The Hidden Princess At All-Boys Alpha Academy



Slowly, Jackson nods. "I think the God of Death and Goddess of Life would be the most powerful, the most...capable of giving gifts like ours." Jackson murmurs with a shrug. "I mean, think about it - do you think you could give someone a gift right now? Or your mom?"

I shake my head, considering it and knowing that it's completely out of my realm of power.

"Yeah," he sighs, "I think the demigods are out. But, amongst his near-Godly children...it could be them."

I bite my lip, studying his face. "Which one do you think it is?"

"I don't know," he answers, turning to stare at me. "It's all speculation anyway. But...you asked what was on my mind," he shrugs. "That's what I've been turning over."

"Maybe we need to spend more time in the library," I sigh, curling close to my mate and stroking what I hope is a comforting hand over his hair. "Get some religious texts. Try to figure it out."

"Or not," he says, wrapping me up tight against him. "Finding out more doesn't change anything. Our time would probably be better spent elsewhere."

"What do you mean?" I ask, sensing that there's...more to that statement than just Jackson trying to change the subject and move away from the question of who gave him his gift.

Jackson inhales a deep breath and then lets it out slowly, staring again at the ceiling. "I mean that... things are changing fast, Ariel. It's not a coincidence that the War Games got moved up, and you discovered your new dark gift, and maybe even that Jesse got his powers now. I think... pieces are moving into alignment. I think something big is coming. Soon."

"How soon?" I whisper, slipping my arm tighter around his body.

"Like, now soon," Jackson says, turning his head to tuck mine beneath his chin. "Hank's moving things up with the Community too. Making some... real moves there, attempting to push forward humanitarian aid."

"What?" I breathe, shocked. I mean, I knew that Jackson has been continuing to talk to Hank but...I had no idea that Hank was actually making moves. I always imagined him just...collecting information.

"Yeah, I feel really conflicted about it," Jackson murmurs, and I can feel down our bond just how much the news twists him with anxiety. "Because know that any move to change things within the Community from outside is going to put pressure on the most vulnerable inside it. That's what they do when change threatens, the people in charge in the Community take it out on the poor, making them even more resistant to change. I just...don't want anyone to get hurt because I've been..."

He stops there, unable to say any more, clenching his jaw and covering his face with a hand, guilt rushing through him. My heart

et

Cas

wrenches in my chest as I watch I feel worry and fear and remorse and shame all pulsing in his heart. Because we did this - me and my family we pushed Jackson to take this role.

And he still has ties to that place, still has people there whom he loves, and who he doesn't want to see hurting. Especially because of actions he took.

I murmur my mate's name, reaching for his face, but he stays very still even when I touch him, trying to turn him towards me, to let him feel that it's all right.

We stay that way for a long few minutes as Jackson takes deeper and deeper breaths, not understanding how he feels about any of it and just feeling very overwhelmed by it all.

"If it gets to be too much," I whisper to him, "you can tell Hank you want to stop.”

Jackson lets out his breath in a long

woosh of air. "But how could I do that? I know...I know, in the end, that Hank is right that the Community is hurting people and that people are suffering inside without medical intervention. How could I stop that?" noveldrama

"You're allowed to put yourself first, Jacks," I whisper. “Like you'd put me first, if you saw me hurting this badly. At the very least, you're allowed to take breaks, to take time to think it over."