She let him go and smiled up at him, knowing the absolute truth of his words.
“Maybe next time your feet won’t be stuck to the ground and you’ll be able to jump in and lend a hand,” she said light-heartedly. “What’s the point in having all those muscles if you can’t use them?”
“You were doing just fine on your own,” he said. “But next time I’ll make sure to bring popcorn for the show.”
She swatted him on the arm and he laughed at her pathetic attempt at violence.
“I don’t want to have to carry you through, so get going before you collapse,” he said, giving her a gentle nudge forward.
She resisted the urge to poke her tongue out at him as she reached for the arrow. Once she landed, she had to blink her eyes until they adjusted to the painfully bright light.
“Here’s my favourite patient,” came a familiar voice.
Alex glanced around and almost cried with relief when she realised she’d been transported directly to the Medical Ward.
“Look at you, Alex,” Fletcher tsked, narrowing his eyes at someone over her shoulder. “Hunter, you have a lot to answer for.”
Alex spun around and, sure enough, there stood her teacher, leaning casually against the wall. All around the room her classmates where climbing onto beds, waiting for Fletcher to check the status of their health.
“This is convenient,” Declan said, arriving through the Bubbledoor. “But Hunter, teacher or not, we’re going to have words about the nightmare you put us through this weekend.”
“It’s interesting that out of everyone in this room, Alex is the only one who hasn’t threatened me,” Hunter said with dry amusement.
“I’m too tired to threaten you,” Alex said, and then she remembered something. “But I am supposed to pass on a message from Warden Jeera to let you know that she’ll be in contact about your ‘teaching methods’.”
“I can’t wait,” Hunter said. Rather than sounding sarcastic, he almost seemed excited by the prospect.
“Did you say Warden Jeera?” Declan asked, and his eyes flickered over to Kaiden who was listening closely as well. “As in, Warden Jeera from the palace in Tryllin?”
“Uh-huh,” Alex confirmed around a yawn. “She helped me escape from the military compound after I pretended to be the royal princess. I only wish I’d stayed with her and skipped the fan-flipping-tastic night we’ve all just experienced.”
The only person in the room not gaping at her was Hunter, whose dark eyes glittered with humour.
“What?”
Alex wasn’t sure who’d spoken, but she knew the exclamation came from more than one person. She’d forgotten that she hadn’t told them how she’d managed to get in and out of the Soori Outpost. Oops.
“It’s a long story,” she mumbled. “And it doesn’t matter anyway since we’re all here now, safe and sound.”
She swayed as she said the words and Fletcher caught her by the elbow.
“You’re about to collapse on your feet,” he said, guiding her to a bed.
“It’s just these horrible shoes,” Alex told him, scowling down at her heels as he forced her onto the mattress. She was amazed that she’d made it through the night without breaking an ankle, and she had absolutely no idea how she’d managed to fight Aven while wearing them. “Next time, Hunter, you need to pick more appropriate footwear.”
“I’ll see what I can do,” he said, his voice rumbling with amusement.
“It’s not just the shoes, Alex,” Fletcher said with exasperation. “You look like you’ve been through a cheese grater.”
“It’s just a few little cuts, Fletcher. I’ll live.”
“I’ll be the judge of that,” the doctor said in his no-nonsense voice.
“Look after the others first,” Alex begged. “You know they won’t take as long as me. Please, Fletcher, we’re all tired. Don’t make them wait for me.”
Fletcher looked like he wanted to argue, but at her pleading expression, he sighed and relented. “Only if you promise not to move a muscle until I’m done. Agreed?”
“I’m not going anywhere.”
He nodded and moved away to begin checking on her classmates while Alex shifted into a more comfortable position and waited for his return. She was almost asleep when she heard the curtains being drawn around her bed and Hunter’s voice prompted her to sit up again.
“I have to admit, Alex, I’m amazed by your performance this weekend.”
“What are you talking about?” she asked. “You weren’t even there for any of it.”
Hunter’s disbelief was clear. “Do you really think I’d send eight students into the wild without having a way to keep an eye on them? Just because you couldn’t see me doesn’t mean I wasn’t following you.”
“You were watching us?” Alex said, incredulous. “Why didn’t you help when we needed it?”
“When did you need it?”
She gaped at him. “Are you kidding? Where do I start? Maybe when Pip almost fell off the mountain? Or what about when there was a mind reader at the military compound?” She lowered her voice so it wouldn’t carry to the others when she hissed out, “A mind reader who just happens to be an ‘associate’ of a homicidal Meyarin? Kaiden and Jordan were almost captured at the outpost because of him! And then me—I can’t even begin to explain what it was like having to deceive General Drock and Major Tyson. And that’s nothing, nothing, to how it felt being at Sir Oswald’s party when everyone else was imprisoned because your ID tags were counterfeit. Great job with those, by the way.”
She broke off, trying to rein in her words, but couldn’t resist adding in her still lowered voice, “Am I right in thinking you somehow knew Aven would be there and you sent us along anyway? I’m guessing you didn’t tell Darrius—he never would have agreed to that! Did you know Sir Oswald’s little party would turn into a Villains ‘R’ Us sorority group meeting? Because that’s what happened. And we barely escaped with our lives. Where were you then, Hunter?”
Throughout her rant he continued to look at her calmly, and that annoyed her more than anything else.
“Well?” she demanded.
“First off, if Philippa had fallen, don’t you think her backpack would have opened her parachute, just like everyone’s did when you all fell down into the river?” Hunter asked.
Alex realised he was right. But she hadn’t known that at the time.
“What about the rest?” she pressed, unwilling to concede his point.
“Signa’s presence was an unanticipated challenge,” Hunter admitted. “He was meant to be away from the outpost for the weekend, but his trip was cancelled last-minute. Kaiden and Jordan both have gifts that helped them to evade capture, and the same goes for you. Your creative use of subterfuge tactics made your act all the more believable. If there had been any real problems, I would have stepped in personally, but I also had a man on the inside who would have helped get you out of there if I couldn’t. Coincidentally, he was also the same man who helped you get in there.”