J U M P E R

C H A P T E R | N I N E

The next day as they were walking through the trees Kieran asked Tammy and Kat more about the recruitment exam.

"Do you have to pass all three stages?" She asked.

"Well, ideally yes. But the third stage doesn't matter as much," Tammy replied.

"What do you mean?"

"The third stage is recruit versus recruit. It's the twins' chance to evaluate everyone at the same time and change their minds about someone."

"So, what's happening today then?" Kieran asked.

"They'll spar as wolves. Although I think they're sparring with Alexander for this stage, the twins will still be judging," Tammy said.

"Why?" Both Kat and Kieran asked.

"Because, the twins are direct descendants of the Two Brothers. As wolves they have an unfair advantage. Alexander is more suited to this stage than they are."

"They have an unfair advantage anyway," Kat muttered.

ΑΩ

They got back from their shift just as the morning session of the exam was ending. There would be a three-hour break for lunch and rest before the second session would start. The girls stopped by the medical tent first while looking for John, Teddy, Oli and Dezzy.

Kieran let out a silent breath of relief when none of them were there. They checked Alexander's house next, but they weren't there either.

"Check the lake." They jumped at the sound of Lana's voice behind them.

They nodded a silent thank you and Kieran let Kat lead the way. She'd never been to the lake; she hadn't even known there was one.

"It's more of a large pond really. We just call it the lake," Kat said when she'd asked.

They walked toward the south-west and entered another patch of forest. As they walked further in Kieran began to recognize parts of it, she just couldn't remember where from. They entered a clearing, and almost immediately Kieran picked up on loud voices nearby. Kat led them down a sloped narrow path and Kieran remembered. They were heading down the path she'd seen in Kat's First Changing photograph.

Sunlight glared off the surface of the water, momentarily blinding Kieran as they emerged onto the small beach.  She blinked away the dark spots clouding her vision and put her hand up to block the light.

The four boys were lounging in the shallows with their faces tilted toward the sun. Kieran looked each of them over from where she stood. They were all bruised, though Dezzy seemed to have gotten the worst of it. Teddy had a scratch by his ear and Oli had teeth marks in his right arm.

"How did it go?" Kat asked loudly.

"We passed," John replied distractedly.

The girls looked at each other, not really knowing what to say. Instead, Kat kicked off her boots and rolled up her pants, wading into the water a little before lifting herself onto a rock. Kieran, seeing as she was human and would freeze if she followed her friend, resorted to sitting on a log. The group sat and talked for a while, mostly about the first two stages of the recruitment exam.

"I know the twins don't really know what pulling your punches means but damn. Yesterday was kind of uncalled for," Dezzy commented.

"What else do you expect from cruel and heartless monsters who have no regard for other people's pain," Kat spat.

Everyone looked at her in various states of shock.

"Let's hope that they weren't close enough to hear that," Kieran muttered.