ite refreshing. The sharp chill did wonders to clear his head, washing aw

! Pleas

wn the vaulted hallway. Kieran paused and si

ard him. The boy was a picture of tragic beauty-cheeks perfectly flushed, si

ning his broad, muscular frame like a rabid guar

handsome face still mottled red with lingering humil

sleeve to hold him back. He looked up at Kiera

e hall. He took a hesitant step forward, looking like a kicked puppy. "Kieran, I know you're devastated about the annulment with the Gu

long the corridor. Cadets stuck their heads out, their expr

red loudly from a nearby doorway. "He gets shoved down a flight

ry. He actually felt a

fortless shift in his posture made Cristofer instinctivel

ieran smiled, a bright, entirely relaxed expression that so

lashed out. His index finger lightly flick

inching violently as

the dead-silent hall. "Maintenance painted the eastern stairwell this morning. Military-grad

place. "And you, Cris, have a massive, glowing green

ltered as he instinctively glanced do

rrected airily, snapping his fing

isting his body and frantically slapping at the perfectly clean fabric of

silent. The whispers ev

t a soft, del

d, his eyes dancing with dark

ands still awkwardly c

basic tactical logic. The realization hi

you claimed, you would have fallen backward into empty air. You wouldn't have scraped your back against the wall. The only reason

is head. "Honestly, your

sickening, world-shattering realization. He looked from Kieran's mocking smile down to Cristofe

r stammered, his angelic voice cracking un

e pathetic excuse to finish. H

face. "Consider this my official resignation. I think I'll go team up with the bottom-ti

, humming a tuneless melody, leaving

with pure, unadulterated malice. The useless, desperate puppet he had manipulated fo

ted public address system chimed with a harsh, piercin

announced cheerfully. "Field expedition squad assignments h