Her target was the Academy’s guest.

The revelation startled Jade, who raised her eyes and met the driver’s gaze through the rearview mirror.

“You are her!” The man’s eyes widened in recognition.

She gave him a puzzled look as her mind ran in a hundred different directions at once. Why was the Solarian High Lord visiting the Academy? He was still a target, wasn’t he? Why would he want to talk to Master Eon? Was he here because of her?

“You are the Master Assassin he’s trying to save,” the driver said.

For the second time, the man’s words surprised Jade. “What?”

“You are a bit of a legend, you know?” In his excitement, the man forgot to keep his voice low. A slight pressure of her blade was reminder enough, and he added with a whisper, “Dragon Sol is refusing to marry his betrotheds and has been combing the galaxy for you.” He paused, then shook his head and was nicked by the sharp edge of the dagger, but he didn’t seem to mind. “The entire Fifth Moon System talks about the assassin who was sent to kill the dragon shifter and enslaved his heart instead. There are already ballads circulating about you two.”

Jade lowered her hand, but kept the blade close to his throat. “What is the High Lord doing here?”

“He wants to talk the Academy out of killing him and you.”

“How?”

“By paying an obscene amount of money.” The man turned, facing her. “I mean, a High Lord and a Master Assassin don’t come cheap.”

Jade’s mind reeled with the information. The man she had tried to kill would go out of his way to save her life. Why? Her hand went to her stomach. Butterfly wings flapped against her ribcage. Beside the obvious, what had happened between them?

She needed to make a decision: stay in the aircar and wait for the shifter to come back, or find another way out.

“You were here all along?” the man asked, oblivious to her turmoil and seemingly unconcerned for his life.

Jade tried to corral her confused thoughts toward a feasible escape plan. She could only tackle one enemy at a time, and leaving the Academy was her priority. “Where are you going to take the High Lord when he’s done here?” she asked.

“Back to Paradisia,” the driver said.

It made sense. The man was a vampire, and the undead on Celestia worked for House Martelli.

One of the hatches on the other side of the hangar opened, simplifying Jade’s choices to the only one that kept her undetected for the time being.

She dropped under the seat and flattened against the floor. “I’ll kill you if—”

Loud steps approached the vehicle.

The man whispered to her, “No worries,” before he said out loud, “Is the High Lord coming back soon?”

“You,” a woman said. “Get ready to leave.”

Jade recognized the girl’s young voice; it belonged to one of the recruits from the last class.

“I was told to wait for the High Lord.”

“The High Lord is staying,” the girl said. “You know the drill.”

“I’ll be out of your way as soon as you open the tunnel for me,” the driver said.

The recruit’s boots tapped the granite slabs of the hangar as she walked toward the control panel located a few steps from the aircar-taxi—too close for comfort.

“Something’s wrong,” the driver whispered.

“You think.” Jade had a good idea of what was happening. Had the Academy accepted the High Lord’s payment, he would be coming back now.

“Your master’s guest is as good as dead,” Jade whispered back. She should have felt detached, but for some reason, the demise of a man she couldn’t remember pained her.

A loud, sucking noise announced the tunnel’s hatch was opening.

“I can’t leave him here,” the driver said over the ruckus.

“Yes, you can,” Jade said. “Don’t do anything stupid, or we’re both dead.”

To her relief, the man lowered the engine lever and started driving the aircar.

Jade knew the recruit would be waiting for the vehicle to enter the tunnel before manually locking them out of the hangar. There was no sneaking out without being caught.

At the tunnel’s entrance, the driver hesitated.

“Drive,” Jade hissed. “I have a plan.”

“I’m Laonte,” the man said. “If you keep ordering me around, at least use my name.”

“Shut your mouth and keep driving.” Jade snaked her arm around the seat and pressed the blade against his thigh. “Laonte.”

“Stop!” The girl commanded, and Jade’s heart sank as she shriveled back down, lying flat against the bottom of the aircar once again.

“Keep going,” Jade said.

Laonte followed her command and crossed into the tunnel.

“Stop, I said!” the girl screamed, the sound of stomping boots echoing loud.

“Slow down,” Jade instructed Laonte. Bringing forth her memories of the place, she asked, “What’s on your right?”

“There’s a small hatch door.”

“Stop,” Jade said. “As she reaches us, lower your window and open the opposite passenger door at the same time.”

A moment later, the girl slammed her hand against the glass panel. “Are you deaf?”

Laonte promptly hit the buttons that opened his window and the passenger door that started sliding in its hinges. “Sorry, I couldn’t hear you.”

As soon as there was enough space, Jade wormed her way out and tapped the floor to let Laonte know she was safe.

“What are you doing?” the girl asked as Jade crouched on the aircar’s running board, from which the lateral wings would come out in flight.

“Fat fingers. I smashed two buttons at once,” Laonte said, closing the passenger door and his window as well. “See, I’m clumsy.” He lowered the glass panel again. “Do you have new orders for me?”

“I was just told to check every vehicle going out,” the girl answered.

“For what?” Laonte asked.

“Not your business. Open the back door.”

The hiss of the sliding panel followed her request.

“What are you looking for?” Laonte’s voice sounded frustrated.

The girl didn’t answer his question, but the aircar suddenly dropped, and her booted steps stomped the metal floor of the vehicle.

A moment later, the aircar rose a few centimeters, and the girl announced, “You can go.”

Laonte turned on the engine and let the aircar float away slowly. To avoid being seen, Jade moved from the side and scuttled on the running board until she was hiding beneath the vehicle’s pointed nose.

As soon as the tunnel’s main hatch closed behind them, Laonte reversed and drove back to the lateral exit.

Jade couldn’t help but admire the man’s quick thinking. When he stopped, she stood and mouthed her thanks before jumping from the running board onto the tunnel’s narrow service platform.

“What are you going to do now?” Laonte asked after lowering the passenger window.

“I’ll go back inside to see what I can do for the High Lord,” Jade answered.

She had made the decision without thinking, and a plan formed right away.

“I knew it,” Laonte said, his eyes twinkling. “It’s all true—”

“Go, before they realize you’re lingering too long.” She waved for him to move.

“What about you?” he asked.

“I know my way around.” Without waiting for him to comply, she turned and opened the small service door. She entered the narrow passageway and closed the panel.

Once again, darkness surrounded her.