Page 8 of Obsession

I bit back the urge to remind him that I was also part of the project. Since I’d been working so closely with the Taori, it had only been natural that he’d included me in the design of the simulation. Kann did know that, didn’t he?

"Why didn't you invite him tonight?" Fiona asked, gesturing at our gathering with her glass. "The Taori should join our card nights, especially since he’s now an instructor.”

Jess gave me a pointed look I did my best to ignore, as I became very interested in arranging my cards. I could feel Kann's gaze on me but refused to look up. Instead, I tookanother sip of my drink, regretting that I hadn’t cut the whiskey with something. Not that any of the Drexians would have let me use a mixer with their precious Noovian whiskey without making a stink.

“Was it a surprise to anyone else that he’s suddenly teaching engineering classes?” Fiona asked.

My cheeks warmed and my head swam as I thought of my own shock and downed the rest of my drink in an effort to banish the memory and the embarrassment of the moment.

“It’s not like you instructors tell cadets anything,” Morgan said smoothly, rescuing me. "I fold, by the way. I don’t know what Britta has, but I know what I have. These cards are garbage."

We went another round of raising, and I shook my head. “I’m out.”

“I knew it,” Morgan whispered, winking at me.

Volten accused Ariana of counting cards, even though he was clearly provoking her for fun, while Vyk and Fiona engaged in their usual competitive banter that would have sounded like deadly challenges to anyone who didn’t know them.

Fiona slid a few inches away from him. “You're going down, Commander.”

He growled and eyed her like there was no one else in the room. "Not this time, Captain."

One by one, players dropped out until only Vyk and Fiona remained. Their competitive streak hadn't diminished since becoming a couple—if anything, it had intensified. I could only imagine how they burned off their aggression once they left the table and returned to their quarters.

"I should get some sleep.” Jess stood and tugged Torq up with her. "Early class tomorrow."

Morgan stretched and yawned, tossing her pale hair over her shoulder. "Same here."

I gathered my courage to stand, the room swaying slightly. Maybe that last glass of whiskey hadn't been the best idea.

The table emptied quickly, leaving Fiona and Vyk to square off like they ended up doing at the end of every card night. No one knew what happened after we all left, but I hoped for the sake of all the staff who used the dining room that they had the decency not to throw down on the tables. But I was not going to stick around and find out.

I followed the rest of the group from the room, pausing for a beat to put a hand to the wall and steady myself.

“Need an arm?” Kann had appeared at my side and held out his crooked arm.

I was too dizzy to turn down his offer, so I grabbed the inside of his elbow. “Thanks. That Noovian stuff is brutal.”

He kept his pace slow as we walked down the stone staircase. “I’m surprised you didn’t dilute it.”

I swung my head to him. “I thought that would be blasphemy.”

“It would be—for a Drexian.” He rested his hand on top of mine. “But you aren’t Drexian, and you haven’t built up a tolerance over years.”

“That’s your strategy, isn’t it?”

“What?”

“To get the humans drunk on your souped-up booze so we can’t win.”

A laugh burst from him. “I do not know what it is to be ’souped-up’ but I promise that we have no strategy. Besides, I am not the one winning.”

“I still think there’s something fishy going on,” I mumbled.

“Is it bad to be fishy?”

I tried to keep a straight face while I scowled at him. “Very bad.”

The main hall was quiet now, our footsteps echoing off the stone. The others had pulled ahead, their voices fading as they ducked into various stairwells and entered long hallways.

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