Lena’s heart clenched. “Were you scared, Hania?”
The girl nodded, the movement so small Lena barely perceived it. Her hair, clean now, hung in a dark shining curtain around her face. It gave away the movement Lena might have missed otherwise.
“I’m sorry I frightened you, Hania. I’m better now.” She received the barest flutter of a smile. She decided then she would wipe the men who’d hurt these girls from the face of the planet. Nothing would stop her.
She looked back to Alex. As usual, he seemed to read her mind.
“When you’re ready, we should go. They’re hungry, but they wouldn’t leave you. And Thomas is waiting to talk to you.”
She lifted her brows in one motion with her raising head.
He shrugged. “There’re some things we need to discuss with our new partner.”
She took another big breath. “I’m ready when she is,” she said, nodding toward Rose.
Everyone looked at Rose, who stopped pacing and looked back, making an attempt at her usual tough, controlled persona.
“I’m fine. Better than fine. I feel great.”
“Wonderful,” Lena told her. “Want some more?”
“No.” Alex and Marin chorused together.
Rose laughed, the sound a little manic.
Lena looked at Marin and Phoebe. “She will be okay, right?”
“Yes.” Marin answered.
“We don’t know.” Phoebe said. The two looked at each other and then shrugged at her. “If we had to guess, probably yes,” Phoebe allowed. “But we’ve never seen anyone share anything that….” She shook her head.
“Big?” Lena suggested.
“Dangerous.” Alex supplied.
Phoebe pointed at him.
“I’m pretty sure you were literally about to—” He made an exploding motion with his hands. The sight of it keyed something in Lena’s mind, something she should remember. Trying to catch the elusive memory made her head throb, though, so she let it go.
Marissa, taking a cue from Phoebe, pointed at Alex in confirmation.
“We’ll work in more control exercises, for your Spark and your temper.”
“With Wils?” she asked, then she smirked. The Guardian she’d humiliated taught control to the incoming and primary year students.
He chuckled. “We’ll think of something.”
“If you’re really okay,” Lena checked with Rose. “We should go.”
Rose clapped her hands.
Lena winced and tried to swallow the heave. She gingerly got to her feet and followed them out of the room. Alex was making arrangements with Jackson to take the girls to the cafeteria. With a worried look for Lena, Jackson led them away.
She shook her head. “You’ve got to stop using him as a babysitter.”
Alex smiled. “No worries on that front. He has his new orders. It’s safe to say he’s happy with them.”
“Oh. Something more than training me in reconnaissance techniques, I take it?” It wasn’t quite a pang inside. Perhaps regret for what might have been? She swallowed and pushed it away. She didn’t want Jackson. She was an assignment to him. He’d made it clear.
Alex shrugged and nodded. “Sorry.”
He didn’t sound sorry. He sounded pleased. The king of the sexy smirk and the intense, sidelong gazes when he thought she wasn’t looking sounded pleased. Perhaps they needed to revisit their agreement not to talk about that kiss?
“C’mon,” he said. “Thomas is waiting.”
They moved through the halls, and Alex adjusted his usual brisk pace to her pained walk. Lena noted the halls were unusually empty and said so.
“Yeah, well, you made an impression. Wards are tucked away in class. Guardians are teaching…or behind closed doors plotting.”
“Plotting?” She winced. “So you think I alienated them enough to betray you to the Council?”
He moved his shoulders and looked at her, his lips quirked up. “That’s always been a possibility, from the very beginning. We watch. We listen. We keep close tabs on entrances and exits.” He laughed. “We’ve always been of the opinion that any coup will come after we’ve rid them of the Council. We’ll see if our opinion changes any over the next few weeks.”
“I’m sorry if I’ve screwed it all up.”
“You haven’t screwed anything up, Lena.” He paused in the hallway outside Thomas’s office. A slow smile spread across his face. “You have made things measurably more interesting. I’ve definitely been enjoying myself.”
She managed a low laugh. “It’s been an adventure, hasn’t it? I’d say we’ve had our moments. You conduct a hell of a reconnaissance training, Agent Reyes.”
“I could say the same for your private lessons.”
It seemed his own words had taken him by surprise. He turned his head to his shoulder for a moment, then turned back to her with a broad, unrepentant smile.
“I thought we weren’t going to talk about that?”