The Hidden Princess At All-Boys Alpha Academy

"Please," I say, stepping away from Ben and smoothing my hands over my dressing gown. "I don't have a long time and they certainly can't find me here. What are you ambassadors doing here? How can I help?" "We came under the veil of peace talks, or at least a ceasefire," Ben says, stepping forward towards me. "But Ari..." he glances around, as if worried the room might be bugged. I wave him forward and he steps close, cupping his hand to my ear and whispering quickly that the real plan is to find a way to get me out of here, and to break down whatever forcefield is around the palace, to cripple the Atalaxians in whatever way they can.

"Wow," I whisper, staying close to Ben and looking up into his face. "Dad is...pissed, isn't he?"

Ben smiles, laughing a little. "An understatement, Princess." He continues to keep his voice low. "But he's also taking advantage of the fact that you crippled the hell out of Atalaxia in that battle. They've been hemming hawing, buying time, to regroup and rebuild. Your dad and Roger want this done now, to

strike while the iron is hot. If there's anything you can do..."

I nod, wringing my hands anxiously, considering this. Because if the thing in the way of my father's plans

is Gabriel then...then I guess it's time for me to take out Gabriel.

Something I've been turning over in my mind all week but...

Is it even possible? God, if I only had something mildly toxic...

"Do you have a plan?" I whisper, all hushed, whipping my face back up to him. "To get us out, if we can... lower that magical protective barrier?"

Ben hesitates. "We do, but..." he shrugs. "It would all happen very fast. We need...we need to be quite careful, Ari."

I nod, understanding, anxiety churning within me even as I nod.

"Ari," he snaps, reaching out and grabbing my arm, even - I think - despite his intentions to do so.

"Please, is..." Ben just shakes his head, unable to ask the question I can tell his wolf his howling for him

to utter.

"Elias is wonderful," I say, my face breaking into a smile. A groan slips from Ben's mouth and his eyes flutter shut, As Ben takes a long, deep breath I'm quite struck, actually, by the fact that Ben's reaction to the news that Elias is safe is quite similar to Elias's own. But then I remember Pippa. "Benny, it's more complicated than you think -"

He opens his eyes and frowns down at me.

But before I can continue, there's a clatter out in the hall.

"I have to go," I whisper, stepping away from him. "I probably won't be able to come back like this - I'll be

in trouble. Oh, and if you see me again, don't be surprised at all if I act just...very different."

Ben smiles and nods, letting me know he understands.

"I love you, Benny," I say, pressing my hands to my chest. "Just pretend everything is normal and that you didn't see me."

He nods, bending down to snatch his cookie off the floor. "You got it."

"Oh Ben, don't eat that," I sigh, sticking my tongue out a little. "Just get a new one." He's still laughing as I disappear into that other world.

Immediately when my feet hit the dirt in the Land of Darkness, I start to run. I just turn and dash, rather desperate, for the furthest edge of the cage Not because I want to escape bizarrely, now, that is the last thing on my mind. But just because I need an excuse for being outside of my room and do not, at all, want Gabriel thinking that I am anywhere near Ben and the

delegation from Moon Valley.

venoveldrama

To my surprise, it's fairly easy to reach the furthest edge of the cage, the one that surrounds the entire border of the castle. I begin to run alongside it searching for any flaws in the structure that might be useful to me, thankful suddenly to Rafe and Jesse for torturing me every morning for the past few months. Interestingly, I do pass two gates which open out into the Land of Darkness - presumably the sort of place where Gabriel brought me into the castle after driving me here in that weird little cart - but they're so locked up with chains that they don't present any immediate solutions.