Heart of Ice and Stone

Chapter 17

As soon as Wireless gives us the clear, we exit one by one. I wait for Sana in the hallways.

She reaches me. "You okay?" I shake my head. "Sorry, stupid question. Come on, let's get out of here." She loops her arm through mine and I follow her. Come on, let's get out of here." She loops her arm through mine and I follow her. We end up going downstairs to an old dusty room with dim lights. "Dylan showed me this room a couple months ago."

I grin at her, raising an eyebrow. "For making out?"

She blushes but grins right back. "What about you and Zander?"

"What about us?"

"So, are you official yet?"

"I don't know," I admit. "Sana?"

She turns. "Yeah?"

"Do you remember the mission I went on with Zander a few weeks ago?"

"Yeah?"

My throat closes up, suddenly as parched as paper. I take a deep breath in. "It was an elimination mission. The target was my parents' killer."

She's quiet. "You're not the one who took the shot though, are you?"

I shake my head. "He did it to protect me?"

She slams her hands down on the wooden table. "It doesn't matter. Oh my god, what if Dylan finds out?"

I frown. "What does that matter?"

"No, you don't.." Her eyes trail to my shadow and I spin, only to see two bodies colliding into each other, crashing into the room.

Dylan and Zander are trading blows on the floor, rolling around.

Sana and I each grab a boy and pull them apart.

I hold back Dylan, struggling to keep him from attacking Zander. "What the hell man?" Zander snaps.

Before Dylan responded, we heard the door close with a snap.

"Is this childish fight over?" asks the Headmistress.

"Headmistress," we say in unison.

Out of the corner of my eye, I see Zander's eyes narrow at her.

"Kirsi, the board members have requested a meeting with you."

"Can I refuse it?"

She raises an eyebrow. "No."

"Then it's not a request."

Her lips tighten. I follow through the door as she leads me to the board members.

"Have you decided yet?"

"Yes. I'm not leaving." I will not leave more kids subjected to them. "Where are the board members?"

"They're in the Guest House."

We start down the flights of stairs. "If you don't want to accept my offer, I will only help you if you accomplish a task of mine."

"What would you give us?"

"Not turning you in, for starters. Safe passage for your rebel friends. However, my staff will not be able to assist you for their own safety. I will not risk any students that are not willingly participating with full knowledge of your plans and the consequences should they fail. I can turn a blind eye to missing extra weapons."

"I don't want anyone to die." It's so awfully naive of me but I can't help it. It's either them or us.

She glances at me, her gaze softening. "That's the difference between them and us. THey won't care. Take care that you don't either."