I stood outside the Summit gym at 4:45 AM, breath visible in the cool California air, feeling like an idiot.
The building loomed above me, all glass and steel and architectural statements about how much money the academy had to throw around. The electronic lock on the door blinked red every few seconds, mocking my lack of access. Elite Ten members got key cards. Vale's Heir Apparent apparently got to stand in the cold like a peasant waiting for his lord to remember he existed.
The irony wasn't lost on me. Three weeks ago I would have killed to be standing here, waiting for the strongest hunter on faculty to personally train me. Now I was here, and all I could think about was how much warmer my bed had been and whether Vale was the type of asshole who showed up late to test my dedication.
Probably.
My phone showed exactly 5:00 AM when I heard footsteps echoing across the quad.
Finally.
