Chapter 6
Chapter Six
Quinnelle leads me to the mess hall, giving me a rundown of mealtimes. The cavernous space features a large dining area packed with wooden tables and benches, each long enough to seat at least twelve bodies. The resulting cacophony caused by the chatter and rustling and clanking forks of all these people scrapes my nerves. I resist the desire to slap my palms over my ears. Too many eyes glue onto our arrival, and I long to slip in the shadows like I often did back home whenever Mother hosted a party.
Not everyone watches. Some people ignore us, focusing on their meals and conversations. But far too many stare with open curiosity, or worse, leer and shoot me dirty glares. Whispers track our progress as Quinnelle guides me to a table with an open seat at one end.
Quinnelle gestures to a young woman with auburn hair swept back in a low bun. “This is Fledgling Holte, one of your roommates.”
I recognize the surname. The Holtes are one of the long-standing noble families, though that designation could be in jeopardy. From the rumors I’ve heard back home, they support our king while maintaining tentative ties with the kingdom of Kamor. Due to clashes in the past, Aclaris is on shaky terms with both Kamor and Tirene. It doesn’t help that Kamor seeks to exploit our natural resources and keeps raising the prices on food exports, which we desperately need given our recent struggles with failing crops.
The young noble flashes me a smile so warm that her eyes crinkle at the corners. “Please, call me Olive. You must be Leesa’s sister.”
Her friendly greeting loosens a knot in my gut. “Yes. I’m Lark.”
Quinnelle introduces me to several others at the table. I think. I can’t tell for sure because overwhelm mode strikes and her words swim beyond my grasp. Rubbing my damp palms on my trousers, I scan the nearby faces. Two men sit across from each other on the far side of Olive, casting interested glances at me before returning to their conversation. Olive turns to the one closest to her and, while she’s distracted, the sandy-haired man with twinkling blue eyes sitting beside her snatches a roll from her plate. He tears a piece off, pops the sustenance in his mouth, and returns the half-eaten bread to her plate with a wink.
The teasing gesture, so reminiscent of Leesa and my interactions at the dinner table, soothes my buzzing nerves. I raise my eyebrows, and he lifts a finger to his lips.
Finished speaking with Olive and another fledgling, Quinnelle addresses me again. “Any questions?”
Plenty, but I lie since I don’t even know where to begin. “I’m okay for now.” At her pointed stare, I add, “Flyer Quinnelle.”
These titles are going to take some getting used to.
“Excellent.” Quinnelle nods at Olive. “Fledgling Holte has agreed to show you the ropes.”
After Quinnelle leaves, Olive shows me where to grab food. Tonight’s meal is some type of savory stew, along with hunks of brown bread and butter. I sit across from her and take a bite of my dinner.
“What the hell, Theo?” Olive slaps the back of the blue-eyed fledgling’s head. “I know I still had a whole roll left.”
Although she’s glaring, her lips quiver like she’s fighting a smile.
“Ouch!” Theo rubs his head, his eyes wide. “Why do you automatically blame me ?”
“Oh, I don’t know,” she narrows her eyes, “maybe because you have a habit of eating other people’s food?”
“Fair point.” He chokes out a laugh, pushing back from the table. “I’ll get you another one.”
“You’d better.” Olive shakes her head and takes a sip of her drink. “Don’t let him fool you. Theo Everheart’s a pain in the ass sometimes, but he’s the kind of guy who’ll always have your back.”
“Good to know.” I eye his retreating form. He’s tall and muscular. Attractive in a boy next door sort of way.
Once Theo returns with not one but two rolls, we resume eating, and I enjoy the atmosphere of comradery and easy banter around us.
Out of the handful of people I’ve met here, Theo and Olive are by far the friendliest. Down-to-earth, genial, and unpretentious, Olive is unlike any of the nobles I’ve met at my mother’s soirees and dinners.
As I finish my stew, the hair on the back of my neck prickles. I send a casual glance around the table and find cold brown eyes staring back at me.
The fledgling a few seats over from Theo was in the crowd during my humiliating encounter earlier with the gorgeous jackass of a man.
He runs a hand through thick brown hair, and I try not to gawk at his muscled arms. Even under his uniform, I can tell those massive limbs could probably snap my neck as easily as I might snap a dry twig.
Note to self. Don’t piss this guy off.
I take a deep breath, forcing myself to relax. “I don’t think we’ve met. I’m?—”
“I know who you are.” Underneath his narrow-eyed scrutiny, I resist the urge to squirm. “You’re Leesa’s sister, though I can’t say you look much alike.” A sneer tells me his comparison doesn’t land in my favor. “Wouldn’t surprise me if you end up like her.”
What in the hells is that supposed to mean? I straighten, my heartbeat accelerating. “End up like her? Do you know what happened? Where she is?”
His shrug kills the awakening hope in my chest. “I’ve heard different theories, but it wouldn’t surprise me if she deserted.”
Deserted? Not my sister. “What makes you say that?”
“What else could have happened to her?” He drains his cup, setting the vessel on the table with a clatter. “There were no signs of a struggle or foul play.”
Despite his arrogance, relief floods through me. Just like the letter said, my sister simply…disappeared. Which has to mean she’s still alive somewhere. I refuse to believe otherwise.
Across from the hulking fledgling, someone snorts. “I have a different theory.”
Even in drab uniform, the woman is beautiful, with ivory skin, striking features, and high cheekbones. Her shiny, braided black hair wraps around the crown of her head.
I swallow hard. “Oh?”
She nods, throwing the massive man a condescending sneer. “Don’t listen to Elijah. I heard she ran off with a Tirenese soldier.”
Tirenese? How would Leesa meet someone like that in the first place at Flighthaven? “Why would she do that?”
