I was the sheep.
And he was the big bad wolf.
I smiled—sheepishly, of course.
His stare didn’t break. “How do you know Justin?” he asked coolly.
Smile: gone.
“I’ve seen him with my brother,” I said quickly. Lie. One I had rehearsed ever since we left the aquarium. Keep it simple. Keep it straight. Don’t give him room to poke holes in it.
Kross tilted his head. “When?”
I blinked.
“Does he know you?” he asked, voice smooth but pointed. “And even if he did spot us… why did you panic like your life depended on it? Why did you want to disappear so fast?”
I straightened in my seat, keeping my tone even. “Because whatever is happening outside the walls of Thalvion, I don’t want it spilling into the academy. Not for Vaughn’s sake. Not for yours. Not for mine.”
His gaze didn’t waver, but
