Twell and the Rebellion by Kate O'Leary Read Free Book Online

kept in the dark.
    “ATTENTION,
CADETS OF THE ARMY OF POWERS !” a familiar
voice boomed out of nowhere, slicing into the atmosphere with such
an impressive commanding power that every cadet was silenced as
jaws dropped in awe. “You will now be separated into your living
quarters where you will settle in. Following this, you will receive
your training schedule before midday meal. Females will now move
east to the Ophenra barracks, while males are to report to the West
barracks of Omahane.”
    I’d already known we’d be
separated by gender of course. Not just because we hadn’t reached
our official partnering ceremony yet, but also because they wanted
to reduce any ‘ distractions .’ Even though I’d
never actually spent a night with Jonaz, I felt like he was the
closest thing I had to a family out here, and being separated from
him gave me a feeling of anxiety I didn’t want to admit to aloud.
As if he’d read my mind, Jonaz appeared in front of me and I saw
the same feelings reciprocated in his own eyes. He reached out and
stroked my cheek, the warmth of his fingers matching the heat of
his gaze. Because it wouldn’t do to get emotional and I’d promised
myself I wouldn’t allow him to worry about me, I lifted my chin and
tossed my hair, mustering my old spirit of indifference.
    He smiled and shook his head.
“I’m sorry if I seemed a little…”
    “ Aggressive?
Overprotective? Possessive?”
    “ Untrusting,” Jonaz
replied firmly. I gazed into his troubled, dark eyes. Close up,
they were flecked with gold and framed by the darkest, longest
lashes a girl could dream for. Unfair.
    “ Don’t let him get to
you.” I shrugged.
    “It’s him getting to you
I’m concerned about.”
    “ That’s not going to
happen,” I insisted. “I have a mind of my own.”
    “ Which his powers can
manipulate,” Jonaz growled.
    “I won’t let him do that.”
I fervently hoped I was right. Jonaz grunted in response and I
frowned. It was unusual of Jonaz to be rattled by another’s
behaviour and even more so to be so aggressive. Normally he was
easy going and confident. Maybe it was the war changing him,
changing us all to a more serious version of ourselves. Or maybe it
was just that he was jealous. That I got, what with him being
partnered with Miss Glamazon-Strike-A-Pose. Like most other females
on Como, Stelli already had some sort of history with Jonaz that I
didn’t wish to know, but all the G.B. cared about was combining the
DNA of Stelli’s hypnotic powers with Jonaz’s powers to evolve our
race for the better. The combination of hypnotism with the ability
to hurt someone by touch seemed a brilliant yet deadly combination.
Someone like that would be almost unstoppable, a walking weapon. I
understood logically why they’d been matched. But logic did nothing
for my heart.
    “ I’ll find a way to see
you, I promise.” Jonaz dropped his head close to my ear, so only I
could hear. “I’ll find you at evening meal.”
    I nodded but he was already
walking away, his back straight, his movement easy and confident.
He melted into the lines of young men who were just as determined
to appear composed in their new environment.
    Taking a deep breath to collect
myself, I turned and fell into the row of female cadets. It
surprised me, the orderly way in which we moved, marching to our
destination. There was no nervous chatter, just the smack of our
boots hitting the landing as we moved forward, all lost in our own
anxiety. I stopped when I bumped into the girl in front of me,
smooshing my nose into her shoulder. She turned to scowl at me and
I realized it was Shanna. Seeing it was me she conjured up a look
that was both pitying and patronizing at the same time. For a
moment it made me feel ashamed, even though I had no clear idea
what it was I should be ashamed of. Then, finding my temper, I
glared back and stood straighter to emphasise that I was a tiny bit
taller than her.
    My reaction seemed to please
rather