I set my cup on the coffee table. “What happened to me?”
“Adverse reaction to the tincture, it seems,” Clary said. “Like an allergic reaction, at least that’s what Darla thinks. Although it’s never happened before. She checked in on you several times until she was satisfied that your pulse and heart rate were normal, and that you weren’t going to suddenly stop breathing.”
“Vitra was pissed,” Dori said, eyes going round. “You should have heard him telling Darla off. It was kinda terrifying, and poor Darla looked as if she were going to cry.”
That hardly seemed fair to Darla. “It’s not her fault. How was she to know how I’d react?”
“Right?” Dori agreed. “That’s what we said. But he refused to leave until Darla assured him your vitals were steady.”
He’d come back to check on me and stayed, huh? Did it matter that much to him if I lived or died? Or maybe there was a penalty if I died on his watch. “Good to see that he’s taking his mentoring role seriously.”
Clary buttered a slice of toast and took a huge bite, and my stomach reminded me once again that I’d missed lunch and supper yesterday.
I grabbed a plate and began loading it up with toast, bacon, and eggs. “Why can’t we eat here all the time instead of trekking to the Main Building?”
“I dunno,” Benedict answered around a mouthful of food. “Rules are that meals are to be taken in the Main Building unless we’re sick or the weather is too bad to make the trip.”
“I’m assuming breakfast has been provided because I fall under the sick category?”
“Must be so,” Dori said. “This wonderful spread was here when we woke a little while ago.”
Benedict raised a slice of toast and winked a kohl-rimmed eye. “Thanks for that.”
We ate in silence for several minutes, and I lost myself in the simple pleasure of a cooked meal. The bacon was crispy, the toast thick and delicious when lathered with butter, and the scrambled eggs were fluffy and flavorsome.
The gnawing in my stomach ebbed.
“So, what are you going to do today?” Clary asked me. “You have a free day, don’t you?”
My unexpectedly long sleep had stolen my chance to plan. I shrugged. “No idea.”
“How about you come to class with us?” Clary clapped her hands together as if it were the most exciting idea ever.
I stared at her, deadpan. “How about no.”
Benedict snorted into his coffee cup.
Clary’s face fell, and I immediately felt like a bitch. She was trying to be nice after all. “I’m sorry, that came out wrong. I must still be under the effects of the tincture.”
“Nice save,” Benedict muttered.
I ignored him and continued. “I don’t want to come to classes, but Iwillcome to the Main Building with you guys. I could do with exploring to get my bearings.”
“And tonight, we can take you to Coral Isle!” Benedict said. “You can get a look at the arena before your date with Tamina.” He arched a brow, a slight smirk on his lips.
Was he hoping that I’d see a few fights and get put off? “Sounds lovely.”
Dori drained her cup. “We’ve got to leave in fifteen. Can you be ready, Ana?”
I looked down at my rumpled uniform. I did have another to alternate, but I’d rather get this one washed and pressed before I risked the spare set. With the shitty luck I’d been having since getting here, I wouldn’t be surprised if I was targeted again and ended up bloody, muddy, or both.
“I don’t have to wear a uniform on my day off, do I?”
“Nope,” Clary said. “You can pop the clothes you want washed down the laundry chute in the hall. I’ll show you.”
We gathered up the plates, popping them onto the trays they’d been delivered on, ready for the SDA to collect, before dispersing to our bedrooms to get ready.
I quickly washed, then changed into wide-legged trousers and a thick tunic top with a wide belt. My wool coat went nicely with the outfit, and my ankle boots finished off the ensemble.
