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Wary gazes dart to me, but they seem smart enough to understand what is upsetting me. And it is not them.

Nix sighs. “I also think they will try to do the same thing with Volik.”

Phones are still out, students are recording. But Nix is acting like she does not see them. Keeping the appearance that this is her just answering a question to a class of students.

But I know her.

I know my Nix.

This is a calculation.

A message to them.

She keeps her head high. “And I think if they do that, they will find that nothing has changed.”

The girl, still standing in the aisle, lifts her hand even as she asks, “What do you mean by nothing has changed?”

“Whether or not I am physically dangerous. Whether or not Volik has gained size and strength. Nothing has changed about the status quo. The agreement between Alts and the world governments remains. If they pretend we are anything else… If our, or any other, government tries to take us. Test on us. Lock us up. That agreement will be broken.”

There are no murmurs this time.

No whispers.

Just silence.

Because these students understand what she’s really saying.

If anyone comes for us, we will destroy them.

With the cameras still on Nix, and me still standing behind her, I smile.

Chapter 66

Nix

I’m stepping out of Volik’s front door when he lands ten feet ahead of me with the final box in his hands.

He narrows his eyes. “I told you I would carry them in.”

“And I told you I would help.” I hold my arms out like I’m going to take the box from his hands.

He snaps his teeth at me.

I snort, then follow him into the house.

He pauses, turning back to face me when he finds the entryway empty. “You brought them all the way to the bedroom?”

I shove at his side to get him going. “Da.”

He heaves out an annoyed breath, then continues down the winding hall.

When he gave me the tour this morning, I made sure to pay close attention. And I was pleasantly surprised with myself when I found my way through on the first try while he was busy jumping back and forth between here and my apartment.

I have no doubt he could physically lift the weight of everything I own at once, but jumping at high speed, even with that weird gravity bubble thing to lessen the wind, my heavily used cardboard boxes would fall apart if not held securely in both hands.

“It says kitchen on the side of the box. Is that correct?”

“Da,” I say in a low voice just to be a pest.