Sauter (Ironside Academy, #3)(129)
Gabriel: Don’t insult me.
Niko: Of course.
Oscar and Moses were chuckling as they strode into the lounge, both looking her up and down as she quickly pulled to her feet.
“Morning, rich girl,” Oscar mumbled, rocking back on his heels, and shoving his hands into his pockets as he surveyed her dress. “Don’t you smell nice today.”
“So everyone keeps saying.” She eyed him, trying to figure out if he was being sarcastic or not.
Moses only nodded at her, his stormy eyes doing another pass over her dress.
“Ready for the festival?” she asked, as Niko walked toward them from the hallway, followed by Elijah and Gabriel.
“Ready as I’ll ever be,” Moses grumbled, moving to the front door, and shouting over his shoulder, “Hurry up! We’re hungry!”
“Wonder why,” Cian asked, shouldering past everyone to drop an arm over Isobel’s shoulder, his nose brushing along her hairline. He sniffed her but didn’t comment on her smell.
She glanced up into his face, noting that his expression was a little drawn. “Any more dreams?”
He shook his head. “I didn’t pull your card.”
“What do you mean?”
“The moon card.” His mouth was tight. “I draw it every morning. This morning I didn’t.”
“That could mean anything, right?” she asked.
The others were staring at Cian, and she felt a few flashes of worry and panic before they managed to control their reactions. He nodded at her but didn’t answer otherwise, steering her toward the door as Theodore and Kilian joined them.
“Mikki and Kalen are going to meet us at the festival,” Kilian explained.
Isobel checked her phone again, combing through the rest of her notifications. Nothing from Sophia.
She tapped on their conversation and sent a message.
Isobel: Everything still good?
The reply was almost instant.
Sophia: Yes, and no more dreams.
Sophia: I think whoever it was, the increased security must have messed up their plans.
She resolved herself to keep a close eye on Cian for the rest of the day, but she barely needed to, because he refused to leave her side. He stayed with her as she picked out what to eat for breakfast and sat silently beside her as she ate. As soon as she shifted to leave the booth, he was jumping up, a step behind her as she disposed of her tray.
The others were giving him worried looks, but nobody said anything, even when he looped his arm around her and bent to sniff her hair every now and then, as though reassuring himself that she wasn’t hurt in any way.
They loitered along the edges of the festival for most of the morning, lounging in lawn chairs and watching the Hollywood parade as it wound its way around the lake. They chatted quietly, completely ignoring the speeches of the returning guest Icons as they reminisced on their golden days at Ironside, and how winning the game changed their lives forever.
Kalen and Mikel joined them as the top ten Icon contenders took to the stage, saying a few quick words about what Ironside has meant to them and what they were going to do if they won.
“Let’s get closer,” Mikel suggested, forcing them all to pull themselves together and push through the crowd.
They moved toward the action, the other students giving them plenty of room. The stage had been built out over the lake, leaving enough space for everyone to gather at the front of the academy.
There were snack booths set up along the sides of the paths and lawn chairs scattered around the outskirts for students to relax in. Twinkling strings of lights crisscrossed overhead, strung tightly from wooden pillars, and everyone seemed happy, excited to be going home in the overnight busses later. Some of them would be dropped off at airports with return tickets home, while the rest would travel by bus—depending on how far away their settlements were.
She imagined they would be the superstars of their settlement for as long as they were at Ironside, receiving a hero’s welcome home as everyone tried to get them to spill the behind-the-scenes secrets they were contract-bound to keep.
The first Icon-contender stepped forward, holding a microphone up and winking at the audience as his music started. No matter their specialisation, they always performed a song, danced, played an instrument, or did some sort of stand-up routine on Consolidation Day. It was more about entertaining people than showing off their skills.
It was nearing early afternoon when a female official stepped onto the cleared stage to announce the Icon winner.
Isobel squinted at her. “Isn’t that the woman from the dining hall the other morning?”
“Looks like it,” Elijah replied.
“Frisk,” Kalen supplied. “Her name is Olivia Frisk. She’s the on-site assistant to the Director of Ironside.”
“Welcome, ladies and gentlemen, esteemed faculty members, distinguished guests, and students of Ironside,” Frisk boomed into the microphone. “We are gathered here today to celebrate not just the founding of Ironside, but the profound unity it has brought to our world. It is a day of reflection and celebration as we acknowledge the work that Ironside has done to bring the Gifted and the humans together. From its inception, Ironside Academy was intended as a place where we could transcend the boundaries of what everyone thought to be possible. Because of Ironside, we are able to lift the Gifted, one by one, out of the settlements and bring them to this paradise, giving them every little luxury they could ever ask for, with the most skilled cultural experts our world has to offer at their disposal. The Ironside initiative is a testament to the power of unity, compassion, and creativity. So, as we announce this year’s Icon, let us remember that only together can we achieve the impossible.”