Birthright

CHAPTER THIRTY-EIGHT

The stories about Alex Drasse hit the ground running on Monday morning. Something about an attempt on her life. Kray first heard about it from his two Meta trainee dorm mates. It happened in the Province of Macot, according to Jake. Some guy tried to impale her with a weapon. Probably a samurai sword. He wore a Ninja suit, but his hands were ungloved so everyone could see the Sanser bindings on them.

He yelled out, "Death and destruction to the Mainland!"

And then General Vargas decapitated him with his own sword.

Shaking his head, Kray left the dorm and headed for his morning Physical Training class at Fitness Center A. He met Shane along the way, and Shane told him a more believable version of the story. Alex did get attacked and General Vargas did save her. But that was all anyone knew. The ANEF's report mentioned nothing about the location, the weapon, the motive—anything that would help Kray get a better sense of what had happened.

And whether the attempt on her life and his were connected.

"You guys have something in common now," Shane said, as though he were reading Kray's mind. They passed through the aquarium shortcut, which Kray used now to get around. Unfortunately more people had discovered it; he and Shane had to wiggle their way through the herd of trainees heading both directions. "You were both attacked."

"I get why she was attacked," Kray replied. "But me? I'm the worst choice if they're looking for targets to take out."

Shane snorted. "I get that whatever's going on with you and Violet and Instructor Masso is top secret. But don't act so surprised. It's kind of insulting, dude."

"You know about that?" Kray asked, surprised for real now.

"My dormitory faces the faculty building. I like to sit out on the balcony and get some art done. It clears my head. Helps me get my thoughts and emotions down on the drawing pad. Which is how I saw you and Violet the first time you guys were heading for the building. I waited for you the second night, and then the third. It didn't take a lot of guesswork to figure out you were seeing Instructor Masso. I've seen Violet hanging around him a lot."

"You should become a detective," Kray said, laughing.

"Nah. Too much investment in people's lives. Hey, it's cool if you don't want to tell me what's been going on. I just thought I'd mention it in case you guys wanted to try to be more discreet."

Kray didn't know how to answer him. Why hadn't he told Shane about his memories? Or the fact that he was apparently so valuable to the ANEF and the Sansers? He trusted Shane more than anyone else here. They'd been through hell together. They shared a burden no one else would ever know about.

Maybe it was because he wanted to have one normal friend. Someone who saw him for who he was, not what everyone expected him to be. Someone who wanted nothing from him except his friendship. Then again, he couldn't expect a genuine friendship if he was afraid of scaring Shane off with whatever crazy stuff was happening with him.

So he told him everything, starting with the ANEF giving him a second chance after they sentenced him to the Wasteland. He told him about Alex's betrayal, his face warming at the memory of how valiantly he'd defended her honor back at the extraction facility when Carter was still alive. He also told him about Masso's interest in him.

Shane frowned at that last part. "What does Instructor Masso want from you?"

"He won't tell me exactly. But I get the sense he thinks I'm someone important."

"Maybe you are," Shane said. "When we were sparring yesterday, you weren't fighting like a Fifty, Kray. You almost had me beat a couple of times. And that's without practicing using Sen. If you learn how to command it better, you'll be moving up the ranks in no time."