The next morning, Kenzi woke her before dawn.
"Up," she said, already dressed in fitted black pants and a dark green top. "We're going to breakfast early."
Elowen groaned, dragging herself out of bed. Her body ached from the very early morning training. Kenzie pushed her hard, and said she had gone light on her for the first time.
"Why early?"
"Because I want you visible on my terms, not theirs."
Elowen didn't ask who theirs was. She was starting to understand that everything at this academy had layers she couldn't see yet.
They moved through corridors that were quieter in the early morning, the floating orbs glowing softer. A few students passed them, and Elowen noticed the way their eyes tracked her—curious, assessing, hungry.
But when they saw Kenzi, they looked away.
The dinin
