The Hidden Princess At All-Boys Alpha Academy novel Chapter 595

But she turns to me, and tilts her head to the side, curious.

My whole body starts to shake as I gasp in a desperate breath and clutch my stupid paintball rifle to my chest, scared and confused and frantic to go back home. Because I have absolutely no idea where I am, or how I got here, or what’s happening on the battlefield I just left.

In my heart only one truth echoes – that I want to get out of here – that I want to go home –

Suddenly, it happens again.

The world tilts, and I fall, but my back doesn’t hit the ground behind me. I open my mouth to scream but no words come out as I seem to echo through time and space – traveling through the darkness – through the void –

Until suddenly my backside hits the ground, hard, and my eyes fly open, and – panting – I realize that…that I’m back.

That I’m under the bush, with my rifle clutched in my arms.

I whip my head to the left, where voices echo. “Sniper must have gone down,” says a man as cadets filter ahead of him down the little path towards our base. “I found this map and these binoculars, though I don’t know why he would have left them behind –“

And I don’t stop to think as I quickly raise my gun to my shoulder and – not even using the sight, they’re too close – pound out two shots at the men standing before me.

Because despite it all – I have not forgotten that Jackson is coming up that path for me right now.

And if they’re heading down towards him, I am not going to let him face sixteen men on his own.

The two men gasp as bright blue paint splashes on their uniform, their heads twisting to me.

“How the fuck did he –“

“No, I checked that bush – he wasn’t there –“

“You don’t even fucking know me!?”

I turn my glare back at the man with the crossed arms. “Why the fuck would I know you?” I growl.

“Because I’m Bill Heggardy,” he says, sneering at me and shaking his head. “I tried to fucking draft you – and you don’t even know who I am?”

My mouth falls open a bit as I stare at him because…I mean, I don’t recognize the name. But Bill Heggardy – it’s not Wright, or Blythe. Which means…the third team…

“Ari!” Jackson gasps, stumbling out onto the plateau and rushing to my side. He sends a glance at Bill and the man standing next to him and, even though his hands shake at the restraint, he refrains from grabbing me close to his chest like he wants to. “Are – are you all right, Clark?”