The Hidden Princess At All-Boys Alpha Academy Chapter 180

Being fast on my feet isn’t going to help me, is it?

“Come on,” a cadet I don’t recognize says, pointing left towards the ridge I was following. “This way – we follow to the bridge.”

I nod slightly, my own plan confirmed in his.

“A fucking bridge?” another says, shaking his head, even as he turns in that direction. “It has to be a trap – if everyone’s heading for the bridge…”

“Well then we’ll have to be the first ones to get there, won’t we?” says a third, his voice a little wicked. The first two turn to stare at him, and then they all laugh together – a dark sound.

I scowl again as I figure out the import of their words, their laughter.

If they get there first, they can be the ones to set the trap.

A seemingly endless string of curses forms itself in my mind because…what the hell am I going to do? If cadets spring a trap at the bridge, using it to harm or slow others…

How the hell am I going to get across? I certainly don’t have the brawn to muscle through…

I’m itching to reach into my back pocket for my map, to reconsider my route, my plan, but I force myself to stay still and not do anything to draw attention to myself as the three cadets prepare to move forward. I’m working out my plan about how closely to follow when suddenly a fourth and a fifth cadet emerge from the woods.

I go even stiller, if possible. Because while I didn’t know the first three…these two?

I know these two.

“Peace,” Alan Wright says, raising his hands to shoulder height to show he doesn’t mean any harm, even though he’s got a sturdy staff held in his left hand. “We’ve got no trouble with you if you don’t have any with us.”

I scowl a little, displeased to see that warrior-track students like Wright have been given weapons. Like they need them, when their bodies themselves are already weapons on their own.

My eyes shift to Perry Gibson at his side, who I assume is ambassador track. He doesn’t have anything on him given to him by his professors – at least not that I can see. But what would an ambassador student even be given in a situation like this?

I put the question out of my mind, focusing instead on the response from the first three cadets.

The other three cadets look over Wright and Perry anxiously, backing away but agreeing to a truce. None of them, I see, are truly interested in attacking each other if it means they could be hurt so early in the Examination.

I exhale in relief as I see the first three cadets turn and move forward, clearly eager to get to the bridge first to either cross it or set their trap. Or both.

Perry takes the map from his back pocket and he and Alan consult it together, noting alternate tracks to the Final Destination as I had considered doing, though their murmurs indicate that they, too, see the bridge as the fastest route.

Perry shoves the map back into his pocket before taking a step forward, his jaw set, his feet eager to continue when suddenly Wright reaches out and grabs him by the arm.

I go still – even stiller than before – when I see Wright raise his nose, scenting the air.

My wolf snarls within me, her hackles raising, because by the smirk on his lips I know that I’ve been caught.

My finger tenses on the trigger of my crossbow and I shift it slightly, taking aim.

“What?” Perry snaps, turning to glare at Wright. “Let go of me – we need to get a move on!”

“Wait just a second, Perry,” Wright murmurs, slowly turning to look directly at my bush. “I think I smell…a rat.”

I make an impulsive decision, hoping to my grandmother the Goddess that it saves my life.

Baring my teeth with a vicious snarl, I take aim with my crossbow and pull the trigger.