“In line, Germaine,” he snapped.
Unmoving, I frowned at him.
“Line. Now.”
Shaking my head at his behavior, I spun around and claimed my place at the wall. Cara was peering over at me, her expression weird.
What? I mouthed. I didn't need crap from her, too.
Nothing, she mouthed back and turned away.
I nudged her with my shoulder. What?
Her dark brows arched, and I could tell she was trying to hold back a grin. I thought he was just okay.
My eyes slitted. Whatever.
Ryan cleared his throat, then launched into a lecture about everything I'd done right and a few things I could have done better. Like hitting his throat or his temple for maximum damage instead of hitting his nose.
After that, he explained what we would be learning in his class for the rest of the year, fighting skills that would correlate with our alien anatomy class. “In the end, you'll be able to fight anyone and anything. You'll be able to kill with your bare hands.”
Kitten's stomach rumbled, and all eyes turned to her. Her cheeks flushed a rosy red, and she began licking her arm and rubbing it over her chin. A nervous habit, I guess.
“Hungry?” Ryan asked her with a grin.
She nodded reluctantly.
“Good, because it's chow time. Go on. Get out of here. You girls did very well today.”
We didn't need to be told twice. We pounded from the cage. But I couldn't help myself. I tossed a glance over my shoulder. Ryan was watching me, and that strange heat was back in his eyes…
Breakfast was served in a cafeteria very similar to the one at my school, just smaller. The food, though, was much better. Thank God! Fresh fruit and warm nuts, baked breads, syn-chicken, and rice. It was like dining in a five-star restaurant. The only difference was, we didn't get to choose what we wanted.
We placed our hands on the ID box at the counter, endured a quick scan, and then a tray made specifically for us was slid down a tube and into our direction. The entire process took less than a minute. Very cool, yet very military.
“They like to keep us healthy and proteined up,” Cara said, sitting beside me at the table.
The rest of the class joined us after they'd gotten their trays. We weren't the only ones in the cafeteria. Only girls were present, though. Of the few that were there with us, some cast us curious glances. Some turned their noses up at us. One even “accidentally” bumped into us, telling us to “stay out of the way, weaklings.”
There was a lot of confidence in the room, a lot of cockiness. “What did you guys do to get sent here? And,” I added after swallowing a bite of rice, “how long have you been here?”
“Got arrested for assault,” Dani said with a shrug. “And I've been here two fun-filled days.”
So I wasn't the only criminal. I shouldn't have taken comfort in that, but I did.
“Kadar found me living—” Lindsay pressed her lips together, as if she didn't want to reveal the information. She waved her hand through the air and strove for a casual tone. “He saved me from an Outer. I've been here two days, as well.”
“My mom knows Boss and called and begged him to take me,” Jenn said. There was a trace of bitterness in her tone. “She didn't have what it took to work in this field, so she's leaving it up to me to live her dream.” She forced a laugh. “I've been here several weeks, but this is my first class.”
“What about you?” Cara asked me, her dark eyes curious. “What'd you do?”
I told them about the night the Sybilins attacked. They became very quiet, and studied me more intently. By the time I finished, they were staring at me with awe. And perhaps disbelief.
Dani blinked over at me. “A Sybilin. S-Y-B-I-L-I-N. I knew you'd fought with Ryan Stone, but I'd assumed—I don't know what I'd assumed. Just not a Sybilin.”
I nodded, brow puckered. “Well, it's true.”
“But…the Sybilins are a myth. Aren't they?” Lindsay's red eyebrows arched as she searched the other faces.
“I promise you they're very real.” We ate in silence for a few minutes. A few more girls walked past our table, muttering, “Weaklings.” “What's that about?” I asked.
Jenn tugged at the ends of her hair, the black curls bouncing back into place. “The facility begins new classes every three months. You'll notice that each new class has less and less girls. Some have been here only three months, others six, others nine. The ones who have survived it all and have been here twelve months think of everyone else as know-nothing weaklings.”
“Their classes are in different hallways,” Cara added after she swallowed a bit of banana, “so the only time we have to deal with them is at lunch and social hour.”
“Are there ever any fights?” Kitten asked, her eagerness clear.
“I've heard of a few.” Jenn leaned into us, her voice dropping. “One even ended in death. The girl responsible was memory-wiped and returned home. Or so I heard.” Straightening, she nibbled on the edge of her syn-chicken and closed her eyes in surrender. “God, this is good. I thought I'd die after all that exercise.”
“Where are the boys?” Kitten glanced around. I think she wanted to know where Bradley was and what he looked like. Not that she'd mentioned him recently, but I still suspected she considered him off limits to everyone else. “Jenn?”
“What, am I an instructor?” Jenn splayed her arms wide. “I don't know all the answers.”
“You sure?” I said with a laugh. I drained my milk. I would have preferred soda, but whatever. “You know a lot more than us.”
“Fine. I know the answer to this one, too.” Jenn pinched a piece of bread and shrugged. “The boys are in a separate building, but we'll get to see them three times a week. The powers that be let us get together so we won't try and sneak over there.”
“How do you know so much?” Kitten asked, incredulous. She licked the edge of her milk carton.
“I told you. My mom and Boss are friends. When I was recruited, he had a long talk with me about what to expect.”
“What I wouldn't do to trade places with you,” Kitten said and threw a roll at her. “After my interview, I got a tour of a restricted hallway and locked in my room with Phoenix.”
Jenn caught the bread, chuckled, and took an exaggerated bite before tossing it back. I leaned back in my chair, realizing I was happier in that moment than I'd been in a long time. These girls were nice, and I enjoyed their company.