A bitter laugh escapes me. As much as I hated the Ivy, I would give just about anything to go back just so I could be with Kage and Ziv again. I slam my fist down on the table, and the area around us falls silent. I’ve done exactly what I didn’t want—attracted everyone’s attention. There’s nothing I can do about it now but deal with it. “I don’t know how you arrived at this icy hellhole, but the dragon who brought me didn’t offer a roundtrip.”
Whispers of the word “dragon”fill the space around us. Jovi narrows her eyes even more. If glares could kill, she’d be murdering me right now. “Too bad he didn’t drop you.”
“I guess I’m just lucky that way.” I don’t admit I felt the same way at times when I was in isolation after it left me here.
Tank surprises me when he places his hands on the table between us, separating us. You wouldn’t think someone his size could easily sneak up on you, but it just shows how I let Jovidistract me. “Save it for the training field,” he grits out through clenched teeth.
I shovel another bite of sawdust mush into my mouth, not looking away from Jovi. “Sorry, Tank,” Oshea murmurs as if this is her fault, and maybe it is for inviting me to sit with her and her crew.
Jovi pushes her plate away, causing small bits of food to slop onto the tabletop. I can’t help but think what a waste it is as I clean my plate. I wonder if she’s ever gone hungry. If she has, then she should know what a stupid move it is to refuse food.
When my plate is clean, I rise. “You don’t have to go,” Oshea pleads, glancing at Jovi.
“I do, but thank you for the invite.” I don’t want to dismiss her kindness, even if it backfired on both of us. It’s easy enough to spot the wash bin and drop off my plate on my way toward the door. Walking out of this room is probably stupid, but I just can’t stand feeling everyone’s eyes on me for a second longer. It makes me want to crawl out of my skin, and that’s not an option.
No one tries to stop me from leaving as I exit the tavern. When I get into the hall and the door snaps closed behind me, I let out a long breath and roll my head on my shoulders. Sleeping on a bed helped with my achiness, but I’m so damn tense, every muscle in my back is rigid, so it wouldn’t matter if I slept on a cloud.
I let my eyes roam around the wide hall, wondering if there’s a place nearby I can hide out and wait for the rest of the group to leave so I can tag along behind them. There are no helpful signs directing me to the training field or anywhere else for that matter, so I take a leap and head to the left with the intent not to go too far so I don’t miss the others leaving.
The knowledge that Oshea shared about the elites taking over the bathrooms near the tavern is fresh in my mind when I notice the doors lining the hall. It wouldn’t be smart to bargeinto the rooms for several reasons, so I continue down the hall. After making my way to the end, where it splits to go right or left, taking me too far from the tavern, I meander back the way I came, stopping in front of the closed doors.
After a quick examination, I note that only one of the four has a keyhole, meaning three should be unlocked. My hand is on one of the knobs before I can talk myself out of it, twisting it open. I’m not dumb enough to shove my head inside without knowing what’s behind it, so I push it the rest of the way open while holding my breath and spy a… closet, or a room small enough to be considered one anyway. It’s just deep enough for the door to swing all the way open, but upon further inspection, I realize it’s at least twice as wide. Shelves line the side walls, and most are empty except for the thick layer of dust gathering on the wood. The few that aren’t bare hold weathered boxes in various sizes.
Taking a quick peek down the hall and finding it empty, I step over the threshold and promptly sneeze several times. When I finally straighten, a chill works its way up my spine. Without even turning around, I know there’s someone or something behind me. My gut is churning, but not in the usual nervous manner. A sliver of hope unfurls, making my heart pound hard against my chest. I know this feeling, and it’s not fear—it’s anticipation.
I turn my head, expecting to find Kage or Ziv, but what I find has me spinning around fully and stumbling back, nearly colliding with the wall behind me. The hall is empty, yet the feeling that someone should be there lingers. “Kage?” I question, stepping forward, thinking he may be in his shadow form, but there’s no response.
I rush into the hall, only for the sense of familiarity to disappear. The heavy feeling of loss nearly cripples me. I seriously consider walking back into the closet and closing thedoor. I wonder how long it would take before someone found me.
The door to the tavern opens, letting out a din of chatter. It proves my presence was a hindrance to everyone inside, because there wasn’t any vibrant conversation while I was with them.
I shut the door to the closet quietly, then I make my way toward their group, welcome or not. It’s a much better option than hiding inside and feeling sorry for myself.
BRIAR
Tank leads the group to what I’m assuming is the training field. It doesn’t seem all that different from the arena at the Ivy, only smaller. After a quick scan of the space, I spot Hawk standing in the center of a ring as if he’s been waiting for my arrival.Great.
My breakfast churns in my gut, but I don’t look away. I hoped what happened last night would keep me safe from him for a few days at least, but now I’m not so sure.
I don’t have to look to my left to know Oshea is standing next to me. I’m not sure if she’s here for silent support, or if she’s just here to watch the shit show that seems inevitable.
A male walks toward Hawk, blocking him from my view, and I take the chance to get the hell out of his direct line of sight. “What are we supposed to be doing?” I question Oshea while moving closer to our group.
“Training,” she answers without giving me any real information.
“I kind of figured that part,” I snap. “Do we just do anything we want?”
“Pretty much. It’s just warm-ups until the elites get here, then we break up into groups and work on our discipline while the tutors watch.”
We’re mingled in with our bunkmates, but I swear I can feel eyes on me again. Hawk probably already found me. I choose to ignore the crawling feeling up my back. “How do we know what discipline we’re assigned to?”
“You mean what tutor you’re assigned to?”
Not really, but we can go with that. “Yeah.”
“What’s your power?”
I would really like to avoid answering, but I also need to know who I’m supposed to be working with. “Mental?” I sound completely unsure, but Oshea doesn’t seem to pick up on it. She actually smiles.
