Page 40 of Kingdom of Tomorrow
“You’re making this weird,” I grumbled, shucking off my open chain and rising from bed.
“That’s my specialty.”
Hopefully, Shiloh was in a better mood today. I hadn’t seen him after warm-up, when he’d seemed so upset.
I trudged to the locker room while Mykal skipped, pausing here and there to beckon me onward. “Hurry up, Ardie! We can’t be late, or we’ll get bumped from the train. No Bala City. No date. Did I tell you I’m meeting my boyfriend?”
Looked like the nickname was sticking.
Maybe it was the exhaustion. Or the stress of being at the academy. Either way, I didn’t understand half of what she said. “Bala City?” I’d never even heard of it.
“A playland for soldiers. I’ve been once with Roman and his family.”
A myriad of other questions bubbled to the surface, but I was too drained to engage in conversation. I zipped through a shower, then riffled through my locker and the few clothes I’d brought from home. Disappointment set in. I should’ve added a pretty dress to my travel bag. Just one! Even a pair of cute jeans. Because I’d packed so sparingly, my best option for the most anticipated date of my life was a blue tank top with matching running shorts. Basically a replica of the pink set I’d worn on day one, eliciting scorn from the HP.
“—second-in-command.”
My ears twitched, catching Lark’s voice.
“He doesn’t get a day off,” she told Juniper, who entered the locker room with her. “He’s attending a meeting with all our instructors.”
Poor Roman. Attending such meetings equaled torture. But also fortunate Roman. He had the greatest chance of becoming top lord. Not that I’d given up. I’d just shifted my focus. Improve first, then go for gold.
“Come on, come on.” A bouncing Mykal dragged me through the building. She wore a frilly red dress, and she looked beautiful. “Have you ever been underground?”
“Never. And I never will.” The infected most often broke in the dark, and those with full-blown Madness loved to congregate in underground tunnels.
“Okay, so, that’s not true. Or it won’t be true in roughly three seconds.” She led me through a set of double doors and to the ledge of a staircase leading down. Far down. Into a pool of darkness.
Foreboding skittered over my spine. Nope. Not happening. I dug in my heels, then endeavored to retreat.
She grasped both my wrists to stop me. “It’s perfectly safe, I promise. Armed guards are posted all around. I’ve made the trip multiple times to fetch stuff for His Majesty. Besides, if you refuse, you gotta stay here. No date.”
Fine. Deep breath in, out. I refused to give in to fear, missing a day of fun I craved with every ounce of my being. “I-I’ll do it. Because I’m brave,” I said, forcing my feet to shuffle forward. One, two, three. “I mean it. I’m brave,” I repeated, quickening my pace.
“So, so brave,” Mykal praised, matching my stride.
Down we went, a musty odor saturating too-warm air. At the bottom was a platform illuminated with pritis light and overflowing with soldiers both in and out of uniform. Different conversations mingled together, echoing from rocky walls. Not bad. But how was I supposed to find Shiloh?
“What is this place?” I asked.
“A way station. Bala City is just outside the base. The trains go back and forth throughout the day.”
Brakes squealed, a grate against my ears as a series of massive metal carts stopped beyond the platform. I came to a halt when the crowd parted before one cart in particular, revealing the opening of its doors. The HP stood alone in the center of the compartment. The sight of him sent my nerves into hyperdrive. Did he commute to work?
Mykal pulled me toward his section. “Let’s take his place!”
As he strode forward, he noticed us. Easy to do, considering we were the only people willing to approach him. Oh, did he look good, his sharp edges softened. He still hadn’t shaved; a thick shadow covered his stalwart jaw. A black shirt hugged his broad shoulders and strong chest while fatigues displayed muscular thighs. His smolder momentarily erased my ability to think.
A monotone voice announced, “Departing to Bala City in five minutes,” and a throng rushed over, eager to board. I lost sight of him. Good, that was good.
“Oh! I spotted my guy. Bye!” Mykal darted off, disappearing in the crowd.
I took off too. Strangely enough, the crowd parted for me. No. Wrong. Not for me but the high prince. We stopped in front of each other, people giving us a wide berth.
“Too bad you’re on leave,” he said, humor glinting in his eyes. “I’m impatient to continue combating your fear of everything.”
I couldn’t stifle my groan. Or a jolt of surprise. He might be teasing me. “What do you have planned for us?”
