Resistance (The Variant Series #2) Read Online Free PDF

said, mashing his creation between his palms and returning it to an unformed mass of clay. “Almost as bad a liar as I am a sculptor.”
    Their last period of the day was 3-D art with Alex’s old swim coach, Mrs. Roberts. It was her favorite class, but only on the glorious days that she managed to escape the notice of Jessica Huffman.
    Jessica had always found joy in tormenting Alex, but the day she managed to steal Alex’s (now ex-) boyfriend Connor Talbot, she’d become insufferable.
    These days, Jessica had been cast in the role of Connor’s on-again, off-again girlfriend.
    When they were on, Jessica usually settled for harmless gloating. When they were off, she and her minions excelled in making Alex’s life hell.
    Judging from the vicious glares the bleached-blonde cheer captain had been sending her way for the last twenty minutes, she and Connor were off-again.
    Alex was almost certain she would have sashayed across the room to begin her tormenting already, except for the fact that Declan was currently seated beside Alex, returning Jessica’s glares with a cold stare of his own.
    “Your fan club looks a little put out today,” said Declan, as if reading Alex’s thoughts.
    “Nah,” said Alex. “She always looks like that. ‘Surly’ is her default expression.”
    Alex hadn’t spoken to Jessica since the events on the dock with Masterson.
    Two weeks earlier, Masterson—masquerading as a fire-controlling Variant named Carson Brandt—took Cassie prisoner. When Alex met with Masterson in the hopes of negotiating Cassie’s release, Connor showed up at precisely the wrong moment.
    And where there was Connor, Jessica and her lackeys were sure to follow.
    What happened next was nothing short of a nightmare.
    Jessica witnessed all of it.
    Alex tugged the right sleeve of her borrowed coat further up her forearm to keep it from falling on the wet glaze coating her current project.
    She couldn’t be certain if it was the way the jacket covered her so completely, or if it was the familiar scent of woodsmoke ingrained in the fabric that had caused her to relax these last few hours.
    Probably, it was a little of both.
    Declan wiped the excess clay from his hands with a wet towel, then pulled Alex’s tray of completed projects closer so that he could look through them.
    Alex resumed her glazing.
    Her current project—and her final assignment for the semester—was a full-face Venetian mask, with feminine facial features and intricate designs carved around the eyeholes. Alex had been working on it for weeks now and it was, by far, her favorite piece of all.
    Their final project was meant to be given as a gift, and Alex had already decided to make it a present for her Aunt Cil.
    Her Aunt could probably make a mask such as this one in her sleep, but Alex was hoping she’d like it anyway. Things hadn’t exactly been easy between them lately. A peace offering was definitely in order.
    Something in the pocket of Declan’s coat was vibrating. Without looking, she fished out the phone and offered it to him.
    “It’s ringing.”
    Declan put down the hand-shaped ring holder he’d been inspecting and took the cell from her. He checked the ID and smiled.
    “I have to take this,” he said, pushing back his barstool. “Will you be okay for a few?”
    Alex eyed Jessica warily, but nodded. “Sure.”
    He walked over to Coach Roberts’ desk and asked her for a bathroom pass.
    Thirty seconds later, Declan was gone and Coach Roberts disappeared into the kiln room.
    Jessica had her opportunity.
    Alex tried to focus on the lines of the glaze decorating the mask. A swirl here, an outline around the eyes and—
    “Now that your boyfriend’s gone,” Jessica’s saccharine sweet voice whispered in her ear, “how about you and I have a little chat?”
    Perching herself on the edge of Declan’s vacant barstool, Jessica leaned in close to Alex. The cloying scent of her perfume clouded the air around them.
    Alex set her jaw, but