“I’m keeping your secret, as promised, but I want something in exchange.”

Sagan was feeling bold. Hence, her demands on an Icarean warrior in her dreams.

Korac had pulled his hair back in a high ponytail tonight, exposing more of his delicate bone structure and making it slightly easier to read his expressions. Right now, he was smirking. And oh, boy. Sagan’s heart couldn’t take it.

“Be careful of what you ask. You may get more than you bargained for.”

Yeah…

Yeah.

That was not a deterrent. Sagan shook herself before she could drool on her pajamas. A little nervous to pry, she wet her lips and asked, “Can you tell me what it’s like on your homeworld?” More than anything, she’d wanted to ask Xelan about Cinder, but talking about his planet always seemed to make him mournful.

Korac’s eyebrows raised at her question. He was wearing a white button up tonight with a waistcoat left undone to sway with his movements. Because he’d rolled his sleeves up again and his pinstripe slacks sported some dirt and wrinkles, it looked like the end of a long day of hard work.

Yet here Korac was, training Sagan in his free time. Gratitude left her warm enough to smile nonstop. It seemed catching as he smiled or smirked more tonight than in the last week.

“I’ll tell you, but I want fifty push-ups while I do it.”

Eager to comply, Sagan hopped down and began counting. She was pretty proud of her progress so far, as push-ups came easier with every night.

Korac paced around, hands clasped behind his back as he obliged her. “Our sun burns around us and never stops. At first glance, it’s maddening. How could we not perish under such fire? But Elden protects us from certain death.”

There was that name again.

Elden.

Sagan’s arms shook halfway through her count, but she kept pushing.

And Korac kept talking. “The world is scorched. Forests of charred trees can’t replenish their foliage without clean water. Even the oceans churn ashen black foam onto cliffs of volcanic rock. But near the conduit to Earth, the air is cleaner. It smells of sediment and rain. It rains less on Cinder than in Earth’s driest desert.”

Against the rug, Sagan murmured, “It sounds beautiful.” She hit the fifty count and curled on the floor to gaze up at him. “Awesome and tragic.”

Korac sat in front of the fire with her, one knee up and his wrist resting on it. His expression was unreadable as they sat together. When he’d said nothing, Sagan feared she’d offended him. Then Korac startled her when he suddenly reached for the desk nearby. Out of a drawer, he retrieved a sketchbook and a pencil.

As Korac sketched, Sagan leaned closer to peer at the page. And he let her. Within a few seconds, she made out a cliff face under a harsh sky, streaked with glaring light. Their red giant of a sun. A blocky castle or fortress dwarfed a ruined temple set across a thoroughfare from it. Beyond those structures was a shimmering portal.

Finished, Korac set the sketchbook on their laps between them and pointed. “This is Li Mountain. It’s the highest peak on the planet. There, you see, that’s Nox’s Castle.”

“What’s this?” Sagan pointed at the shimmering energy.

He said, “It’s the conduit to Earth.”

Nox’s Castle sat at the entrance to their planet. Was the King of Cinder so dedicated to taking Earth that he’d build his castle near the entrance? It gave Sagan a chill, and she shivered.

Korac reached for the blazer on the back of his desk chair and slipped it around her bare shoulders. Sagan ought to sleep in workout clothes rather than skimpy tops, but dressing this way for bed had gotten her in his jacket. His crisp winter scent emanated from it, surrounding her.

“Can I keep it?”

Korac looked confused at first.

Sagan giggled. “Not the jacket. The sketch. It’s amazing.”

He smirked again, saying, “Finally. Someone who appreciates my artistic talents. You can’t take it with you, but I’ll make sure you get it.”

A little thrill went through Sagan.

Korac stood and held out his hand to her. “On your feet. We still have drills to run.”

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Sagan took it, and he lifted her easily. For a heartbeat, they stood close, staring into each other’s eyes. Her pulse fluttered, and, almost as if he’d sensed it, Korac took a step back.

Like a General, he ordered, “Back to work, soldier.”

Sagan almost pouted.

Three hours later, her alarm clock woke her before Sagan could land the cartwheel kick she’d tried to execute all week. And the bad luck kept coming as she ripped her favorite jeans at the knee. There was only one remedy for this. Sagan took some scissors and cut the jeans into shorts. Using a lighter, she burned the fringe off and…

Sagan glanced around the kitchen to make sure her parents were gone for the day. Then she pressed the scorching hot lighter to her skin, letting the metal sear her arm. She sucked air in through her clenched teeth, as endorphins flooded her synapses with all kinds of ‘should not be doing this.’

Whatever.

There were worse things for a teenager to get into, and at least this gave Sagan some relief from the near miss in her dreams.

The dose of serotonin and dopamine got Sagan through the bus ride to school before arriving in the cafeteria where the others waited for the bell to ring. Kyle was snuggled up with Nikki, the two likely discussing their date tonight at homecoming. Sagan liked that Tameka wasn’t the least bit bothered, and despite her obvious crush on Xelan, she’d gotten a date for the dance tonight, too. When Rayne’s eyes met Sagan’s across the cafeteria, more endorphins flooded through her.

The two girls were attending together in secret.

A date with Rayne.

