The Scarlet Dagger (The Red Sector Chronicles, #1)

Chapter 11

When I woke up the next morning, Aden was gone. I stayed in my room for as long as I could, afraid that if I ran into him – which was inevitable considering we lived on the same floor – it would be awkward. I didn't know entirely what to make of this carefree, gentle side to him... a side I was dangerously attracted to.

I lay in bed until I thought my bladder would explode before caving and stepping outside my room. Aden was already in the bathroom. I froze in the door, panicked.

"Oh hey," he said, spitting out toothpaste and rinsing his toothbrush. "I was just finishing up. Bathroom's all yours."

He walked by me without so much as a smile. It was completely normal, like any other time we'd casually talked to each other. Relief coursed through me, but I couldn't ignore the twinge of disappointment I felt deep in my gut.

I stayed in my room for most of the time, too embarrassed to face Mrs. Knight after what I had said to her. But – bless her – she was quick to makeup. In the early afternoon, she brought a tray of food to my room, and I was at first stunned to see her in the doorway. Then she smiled at me and I almost burst into tears. She hugged me. I let her even though it was awkward, mostly because I didn't hug her back. I wasn't sure if I either wanted or deserved to.

We separated, and I tucked a strand of hair behind my ear, keeping my eyes fixed on the floor.

"I'm sorry for what I said. I had no right... I didn't mean to..." I gritted my teeth, unable to put exactly what I was trying to say into words.

Mrs. Knight placed a hand on my shoulder, smiling. "It's all right. No harm done. We've all been there, Sloane."

I immediately felt lighter.

That night, I went down to dinner. Aden looked a bit surprised to see me. I hadn't seen much of him since we spoke in the bathroom this morning, but he didn't bring up last night's dinner. We all sat down to eat as if nothing had ever happened. I'll admit, it was kind of nice, just being able to eat and not worry about whether I was behaving "like a proper lady," as my mom would have put it.

My spirits somewhat brightened after Mrs. Knight and I spoke. Before I knew it, three days had passed, and Aden's suspension was lifted. One of Frost's personal guards arrived early in the morning to have Aden sign some paperwork before he could officially return to the academy. I stood at the top of the stairs, having woken up early because of all the commotion. Aden spotted me. "Good. You're awake." He climbed the stairs and handed me a black package. "Get dressed."

I took it, confused. "What's this?"

"Your uniform," he said with a grim smile. "If you're going to be Frost's lackey, you have to look the part."

"But I thought I wasn't allowed to leave the house?"

Aden shook his head. "Since you swore fealty to the Syndicate, you can start training at the academy. Provided, I have to be with you at all times, since Frost made me your guardian."

More like so you can both spy on me all the time.

Aden ushered me up the stairs. "Go get changed. Classes start in less than a half hour, and we still have some paperwork to take care of."

Part of me was bummed I would be training. I was hoping that once Aden was gone, I could search the house for my phone and Leo's dagger, but with the chip in my arm, I figured it was just as well I didn't have the opportunity to land myself in more trouble. They'd probably be tracking my every move, and besides, they probably had my things under lock and key somewhere deep within the base.