Page 47 of Under Restless Skies

I follow her sight, and see Alayel. Now he’s ridiculously good-looking and knots my insides. He’s sitting with Flavio, the recruit who brought me to the cleaning crew. As if sensing my gaze, Alayel glances up, his eyes finding mine across the room. He smiles, and a jolt runs through my chest. I hate it.

“Does Alayel usually sit with only one friend?” I ask.

Celine looks down at her apple. “He used to sit with Silvia, and also with his roommate. He disappeared.”

“What do you mean disappeared?” I ask.

“Who knows?” Celine half shrugs. “Maybe he ran away? Drank too much and got taken by the ocean?”

I think back to the moment we got to the boat, when the smugglers asked Alayel if his friend was coming. Was this the person who would have helped him steal the eggs? If he had dealings with smugglers, he could have escaped.

“Do recruits run away?” I ask.

Celine tilts her head. “Yes. Once they see what can happen to them, they might want to leave, except that they can’t. It’s why some of them try to escape to another continent. Most of them are caught, though.” She lowers her voice. “The penalty is death.”

Her words twist my full stomach, and I decide to say something to lighten up. “They should try to get expelled.”

“Some do. It doesn’t always work.” Celine’s sad, despondent tone is back in full force, and I think I understand it now.

“Did you… did you lose someone dear?” I ask.

She shakes her head quickly. “Just acquaintances. But it’s enough to…” She pauses and swallows, a flicker of fear in her eyes. “It’s enough.”

I glance at Nelly to see if she’s also scared, but she’s staring at Alayel’s table. Now a pang of stupid jealousy hits my chest. So stupid. She’s just looking.

“What is it, Nelly?” I ask gently.

“Uh? I… what?” She laughs.

“Mayara caught you drooling for the bastard prince is what happened,” Celine says.

Nelly frowns. “No. I… I was lost in thought.”

Celine rolls her eyes. “Lost in thoughts of the prince undressing you?”

I stiffen, unsure if I’m upset at Celine for the lewd suggestion or at Nelly for staring at Alayel. Could she really want him?

“No!” Nelly deepens her grimace. “Obviously not. He’s not my type. I’m wondering if the king will name him crown heir. I’m thinking about his daughter. It’s unfair.”

That makes sense, and now I’m left with a wave of shame for my stupid jealousy. I shouldn’t even feel jealous, shouldn’t feel anything for him. And yet I do, and it’s twisting my insides.

Celine snorts, then whispers, “If you knew Ledeia, you wouldn’t say that. Then again, I’m not so sure about Alayel. We’ll need to hope Princess Cassiana turns out all right and gets the crown despite the odds.”

Nelly shrugs. “Frankly, I’m just hoping I survive this.”

“That, too.” There’s no joy in Celine’s tone. “So, where are you going after this?”

“The outer grounds,” Nelly says. “Physical training, I think. You?”

“Advanced Riders History.” Celine turns to me. “You?”

My timetable is empty, and I don’t want to say that, or say cleaning. “I’ll need to check.”

“Careful not to be late,” Celine warns.

I nod. “Let me guess. I can be expelled or sent to prison.”

She tilts her head. “Or sent to the cleaning crew. In your case, I’m not sure how it would work.”