**Aria's POV**

The technical services building was exactly as abandoned as we'd hoped—which should have been our first warning that something was wrong.

Hayes disabled the security system with the kind of efficiency that came from years of Academy experience, while Caspian and I provided lookout. The communication array was housed in a concrete structure that looked more like a bunker than an academic facility, surrounded by equipment I didn't recognize and cables thick enough to power a ...