27. Kaia
The knock on my door this morning isn't so much a knock as it is a battering ram of impatience wrapped in noise.
"Kaia!" Finn's voice booms through the wood, too loud for this hour. "Open up! I know you're in there!"
I groan and bury my face deeper into my pillow. If I ignore him, maybe he'll evaporate into the ether.
"Don't make me break down the door," Finn threatens, though he sounds more amused than serious. "Because I will. And then Malrik will lecture me, and I don't think either of us wants that."
Mouse growls softly from his perch near the window, and my shadows twist protectively around the bed. Bob hovers near the door like he's sizing it up for barricade duty.
"Fine!" Finn's voice grows dramatically tragic. "If this is how it ends, so be it. Alone, abandoned—left to wallow in ignorance. Oh, the humanity!"
The door bursts open.
"What the—?" I sit up, blinking as Finn practically dances into the room, his energy exploding into the space like a rogue spell.
"Where were you last night?" he demands, dropping onto the foot of my bed with all the grace of a sandbag. My shadows scatter in irritation, and Bob ripples indignantly as Finn’s sock-clad foot nearly lands on him.
"Sleeping?" I reply, still groggy.
"Liar," Finn snorts, bouncing slightly on the mattress. His hair’s a mess, his shirt half-tucked, and his socks don’t match.
Quick footsteps in the hallway cut through his interrogation, and Aspen appears in the doorway, breathing a little harder than usual.
"Finn, you can’t just—" Aspen takes in the scene and sighs. "Of course you already broke in."
"I knocked!" Finn says, throwing himself backward across my feet like an indignant cat.
"That wasn't knocking," a deeper voice chimes from behind Aspen. Torric fills the doorway like an impenetrable wall, still glistening from morning training. "That was an assault on architecture."
"What are you doing here?" I ask Torric, pulling my legs away from Finn.
"Following him," Torric answers with a jerk of his thumb. "Besides, we all saw you when you came in last night."
"I told you I’m fine!"
"Then why were upset when you came in last night?" Finn asks, propping himself up on his elbows.
"I wasn’t—"
"She was with Darian," another voice cuts in. Malrik steps into view, his silver eyes pinning me like a spotlight. Unlike the others, he looks composed, which somehow makes the accusation worse.
Silence falls. Even Finn stills.
"How do you know that?" I ask, my voice sharper than intended.
Malrik doesn’t flinch. "I know a lot of things. Like how Darian isn’t who he pretends to be."
"What’s that supposed to mean?" Torric demands, his presence heating the room like a spark ready to ignite.
"It means," Malrik says, voice calm but dangerous, "our new transfer has an agenda. One that involves Kaia."
Finn sits up straight, all playfulness gone. "Okay, cryptic shadow man, maybe try being clear for once?"
"I am being clear," Malrik replies, finally stepping fully into the room. Each deliberate step makes my shadows shiver. "Darian is working with someone who wants to use Kaia’s power."
My shadows twist uneasily at his words. Bob stretches toward Malrik, seeking confirmation, while Mouse flattens his ears.
"That’s ridiculous," I say, but my voice wavers. "He’s helping me train. Professor Thorne assigned—"
"Thorne?" Aspen interrupts, his usual calm cracking. "The same professor who’s been pushing you harder than anyone? The one who specifically requested Darian as your training partner?"
"You’re all paranoid," I snap, throwing off my blanket and standing. "I can take care of myself."
"Can you?" Malrik asks quietly, his gaze shifting but unreadable. "We’re just worried about you."
I glance down. My shadows coil tightly around my legs, their patterns jagged and unfamiliar. Even Bob looks agitated.
"This is insane," I mutter, running a hand through my hair. "Since when does what I do concern you?"
"It matters.” He states, ignoring my objections. “Some of us pay attention," Malrik says, his gaze flicking briefly to Finn, who straightens defensively.
Torric grunts, "If Darian’s a threat—"
"We don’t know that," I cut in.
"If he’s a threat," Torric continues, ignoring me too, "we need to do something."
"Like what?" Finn asks, standing. "Challenge him to a duel? That went great last time."
"Last time?" I look between them. "What last time?"
The silence thickens. Finn and Malrik exchange a look, and dread twists in my gut.
"What aren’t you telling me?" I demand.
Before anyone can answer, the bell for first period tolls, its low chime breaking the tension.
"We’ll be late," Aspen says, though he doesn’t move.
"Then we’ll be late," Malrik replies, his eyes still on me. "This is more important."
"More important than what?"
A new voice answers. "Training, of course."
I whirl to find Darian standing in the doorway, as polished and unreadable as ever. His pleasant smile feels more like a mask, and my shadows recoil beneath the bed. The guys tense around me, how he managed to sneak up on them is beyond me.
Darian’s gaze sweeps the room before settling on me, heat growing in them as he takes me in, still in my pajamas. "Professor Thorne is waiting for us."
"She’s not going," Malrik says.
"I wasn’t aware you made her decisions," Darian replies smoothly.
"He doesn’t," I say sharply, grabbing my bag. "And I don’t need anyone to."
"Kaia—" Aspen starts, but I cut him off. "No. Next time you want a group meeting about me, try inviting me first." I glare at them. “Now, get out!”
I’m probably acting like a toddler not getting their way but I need them out and I need to get moving if we’re going to make it to training anytime soon.
Finn’s voice cuts through the tension as he stands in front of me. "Your shadows are screaming," he says softly. "But you’re not listening."
Something in his tone makes me pause. My shadows twist beneath me, sharp and anxious.
Darian breaks the moment. "We should go," he says. "Thorne doesn’t like to wait."
I glance at the others. Malrik’s expression is unreadable, but his eyes burn with worry. Finn’s usual grin is gone, replaced by something deadly serious. The twins stand close, Aspen calm, Torric bristling.
"Fine," I say. "But this isn’t over."
"No," Malrik replies, his gaze locked on Darian. "It isn’t."
The close the door behind them and I quickly dress for the day. Sometimes uniforms are a godsend, I don’t have to think about what to wear from the few crappy pieces in my wardrobe.
I make my way down to the common room where they’re all waiting, talking in hushed tones but you can still feel the tension radiating through the room. Darian’s hand lands on the small of my back as leads me from the room, and I swear I hear Finn mutter something about Bob being right all along. But that's ridiculous. Isn't it?