back together made things feel almost right again. But I also had ulterior motives. I knew how Jace’s mind worked. Finding out the truth about me had to have increased his hatred for the Narcos. And with the Councils pushing the union between races, I knew it was only a matter of time before Jace snapped and tried to launch a rebellion. I needed Lana to keep an eye on him. I couldn’t focus on my training if I was constantly worried about him getting himself in trouble—or worse—killed. I told Lana to act as if she were upset with me, that way Jace wouldn’t keep anything from her. I only prayed he’d keep it together until Reese and I figured something out.
The day before my test, Reese and I sat on the bank near the river, passing currents between us. I held my glowing blue hands up before me, palms toward Reese, as he sent a stream of Charge to me.
“Can you feel the level of the current?” he asked, maintaining the current’s strength.
I smiled, taking in his serious expression and hard eyes. “Yes.” I felt a ripple of current along my skin. “And at this low level, I think I’m having a difficult time focusing on anything.”
His eyes shot open, a half-grin sneaking across his face. “Are you trying to sidetrack me? Do you know what I do to misbehaving students?” He broke the current, pulling me toward him then to the ground. “Okay, I think you got it down.” He buried his face in my neck.
I giggled. “Do you think I can really pass the test? I feel like I control Charge pretty well.”
I felt him nod. “Yup, and with that neat little trinket, you don’t have anything to worry about.”
My crystal pressed into my thigh as Reese lay on top of me. It was small enough that I could easily conceal it under my clothes during the test. Reese felt I didn’t even need it, but it was my security blanket. I was nervous about going in front of the Councils, and even if I didn’t need it, I felt comforted by its presence.
Reese pushed up and stared into my eyes. “You’re going to be fine.”
I locked my arms around his neck, drawing him to me. We’d been training so intensely that we hadn’t had much free time for anything else. I loved the feel of his weight bearing down on me, his body molding to mine—connecting us in an intimate way. His skin heated, sending waves of warmth over me as I pulled him closer.
I knew Reese wanted to wait—to make it special—but I couldn’t picture a more special moment. Every time his hand caressed, lingered, grasped, I wanted him that much more. Heat spread between my thighs, and I wrapped my legs around his hips, pressing his lower body persuasively against mine.
Reese pulled away and buried his head between my shoulder and neck, releasing a strained breath. “You’re killing me, Dez.”
I rested my hand on the back of his neck and weaved my fingers through his hair. “Well, that’s not the reaction I was going for.”
He palmed the ground on either side of my head and pushed up. “Come on,” he said, grabbing my hand and bringing me with him. “We should get back. We’ve pressed our luck this week.”
I frowned, pouting. But he was right. I was so close to the test—I didn’t want to call unwanted attention to myself. I began packing up our supplies.
Reese took the other end of the blanket I was folding, bringing it to meet mine. Then he cupped my face. “I can’t wait till this is behind us and I can focus only on you.”
My cheeks warmed. I wanted the same, although Jace lingered in the background of my mind. But there was nothing I could do about Jace’s feelings toward me. I just hoped Lana would keep him out of trouble.
Once we were back at the Academy, we slipped in through the side door, the one Mr. Liam had left open the night we’d snuck onboard the airship. I hadn’t told Mr. Liam any more about me, and he never asked. I felt he was definitely on our side, not wanting whatever the Councils had planned, but he wasn’t ready to be a player yet.
And Reese and I weren’t big players to begin with, either. We still couldn’t figure out how uniting the races would free us as guardians. Or if we, the living test subjects,