“I know,” Nazirah says. “I ran into Ani and she told me.”
“If you’re going to keep missing classes,” Cato jokes, “you could warn me so I can come up with some better cover stories. The one yesterday was not good.”
“Was I sick?”
“No, but your goldfish was.”
“Seriously?”
“Yep.”
“You couldn’t think of anything better than that?”
“You know I don’t like being put on the spot!”
“Well,” Nazirah says, “luckily for you, Niko had a talk with me about that yesterday. You were right. I have to start going to class more, or else he is seriously going to maim me in my sleep.”
Cato whistles. “He was really scoring major points with you last night, wasn’t he?”
“You have no idea.”
“If you’re planning on showing up to class more,” Cato says, “you should know that we have a Territory History paper due Monday morning. History and culture of Zima … ten pages.”
Of course they do.
“Great,” she groans. “You know, I never thought we would get homework during recruit training. I get the combat class, but essays, really? It’s like we’re still in school.”
Nazirah gives Cato a crooked smile. He hesitates for a moment and then gently strokes her hair. Nazirah tenses, but lets him do it. Before this whole mess happened, they had slowly been growing closer. Growing into something that was almost, but not quite, more than friends.
Nazirah has never been especially interested in especially anyone. She knows Cato has feelings for her, but he is like her brother – closer than her brother. And, after her parents died, Nazirah has no desire to be with anyone at all. She has iced her heart, made it numb to the world and everyone in it, so that nothing could damage her again. If things were different, then maybe they could have been something. But the way she is now, Nazirah knows she would only wind up hurting Cato. It is yet another reason why she hates Adamek Morgen. Yet another thing he has stolen from her.
“I should probably go work on it, then,” she says.
Cato pulls his hand away, watching as Nazirah sits up, plants her feet on the floor, and rises from the bed. “Irri,” Cato begins, but Nazirah doesn’t want to hear what he has to say. She is being selfish, she knows, but she can’t handle anything else today.
“Thanks for the tip about the bear.” She lightly kisses his cheek. It’s not what he wants, but it’s what she can give.
“Sure,” Cato says. “Don’t be stranger.” He flashes Nazirah a smile so bright and warm it makes her frozen heart melt for him … just a little.
Chapter Five
Monday morning dawns too quickly, leaving Nazirah sleepy and restless. After exiting Cato’s room Saturday night, she passed out on her bed for the next sixteen hours, waking up midafternoon Sunday. She spent the rest of the day, and half the night, in the library at headquarters working on that damn history essay. It isn’t her best work by far, but it’s done and semilegible – and took her mind off Adamek Morgen.
Nazirah groggily checks the time and realizes she has slept through most of breakfast. If she doesn’t hurry up, she will be late for class. She drags her tired body out of bed, showers, and brushes her teeth. She dresses in a pair of black jeans and a shirt she finds in a pile on her bedroom floor, only slightly wrinkled.
So much for getting a fresh start.
Still half asleep, she towel dries her hair. Grabbing her bag, she stuffs her essay in.
Nazirah rushes downstairs to the mess hall, trying to score some breakfast in the five minutes before class. Frustrated as she is with Nikolaus, Nazirah did promise to try. And she always keeps her promises.
As she enters the mess hall, a group of rebels spot her and begin whispering amongst themselves. Nazirah chuckles as she walks over to the fruit basket, thinking they must really not be used to seeing her in the morning. Nazirah picks up a mealy looking apple, inspecting it for a moment before realizing that the room has become eerily quiet. Completely silent, in fact.
Apple in hand, Nazirah turns around, looking at the tables suspiciously. No one is meeting her eye and no one is speaking. All around, people clear their throats and cough awkwardly.
What is going on? Could the rebels know where she went this weekend? Did Nikolaus make some sort of grand announcement while she was in the library yesterday? Nazirah bites thoughtfully into her apple, readjusting the strap on her bag as she exits the room.
At first, Nazirah thinks she’s just being neurotic. But as she walks to class, she quickly notices people stopping their conversations to stare at her. She’s seriously unnerved now, as a nagging suspicion worms its way out from the back of her mind.
Throwing her half-eaten breakfast into the nearest waste bin, Nazirah storms to the end of the corridor. She quickly changes her destination, turning right instead of left into Bairs’s classroom. She walks faster, weaving through the crowd. The halls become less packed, but the stares increase. And the whispers follow her every panicked footstep.
“Do you think she knows?”
“Poor girl. She’s already been through so much.”
“Serves her right, coming here without an ounce of appreciation.”
Nazirah tunes them out. She barges into Niko’s office, slamming the door shut behind her. Nikolaus is there as usual, with an unusual silver briefcase lying on his desk. The office is otherwise empty, save for one other person. Nikolaus jumps at the sound, startled, but the other man doesn’t move an inch. He is free of handcuffs this time.
“Nazirah, what are you doing here?”
Nikolaus looks borderline ashamed. Adamek, clean-shaven and cocky, watches silently, giving her the same curious look as in the prison. The purple bruises on his face have faded slightly and his split lip is almost healed.
“What am I doing here?” Nazirah yells furiously, storming up to Niko. “What am I doing here? Well, let’s see.” She laughs bitterly. “I’m here right now, stuck in this scummy compound that I hate, because both of my parents were slaughtered like pigs, in my own home. And you, my ever-protective big brother, told me that I couldn’t stay there, that it wasn’t safe for me there. So that’s what I’m doing here. And I’m here, in your office, to tell you that you’ve lost your fucking mind! What am I doing here? What is he doing here?” Nazirah stabs her finger at Adamek, standing a foot from its accusing tip.
“Nazirah,” Nikolaus says sternly, anger flushing his tired face, “I don’t have time for this right now. I told you already, this is part of our agreement. It’s easier if he stays here.”
“He’s staying here?” she screeches, beside herself.
Nikolaus never told her this was part of the deal! Nazirah assumed that Adamek would buy a private island and hide away until the war was over and he could safely return to Mediah. She can’t be around him for more than a few seconds without wanting to throw up, and now they have to live under the same roof?
Nikolaus looks between her and Adamek cautiously, clearly worried that one of them, maybe both, will snap. “Do not question me,” he says. “I am your brother, and I am your Commander. I am sick of your selfishness.” He walks past her to the door, holding it open and scowling at the nosy rebels listening outside.
But Nazirah isn’t done yet. “How could you let him stay here?” she hisses, glaring at Adamek. She is addressing him now, spitting slander. “This disgusting, racist snake who is contaminating me with his presence?” Her eyes blaze. “This … murderer!”
Adamek stares hard at Nazirah before sharing a brief look with Niko. Adamek nods, walking towards the open door. He stops in front of Nazirah, who is suddenly aware of how tall he is. She hadn’t noticed in the prison because he was sitting the entire time, but he is only a few inches shorter than Nikolaus. Nazirah refuses to feel small and weak next to him, and holds her head high. Adamek bends down. He whispers something in Nazirah’s ear and then straightens and strolls out of the room.