‘I mean – I could help you if you want?’ Xavier offers. ‘I’ll be charging mine tonight after dinner, if you two want to join me?’
‘Oh look, the rejects are making friends,’ Moira sneers as she walks past, flicking her red ponytail over her shoulder.
My eyes roll so far back, I’m surprised they don’t get stuck.
‘Do you have something to say, Nocthare?’ Moira steps forward, coming toe to toe with me. She’s taller than me by at least four inches so, much to my dismay, I have to look up at her. She has the same blue eyes as Xavier, but while his have a warm softness right in the centre of them, hers are icy as she scrutinises me.
I don’t get the chance to respond, though, because a small curly head fills my vision as Tilly pushes herself in between Moira and me.
‘I find it rather ironic that you’re calling my friends rejects. Wasn’t ityourfather who was recently stood down from his post in the guard?’ Moira’s eyes widen at Tilly’s words. ‘You walk around here with a chip on your shoulder but what would everyone think if they knew all the terribly bad things dear old Daddy Davis has been up to, huh?’
‘Y-you have no idea what you’re talking about,’ Moira stutters, taking a step back, and I relish the way her face pales. Beside me, Xavier is stifling a grin.
‘I could relay them for you if you forgot,’ Tilly holds up a finger. ‘First there was the issue with the brothel, and then the—’
‘Keep your mouth shut about my family!’ Moira seethes at Tilly, shoving a finger in her face. From the corner of my eye, I see a flicker of orange. I look down and spot Moira’s other hand glowing with wisps of flame. They dance around her fingertips, flickering in and out as if she can’t control them.
I instinctively step closer, as does Xavier. Together we form a wall behind Tilly, who, much to my surprise, holds her ground, even though she’s significantly smaller than the redhead. I tell myself there’s no way Moira would use her element on Tilly in a hallway right outside a classroom. It would be stupidly reckless but also forbidden. But then again, I don’t know Moira well at all, so I fix my eyes on that hand of hers.
‘No, Davis. You keepyoursshut aroundmyfriends. Or I’ll fill every corner of this academy with every scrap of information I have on your father, and if you even think of retaliating, just remember who my aunt is.’
Well, shit. My friend is a little spitfire beneath her freckles and curls.
Moira’s eyes dart between the three of us. I can practically see the cogs turning in her head as she sizes up her competition, but it’s three against one now. She seems to realise that, because the flames die in her hand.
‘Watch your back, Revlock,’ she snarls at Tilly then turns her glacial eyes on me. ‘I’ll see how tough you are in Combat class without your friends, Nocthare.’
We watch her strut away in silence, but the moment she’s out of eyesight, Xavier and I whirl on Tilly.
‘You’re Jenna Revlock’s niece?!’ Xavier asks.
‘You little badass.’ I laugh, pride swelling inside me.
‘That was the best thing I’ve ever seen,’ Xavier adds, grinning from ear to ear.
Tilly’s head tips back in a groan. ‘I’m going to be insomuch trouble if my aunt finds out I said that about Harmon Davis! Holy shit, I don’t know what came over me.’ Her hands shoot to cover her mouth, but her eyes are dancing with delight.
‘And here I was thinking you were all sunshine and flowers. You’ve got a nasty streak, and I like it.’ I poke her arm.
She snorts, batting my hand away playfully and Stars, it feels good to do this. Laugh.
‘Moira won’t say a thing,’ Xavier reassures Tilly. ‘It would mean bringing up my uncle’s secrets, and there’s no way she’d bring any more light to that than necessary.’
‘What’d he do, anyway?’ I ask, curious as hell to know what the big deal is.
Tilly scopes the almost empty hallway before answering in a whisper. ‘I don’t know the full extent, but I heard some horrible things happenedat a handful of pleasure houses near the war camps. He was assaulting the workers and using his element on them, the fucking sadist. The madame of one of the pleasure houses apparently has a lot of sway with the general, and when she put in a complaint, Harmon Davis was called in. Word spread and a handful of lower-class warriors piped up and shared that Davis has been pushing his weight around in the camps too, burning younger warriors to “toughen them up” even though it’s against the law to use an element on another soldier unless in training and on even ground.’
From the corner of my eye, I spot Xavier touching his forearm through his shirt.
‘That’s disgusting,’ I say, appalled. ‘So, what’s happening now? He must be getting punished, right?’ I’m starting to get a better understanding of why Moira is the way she is – she’s rooted from bad people. I wonder how close his son fell from the rotten tree, and if that’s why he did what he did to Xavier. Did Lukas know about this? The vile things his fellow student did? Was he friends with the older Davis student?
Tilly nods. ‘From what my aunt said, he’s facing a trial and has been relieved of any duties until further notice.’
I look up at Xavier, who hasn’t said a word for a moment, and I wince when I see his face has gone ashen and his light blue eyes have a faraway look in them.
‘Xavier? Are you all right?’
His chin dips. ‘Yeah. Just thinking we should probably get going if we don’t want to be late for our next classes.’
