Rylan comes home a few hours later and we all jump on him for answers, though he makes everyone hold out as he insists on kissing me first, getting a nasty groan out of Jacinta. “Both Brax and Phillip are going away for a long time,” he confirms.
Wow. We did it.
What a year. I’ve avenged my father’s murderer, fallen in love with an amazing man, overcome obstacles I never imagined possible, graduated top of my combat class, and not to mention, taking out nearly a whole army of fey. And I did it all while remaining true to myself.
Rylan gives my waist a squeeze as he looks down into my eyes. “I love you,” he tells me.
“I love you too.”
Chapter 31
Two days later, ironically, we’re back where it all started having been sent back to the academy for lack of places to keep us while we wait for our assignments. The community was pretty much deemed a no-go zone and Rylan tells me that it’s going to be completely knocked down and rebuilt.
He wanted to stay in the community to overlook everything and be the leader I always knew he would be, so the next few days are going to suck, but I’ll get over it. After all, I’m Bianca freaking Moore. A member of The Guard and a warrior of the Front Line, just like I promised my dad I would be.
We all sit down in the cafeteria, as without classes running, apart from using the gym, there really isn’t a lot to do around here. It’s been two days and we’re all going out of our minds, but I must admit, a few days away from all the crazy has been amazing and has helped a lot of us who were involved in the battle begin to put the mess of the last few days behind us.
I had Mom and Millie come and visit me yesterday though I’m pretty sure that was only so mom could see me in the flesh and actually make sure that I was well and truly alive. I don’t know, it must be a mom thing. But now, it’s all just a waiting game and the only topic of conversation that seems to be going on around here.
Trey and Jacinta keep trying to work out where they’re going to get a place and that is if they even get assignments in the same communities. Who knows, any one of us could end up on the other side of the world, but we’re hopeful that we’ll be close.
To be honest, none of us really know what’s going to happen. Our community as a whole has been completely turned upside down. Head Office needs to be rebuilt so will most likely be relocated for the next little while. All our residential communities have all been stuffed around as people who lived at the battle site have all had to move their lives into different communities.
So really, there’s just no knowing what’s going to happen with us.
A piercing noise screeches its way over the PA system followed by Ms. Peterson’s annoying voice blasting our eardrums. “All graduated students report to the meeting hall.”
We all get to our feet as I realize this is it, the moment we’re given our assignments.
Jacinta skips around like the biggest idiot and loops her arms through mine while attempting to pull me along faster. “Geez,” I whine. “Calm down, would you?”
She gives me the goofiest grin. “I can’t help it,” she says. “I’m excited and nervous all at the same time.”
I roll my eyes, but go along with her. She practically breaks down the door of the meeting room and I’m not surprised to find we’re some of the first people who made it here, but what does surprise me is the handsome man who stands at the front of the room.
I let out an excited squeal and bolt towards him. Rylan turns and sees me just in time to catch me as I fly through the air, up into his arms with my legs locking around his waist. “I’ve missed you,” I say before pressing my lips down on his.
“Missed you, too,” he grins.
“I didn’t realize you were coming,” I say as he gently puts me back down on the ground.
“Yeah,” he says with a secretive smirk. “Last minute kind of thing.”
I narrow my eyes at him. “Right.”
I notice Ms. Peterson walk in through the door and give us a nasty look, but there’s not a lot she can do about us now. I grin up at Rylan as the same knowing look appears in his eyes. “You better go sit down. We’ll be starting in a minute.”
“Okay,” I say as I turn to find my seat, in alphabetical order as expected.
An envelope lays on every chair with a name in bold letters across the front. I find mine and sit down, immediately tearing it open and looking inside.
There’s nothing there.
I double and triple-check then look over to the people around me, all pulling a slip of paper out of their envelopes. What? I check again just to make sure, then quickly look on the floor around me. Maybe it fell out while I was opening it.
Nothing.
I slump in my chair in frustration. Now I’m going to have to wait until the end, have a long drawn out chat with Ms. Peterson who’s then going to take her sweet ass time calling the council. Argh! This is so annoying.
I look over to Jacinta to see her pulling her paper out of her envelope and looking at it in confusion, and I wonder what the hell it could possibly say. I search around for Trey and Daniel to see the exact same look on their faces as they start to look at other people and notice that their assignments must be straight forward and make complete sense.
I search out Rylan, ready to go up to him, but the meeting is too close to starting and I’ll probably just end up making a scene. His eyes are one mine and I realize I have just supplied him with his morning entertainment as I searched the enveloped for my missing assignment.
His eyes begin to sparkle as he pulls a folded up envelope from behind his back with a major grin on his face. No way. I just got duped by my boyfriend. He holds my assignment between his fingers and is loving every second of it. I consider charging down the aisle and tackling it out of his fingers, but I can’t, so instead, I sit here fuming while working out my revenge plan.
Following the meeting, we’re all dismissed and everyone is given a folder with further details of their assignments, but I wait back, sitting in my chair until the room has cleared out.
Jacinta comes and sits down beside me and I wonder what the hell she’s still doing here when Trey, Daniel, and Nora do the same.
I look around the room, wondering who else is still here and notice three other people remaining silent in their chairs, having no idea why they’re still here. It doesn’t take me long to realize that the three other people were all the top-ranking students in their electives and that’s when I start to get suspicious.
