Fates Aflame (AUDIOBOOK)

Consumed by anger and forced to hide my feelings from the world, I wept behind closed doors. A riveting ache pierced my temples and my face flushed with heat. The captain’s decision spurred a bout of nausea to squeeze my stomach, cold sweat beading on my forehead.
I wanted to wake from the nightmarish reality.
I hadn’t worked so hard to become a pawn in a political game, and my captain couldn’t push me around because his priorities weren’t in order anymore.
He’d scheduled me to temporarily transfer to Silver Diamond Academy—the Mainland’s most prestigious military school—to tie up “loose” ends. Whatever that meant. Dirty work, more like it, disguised as formalities to make both academies look good in light of recent, petty power struggles.
Why me? Why now? The two academies have been at each other’s throats for at least a decade, each trying to one-up the other in an effort to gain worldwide recognition.
My chair teetered on two legs as my feet pressed against the wall behind my desk and I pushed back. A scream swelled in my chest, clanging at my ribs, banging on my lungs, but I smothered the desire as quickly as I could. Making my discomfort known wouldn’t change a thing, and it would only make me look weak and… unqualified.
Top of my class. I didn’t get here by pouting and questioning orders. I worked hard. I listened. I contributed.
Now there were no contributions to be made, and I had no say in the matter.
As a lower-ranking official of Celestial Galaxy, I shouldn’t have been given such a prominent assignment, but the captain and my sister—a major—had their own scandal to keep secret.
They assumed I didn’t know what they were hiding, like I was a child who wouldn’t catch on. I wasn’t blind to the odd glances they’d been exchanging lately. The subtle scent of his aftershave, cologne, (whatever it was), wafted from her when she hugged me goodnight. It was so obvious. Atira had always admired our captain, but admiration had evolved into something more.
For their safety, I held my tongue and pretended not to notice, but now I couldn’t stop myself from scrutinizing every single order the captain gave. Was he really putting his best judgment forward, or were many of his decisions tainted by his desire to keep his love interest out of harm’s way? Of course, I wanted my sister to be safe, but not at the cost of her integrity.
No one should hide stuff like that. Not from family.
All four chair legs hit the floor again. I tucked my hands behind my elbows, rested my arms on my desk, and then nestled my head upon them, taking in a deep breath and exhaling loudly.
I wanted to deny it, but it wasn’t only jealousy sucking the strength from me. Something deeper and more sinister prickled my soul.
I hadn’t been home to Earth and the Mainlands for years.
Not since the accident.