britta

Ashudder wracked my body as a blast of frigid wind whipped though my cloak like I was wearing nothing.

As the door slammed behind us with a resounding thud, Kann took the lead and hurried us from the building and deeper into the dense forest surrounding it. The scent of pine sap mixed with salty sea air from the distant coast, making it hard for even me to believe that all this was fake. The simulation was incredibly detailed, if I did say so myself, with even the prickly needles on the bushy shrubs snagging my cloak as we passed, while leaves and fallen tree needles crunched under our feet as we walked.

I cast my gaze behind me for a last look at the looming, black walls of the academy. In its ancient version, it looked even more like a fortress than a school.

Turning toward Kann, I pulled back on his arm. “Where are we going?”

He hitched in a breath, and when he exhaled, a cloud puffed around his face before evaporating. I marveled at the detail that Zav must have included, even forgetting for a moment what I’d asked Kann.

“I’m putting some distance between us and the Academy Master.”

I scowled at this. “Shouldn’t we stay close to where we entered the simulation?”

The Drexian cocked his head at me. “It doesn’t matter where we are. When they disable the program, the holochamber will be the same size as always and the door will be right there.”

I knew that, but there was an irrational part of me that wanted to stick close to what was familiar. It was also getting harder to convince myself that my surroundings were merely a simulation created by light and energy.

“Shouldn’t we find a place to wait it out safely?” I swung my head to take in the forest. “Without freezing to death?”

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