I loved everything about the Lewis and Clark program. I loved the simulation setup that didn’t require months of study. I loved the small classes where I was just Regan, not Cadet Fitz. I loved the fact that I was inside a mountain. I was so giddy about it all that I even felt a burst of affection for Elliot. This change was going to be good. I could just feel it.

I was still riding that wave of positivity when the last class of the day ended and we were dismissed to our new dorms for the night. I sighed as I watched Elliot disappear through the doorway that led to the boys’ dormitory, making a mental note to tell him that it was easier to make friends when your face didn’t look like you’d been sucking on a lemon.

“He pretty much hates you, doesn’t he?” came a voice at my elbow, and I jumped and turned to see Serina standing next to me. She was dry now, her blond hair twisted up into a bun on top of her head. I’d been surprised to learn that she and Sam were permanent residents of the mountain and would continue training alongside us when they weren’t being sent on missions.

“Hate seems like a strong word,” I said. Serina waited for me to go on, and I shrugged. “I’m not saying it’s not accurate. It’s just strong.”

She nodded and cocked her head to the side with a smile. “Welcome to the program. As you saw today, there isn’t a lot of time for chitchat or introductions.”

“I caught that,” I said, thinking of the crammed day I’d just had. As though thinking about it made it real, I suddenly felt the bone-deep exhaustion of the day and yawned. Serina smiled and opened the door to the girls’ dorm so I could walk through.

I was expecting something similar to the dorms back at the Academy, small no-nonsense rooms equipped with a bed, dresser, and desk, but these couldn’t be more different. The first thing I noticed were the bunks on the wall right across from the door. There were ten total, little cubbies carved out of the very rock of the mountain to make bunk beds of sorts. Each bunk had a curtain to give its occupant some sense of privacy. Only three of the ten available bunks were occupied with actual bedding, though. The rest were just rectangular cutouts in the wall with bare mattresses.

“Do I get to pick?” I asked Serina, walking over to get a better look.