The Hidden Princess At All-Boys Alpha Academy Chapter 110

I shrug a little, letting him see through my summer camp lie. He just laughs, shaking his head as we draw close to our targets.

“Bullshit, if you ask me,” the tall blonde says, sighing as he gathers his arrows off the floor and I pull mine from the target’s body. “We’re forced to embarrass ourselves on the first day just because we haven’t trained in an antiquated form of weaponry? I mean honestly, who even uses archery anymore on the battlefield?”

“I don’t know,” I say, popping my arrows into my quiver as we turn around and start back. “I see the logic in being able to handle all weapons.”

The blonde shrugs, conceding the point but clearly expressing that he’s still not happy with it. “I’m David, by the way,” he murmurs.

“And I’m Hai,” the other says, nodding to both of us.

I smile at them, but we’re all lost in our thoughts about how to improve as we make our way back to the line.

“Again,” says the Captain, nodding. We all get into our stances and raise arrows to bowstrings, ready to fire.

The Captain has us going for hours, until my arms ache from drawing my bow. As we fire round after round, he works with each of us, giving more basic pointers to the other two and working with me to refine my shot. By the end, I hit the bullseye with consistency, and I can’t keep the smile from my face.

At the end of our four-hour class, the Captain tells us to return our bows, his face blank. We do as he says as he gives us instructions for how and when to practice, letting us know that this gym will be available to us twenty-four hours a day and suggesting that we make use of it. My smile deepens at the prospect – I like marksmanship, always have. The idea of having this be my homework, when I get sick of Chemistry?

God, does that sound like a relief.

As we finish hanging our bows the Captain tells us we’re dismissed and we troop for the door, me going last as I stack my arrows neatly in the quiver, probably being more picky than I need to be.

As I turn towards the door, I’m surprised to hear the Captain’s voice call to me lightly.

“I’ve got quite literal money on you this year, Clark,” he says, leaning against the wall and giving me a little smirk. “Don’t make me regret it. I don’t like to lose.”

“Really?” I ask, turning to him with wide eyes.

“Surprised?” he asks, quirking an eyebrow.

“By the fact that you’ve bet on me, or by the fact that the professors actively gamble on the success of their students?” The words fall from my lips before I have time to consider them, but to my relief the Captain just laughs, pleased.

“Not with the other professors,” he says quietly. “With some old friends who have a stake in the Academy itself. Though I do admit,” he says, cocking his head a little, “I was surprised when your Uncle Roger didn’t take the opportunity to bet on his own nephew. Didn’t comment at all when he saw your name on the list of Marksman cadets.”

I do my very best to keep all emotion off my face as the Captain studies me, and I wonder again how much he knows.

The result is that I awkwardly stand stock still in front of him, saying nothing for far too long. The Captain just grins, shaking his head and laughing as he lifts his chin towards the door. “Get out of here, Cadet. Good work today – keep it up. Don’t embarrass me.”

I nod, eager, and head out.

Because even if the Captain knows my secret, or is starting to suspect? He’s clearly not pushing me to reveal anything.

I hurry out of the classroom and down the hall. I have an empty afternoon next, so that I can study for our Chemistry class tomorrow, and I’m on strict orders to head directly back to the rooms with no pit stops. Rafe, predictably, flipped out about the idea that I’d be walking through the castle by myself, but even Jesse had taken my side and told him he was going a bit overboard with the protective stuff.