Rylan walks over and asks the three other people to join us. He hands me the envelope and I don’t waste one second tearing into it only to find a slip of paper saying to wait back after the meeting.
Damn it. I just want some answers.
“Thank you all for waiting,” he says as he sits down before us. “I have asked you all to stay back as your assignment will be slightly different from what you may have been expecting.”
I narrow my eyes at him as I try to work out where this is going. “Each of you has been selected due to your outstanding performances during your finals. This group here, including myself, a few other members of the Front Line, and experienced members who are involved in the supernatural electives are going to create a new team. We will not have a specific destination as to where we will be working from, however, we will have a home base in the new community which is also where the new Head Office will be.”
Everyone’s eyes start bugging out of their heads as they work out what he’s telling us. Is he saying we’re all going to be together? Working together?
“What will we be doing, exactly?” Jacinta asks.
“Good question,” he replies. “You’ll notice there are people here from each discipline. Someone who is knowledgeable about vampires, another on werewolves, alchemy and of course, yourselves,” he says, indicating between Jacinta and Nora who are educated in FEDS. “You guys are going to make up the research side of our operation, searching out their hideouts, tracking movements, and an
ything in relation to our missions,” he explains, then indicates to the Combat Students. “While we deal with it.”
An excited smile begins creeping across my face. This couldn’t be real. “This is a worldwide operation and could take us anywhere. If the problem is unable to be dealt with the regular way, then we get sent in and we will follow through,” he promises.
“So,” Daniel starts. “We’re kind of like the SWAT team for The Guard.”
“Yeah,” Rylan laughs. “That’s one way of putting it. Now, you’re all dismissed, there’s a folder up the front detailing the ins and outs of the assignment. I expect you to read it overnight as we will all be flying out tomorrow morning.”
Wow. The vampire, werewolf and alchemy guy all head off and get a folder then disappear, leaving just us. “So, we’re all staying together?” Jacinta confirms in her excitement.
“Yes, we’re all staying together,” Rylan says, watching me.
“So, we can all get a place together in the community?” she asks.
Rylan rolls his eyes but nods his head anyway. “Well, you guys can, but I fully intend to stick to my plan. Bianca is living with me whether she likes it or not,” he clarifies, making Jacinta give me one of those girly smirks.
“Does Bianca have a say in this?” I ask with sarcasm.
Rylan grins at me with raw emotion in his eyes. “You bet your sweet ass you don’t.”
I get up off my chair and walk towards him. “You’re lucky I want to keep living with you, otherwise, you were going to get hell for that comment,” I murmur as I sit down on his lap and kiss him.
“Ugh, I’m out of here before this turns into something I don’t want to see,” Trey says, getting up and helping Jacinta to her feet.
“Really?” Daniel says, making a show of sitting back in his chair with his hands behind his head. “Carry on, I’m good to watch.”
“Eww,” I say as Rylan leans across and thumps him.
“Get out of here,” he tells them all.
I sit on his lap, listening to my friend’s laughter as they peel out of the meeting hall. Smiling up at him when we’re finally alone. “Thank you,” I tell him. “You have no idea how unbelievably happy you make me. You have quite literally given me everything I could have ever asked for.”
“Bianca, when will you realize that I would move heaven and hell to make you happy?” he asks as he runs his fingers down the side of my face, sending goosebumps all over my skin.
He wraps his fingers behind my neck and gently pulls me into him. “I have realized that a million times over,” I murmur before I lean the rest of the way in and kiss him. “I can’t wait to marry you one day, even though the idea completely freaks me out. I want to be yours in every way possible. I love you so much.”
His eyes shine back at me. “I love you, too,” he murmurs. “You’re the fiercest woman I have ever met. You’re strong, beautiful, and sexy as hell all at the same time. You mean the world to me and I will never let you go,” he vows as he brings his lips down on the soft skin of my neck, teasing me with the promise of what’s to come. “I’m going to spend every single day proving that to you, over and over and over again.”
“I can’t wait to take you up on that.”
He grins at me before standing up and setting me on my feet. “Come on,” he says, lacing his fingers through mine and pulling me towards the door. “You need to pack and go through your folder then we’re going to find us a place to stay.”
My heart feels like it could quite literally explode out of my chest as I walk with Rylan back to my room, only to find every single one of those faces I love staring back at me. Yeah, this is perfect.
My whole world has completely come together in the most perfect way and I have the man of my dreams to thank for that and my best friends at my side, ready to start the rest of our lives.
Playlist
I’m Coming Home – P Diddy
Ego – Beyoncé
Eye of the Tiger – Survivor
The One – Justin Bieber
Anything’s Possible – Lea Michele
Cannonball – Lea Michele
Without You – Usher
Uptown Funk – Bruno Mars
Dangerous Woman – Ariana Grande
Bad Liar – Selena Gomez
It’s My Life – Bon Jovi
Careful – Paramore
Titanium – David Guetta
Closer To The Edge – 30 Seconds To Mars
Fallin – Jessica Mauboy
Big Girls Cry – Sia
Marry Me – Jason Derulo
We Are Who We Are – Kesha
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Queen and War: Slayer Academy (Book 3) Page 23