Talk about thrills.

Although, Sagan couldn’t ignore the cloud over Rayne’s head this last week. She’d seemed more tired than usual, and Sagan was pretty sure the other girl skipped an essay in history. Which was totally unlike her.

When Sagan joined Tameka and Rayne’s conversation, the latter brushed Sagan’s fingers and put her at ease. Everything was fine because they were together. Aside from that, the morning looked uneventful as they made their way down North Hall to their lockers. It was a journey accompanied by the soundtrack of Mrs. Mendax’s constant encouragement to move faster. Their short principal wasn’t standing correctly in those heels, and Sagan bet her feet hurt by the end of every day. Poor lady.

Sagan opened her locker prepared to hide a ten-centimeter pocket knife within the wooden cubby, per Xelan’s recommendation, but she paused.

Nestled inside with her textbooks and binders was a sketchbook.

No fucking way.

Suddenly breathless, Sagan opened it in the shelter of her locker enough to glimpse the sketch from her dream. Other sketches beckoned her curiosity, but this wasn’t the place. She quickly hugged it and her morning textbooks close to her heart. Tameka and Rayne rummaged through their own lockers down the hall from her, unaware of Sagan’s secret.

Should she feel guilty or ashamed? She felt bad for keeping her dreams from Rayne, but…

Some part of Sagan enjoyed the secrecy and wanted Korac all to herself. Their dreams were professional training and innocent fun. Harmless, really.

Really.

That evening, Sagan and Rayne held hands under a table while Tameka and Kyle danced with their dates on the gym floor. The homecoming committee had transformed the space into a magical wonderland of leafless trees, glowing white with fairy lights. They’d strung them from the rafters and basketball goals. Glittery flakes of silver and navy blue—the school colors—snowed down from above.

Even while Sagan caressed the back of Rayne’s hand with her thumb, the scenery made her think of Korac. She felt bad for hiding the sketchbook and keeping a secret from Xelan and Rayne.

The aforementioned hotty wore workout pants and a tank to the dance, saying, “I couldn’t see the point in buying a dress to only wear it once, and we never know when the invasion will happen. So…” Rayne shrugged by way of explanation.

Meanwhile, Sagan felt overdressed and a little superfluous in her backless black dress. She’d even curled her short hair, hoping Rayne would notice—

The blue-eyed girl reached over and tugged on a curl. “Have I told you how much I love the blond bob?” Rayne beamed.

It warmed Sagan to her toes, infecting her with a huge grin. “Thanks. Did you braid your own hair like that?”

For all that Rayne didn’t dress up, her long black hair was tied in an intricate knot of braids. She snickered while saying, “No way. Mom insisted I look somewhat nice for the dance.” Then she looked conspiratorially left and right before leaning to whisper in Sagan’s ear. “Do you wanna get out of here?”

Sagan’s heart skipped a beat. She swallowed before nodding emphatically. More than anything, she wanted to be alone with Rayne.

Her best friend, hopefully girlfriend, nodded toward the nearest exit. There were no chaperons guarding it, and the girls slipped out, heading for the football field.

“C’mon.”

Rayne’s mischievous smile beckoned as she pulled Sagan under the stands. Among the metal framework, the girls found a pillar outside of the streaks of moonlight. Here, there were no parents. No mysterious Icari. Just Rayne’s ethereal glow and dazzling eyes.

Butterflies fluttered in Sagan’s stomach, and her lips went dry. What if she wasn’t a good kisser?

Rayne said, “You’re shaking,” as she pulled Sagan to her.

“I’m nervous.”

Her best friend whispered, “Close your eyes.”

Sagan did and took a steadying breath. This close, Rayne smelled sweet like a flower Sagan couldn’t quite place. The softness of Rayne’s lips surprised Sagan. Their kiss was warm and exploring. Sagan could spend hours doing this—

A rustling broke them apart. The girls fell into fighting stances automatically, scanning the perimeter.

Wow. They were only one week into badass training, and already they could take on the world together. Sagan smirked and found a similar expression on Rayne’s face.

“What are you two doing out here?”

Oh, shit. Mrs. Mendax.

Sagan’s face burned as she ducked her eyes and stared at the ground. Good and caught.

At least Rayne seemed prepared. “Sagan lost her cell phone during the game. We found it.”

Thinking quickly, Sagan held up her Nokia, saying, “See?”

The principal looked unconvinced, but also too exhausted to press it. “Get back inside, girls. You should be more careful.”

Sagan almost sighed in relief. When Mrs. Mendax turned her back on them, Sagan shot Rayne a thumbs up, but the girl looked transfixed by Sagan. She quickly pecked a kiss on Sagan’s cheek and ran ahead, snickering to herself.

It made Sagan grin until…

From behind the pillar, Justin emerged with an awful smirk on his face. Self-satisfied and toxic, that’s how he looked as he blew a silent kiss at Sagan. She felt the blood drain from her body. That scumbag quarterback was the last person who should know the girls’ secret.

Justin knew it, too. His eyes were hungry with the knowledge, devouring Sagan in whatever sick fantasies he was devising.

Now more than ever, she needed Korac’s training to protect herself and to protect Rayne.