Alliance

Chapter Seven

Only a few pieces of information I read were repeated. Most of the information was new. In the three hours I spent reading in the library, I went through two books. I was working on the third and most of the notebook was filled with notes.

What dragged me out of reading was the sound of my stomach growling. "I'm going," I snapped, slamming the book shut when it growled again.

The librarian was unhappy to be woken up the second time as I dropped the books on his desk. He woke with a start and snarled at me. But he took my books anyway to keep aside until I returned.

Walking outside, my mind was on a one track lane. All I thought about was eating food and going back to the library. I never noticed the people down the sidewalk, or that they followed me into the alley, a shortcut to the mess hall. My ears did not pick up their hurried steps.

A hand grabbed at my throat from behind. Before I could react, my body was smashed into the wall before I was spun around. "Alliance cadet, how'd you do it?"

The world spun. I could barely make out the person that held me but I knew the voice.

Alec.

All this week he didn't speak to me. Not even laid eyes on me or I assumed he didn't. I never saw him. I lived in my own bubble, but that didn't mean he did see me.

"Answer me!" He shook me roughly by the shoulders. The back of my head hitting the wall behind me.

I looked up at him. My eyes finally focused. I knew what he was getting to. He wanted to know why he wasn't in Alliance. "Maybe," I said softly, "you are dumber than you thought."

An idiot. I was a damned idiot.

Alec's face twisted into a snarl. With a fluent motion, he punched my cheek, knocking me to the side, my body almost falling to the ground. Before I could gather my wits to try to run or do anything, another pair of hands grabbed me.

The hand's of my unseen captor held my wrist behind my back with an iron grip.

Without Alec in my face, I counted four other cadets who were as tall and as strong as Alec.

Alec flicked his chin toward me. A boy behind him stepped around to reach me, cracking his knuckles. The punch to my other cheek sang like first. My body slammed into the boy that held me.

"Let me repeat myself only once more." Alec said, "How did you do it?"

The boy's fist was in the air, waiting for the order. I glared at Alec and didn't have a response. I didn't know. No clue how I got placed in Alliance. I never asked for this. Never wanted to be in Alliance. Never wanted to be different. Never wanted to have this life.

The lack of response released the fist. My head snapped back at the hit. The fist collided with my eye, my cheek, and mouth. All I could feel was the painful hit, rattle of teeth, and smack of flesh on flesh.

"Stop," Alec ordered.

I was slouching in the arms of the person who held me as I tried to catch my breath. My face was stinging and sore. Eyes focusing on the cement before my feet, Alec's shoes came into view. His hand grabbed my chin painfully, forcing me to look up.

"How?" he demanded once more in a low whisper. Blue fiery eyes pinned me to the spot.

I didn't know. I hadn't asked Ben why I was accepted. I hadn't asked why I was different than everyone else. I was too busy to ask.

In response to his question, I only smiled at him. My wrists were held, but my feet were free. Putting all my strength into my leg, I kicked up right between Alec's.