Page 92 of The Incendiary

The same cold, unnervingly real hands had returned to my nightmares. The morning after, I was about to go to the shower hall to check my neck for bruises when Valda burst into the cabin. Her irritated stare scanned the room before locking on me.

“Fera!” Her sharp yell nearly made me drop my hairbrush.

“Yes, Captain?”

The steady thump of her boots on the wooden floor demanded attention and submission. I rushed to meet her in the middle of the room without a single clue what this was about, but I didn’t want to risk Mavic and Mina hearing.

Her dark eyes bore into me. “Pack your things.”

“What?” I croaked. My breakfast swirled in my gut. This was it. They were kicking me out. I’d failed, and I’d have to reveal myself, no matter how stubbornly determined I was to finish Commencement. “Why?”

“You have new living quarters.”

I glanced back at Mina and Mavic by their bunk. She was demanding that I leave my only friends here.

“I don’t understand,” I replied.

“The number of complaints we’ve received about you is overwhelming.” Her stare turned reproachful. “Your nightmares are keeping every single one of your bunkmates awake. I don’t know what hell you’ve endured, nor do I really care, but we can’t have you disturbing an entire cabin of cadets every night.”

Yesterday, Elias had gone from angry to provoking, to kissing me, to what felt like genuine concern. Did he actually care? “Does the commander⁠—”

“This was his idea. I’m only relaying the order.” Valda crossed her arms over her chest while something warm and slightly tolerable bloomed in mine.

No, I told myself. No tolerance for that asshole. He kissed you without your consent.

Valda sighed. “With that said, we can’t also be offering special treatment to random new cadets by giving them single rooms, so pick two or three others who you trust can tolerate sharing with you, have them gather their belongings, and come outside. Lieutenant Yarrow will escort you to your new quarters. You have ten minutes.”

She turned and was gone.

I stared blankly at a knot in the wooden floor, refusing to look around the room. Because I could feel every pair of condescending, judgmental eyes locked on me like they always were.

Regardless, if Mavic and Mina agreed to it, having a room to ourselves sounded like reprieve.

Mavic leaned against the bedpost of the twins’ bunk, furrowing his brow in concern when I approached.

Mina looked up from her book. “What was that about?”

“They’re moving me to new sleeping quarters.”

“Why?” Mavic took a bite of his apple. “Your nightmares?”

“Mav!” Mina reprimanded him.

Shit. How long had it been going on? If my sleep talking annoyed the twins, I didn’t stand a chance with anyone else.

Mavic shrugged. “Mina and Marin both whine in their sleep all the time. Doesn’t bother me, but I know some people don’t know how to suck it up.” He winked at his twin. “They must not have sisters.”

“They want me to pick at least two others to come with me,” I said before I could stop myself. “Whoever can tolerate me.”

The twins shared a curious glance. Something unspoken passed between them. I wondered if they could speak internally like Shera and I could, or if their silent knowing was a result of once being in the same womb for so long.

“Valda said I have ten minutes,” I hurried out anxiously.

Relief consumed me when they leapt to their feet and shoved their belongings into bags. Most of the cadets hadn’t brought much to the Barracks, so it didn’t take them long.

Mavic threw their bags over his shoulder. “Let’s go see our new room.”

But I stood frozen. They were choosing the company of an outcast. They had already put themselves in danger helping me in the first test. Could I really let them do this?