A memory of the winged man’s attack near the tavern steals the warmth from my bones. Leesa would never engage in a cordial exchange with a monster like that, let alone betray our kingdom by running off with one.
“How would I know? We weren’t that close.” Her haughty tone reminds me of some of my mother’s friends. “But with the way she was always sneaking around…keeping secrets…it makes the most sense.”
The flicker of emotion lighting her eyes vanishes so quickly, I wonder if I imagined the spark. My heart races as all kinds of scenarios play out in my mind. I barely notice when Elijah and the raven-haired fledgling leave the table.
“Hey,” Olive flashes me a sympathetic smile, “don’t pay any attention to those two. They’re just trying to ruffle your feathers. Besides, it’s all speculation.”
“I know. I just…” I want to find my sister, but dumping all my worries on someone I met a mere half hour ago won’t help. Toying with my half-eaten bread, I nibble my lower lip. “Who are they, anyway?”
Olive lifts an eyebrow. “Where were you when Quinnelle told you their names?”
“Apparently lost in my own head.”
“Can’t blame you there. This is a lot to take in.” She wipes her hands on her napkin. “Those are some of the other nobles. Elijah Durand and Helene Mortimer.”
That further confirms my belief that Olive is the nicest noble I’ve ever met. Leesa excluded, of course.
“Well, aren’t they a delight?” I make a face, doing my best to hide how the inhospitable reception from my peers bothers me. It’s one meeting, though. There will be plenty of chances to win them over. “I get the impression they’re not thrilled I’m here.”
“Don’t take it personally.” Olive rolls her eyes. “They’re not crazy about me either.”
I can only imagine. Life as the daughter of Kamor sympathizers can’t be easy. “Politics?”
“Something like that.”
“Oh, good. You two are still here.” Helene returns, balancing three small dishes. “I brought dessert.”
Olive squints at the other woman. “Why?”
“It’s a peace offering.” Helene sets a bowl and spoon in front of each of us before sitting on my right. “Since we have to train together, we might as well get along.”
As the black-haired fledgling takes a bite of her dessert and launches into a new technique she learned in combat training, I start to feel a little bit guilty. Maybe I misjudged her. Helene wasn’t actually rude to me, just…abrupt.
Olive gives an almost imperceptible shrug and digs into what appears to be custard. “This is pretty good.”
I’d been too nervous to eat more than a bowl of stew, but I’m starting to relax. With a friend or two in my corner, I just might make it through my next month at Flighthaven without a nervous breakdown.
“Okay, you’ve twisted my arm.” Picking up my spoon, I scoop a large bite of the dessert. The thick, creamy custard, with its delicious vanilla flavor, melts on my tongue. “Wow, this is good.”
Helene smiles. “Right?”
The faint bitter aftertaste doesn’t register until I swallow a second spoonful. I frown. “What’s…”
My tongue stops working.
My hand halts mid-air, the spoon halfway to the dish.
My entire body seizes, muscles locking up and freezing as if I’m encased in ice. I can’t move, blink, or speak.
I can’t even suck air into my rigid lungs.
Panic swallows me.
Oh, gods. I’m going to die.
“Lark? Lark, are you okay?” When I don’t respond, Olive shoots a murderous glare at Helene. “For Gallora’s sakes! What did you do?”
My heart’s racing so fast, I’m afraid it’ll explode. Whether that’s from my ratcheting anxiety or whatever I just ate, I don’t know. I just know my lungs are on fire, and I’m helpless. My vision blurs. I can’t breathe. Is this what happened to my sister?
Leesa, I’m sorry.
I barely notice when Helene rises and lowers her mouth to my ear. “Welcome to Flighthaven, newbie. Why don’t you run along to the commander and beg to be reassigned? We both know you won’t hack it here.”
She pats my shoulder and starts to walk away, pausing to glance over her shoulder. “Oh, and if you tell anyone about this, I’ll make your life miserable.”
Olive rises too. “Helene, tell me what you did. What the hells is wrong with you?”
The sharp ring of Helene’s laughter cuts through my panic. “Don’t be so dramatic. She’ll be fine in a minute.”
My lungs scream. A minute? I’m not sure I can last that long.
“What a bitch.” Olive drops back onto the bench beside me, her soulful brown eyes brimming with concern. “Try to relax.” She shifts on the seat, and I think she’s rubbing my back, but I still can’t feel anything. “It’s okay. You’re going to be fine.”
What if I’m not fine?
I shake off the thought, willing my galloping heart to slow.
As the seconds drag by, dark spots dance in front of my eyes. My vision darkens, and thoughts dissolve in my oxygen-starved brain.
This is it. I’m going to ? —
A huge tremor wracks my body, releasing my muscles from their prison. Gasping, I fight to suck air into my tortured lungs. I inhale one deep breath. And then another. And another.
“Easy.” Relief laces Olive’s voice. “Slow down, or you’ll hyperventilate.”
My limbs tingle, as if thousands of tiny needles are prickling my skin. I move my fingers and wiggle my toes, taking more deep, slow breaths until the awful sensation fades. “Does this happen often?”
She sighs. “Having some kind of toxin put in your food? Or hazing in general?”
“Both, I guess.”
“The food toxin is a new one for me.” She gestures toward my barely touched dessert. “And usually, it’s the commoners who do the most hazing. Nobles typically don’t haze other nobles, but at Flighthaven, you just never know.”
I wrinkle my nose. “Aren’t there rules against this sort of thing?”
She grimaces. “There are rules, but they only apply if you get caught…or rat someone out. And trust me, you don’t want to do that.”
Her shudder tells me what her words don’t. “No ratting. Got it.”
A quick scan of the mess hall forces Olive’s request home. So many unfriendly faces in the crowd. Could one of them be responsible for Leesa’s disappearance?
I rub the back of my neck. “Please tell me Helene’s room’s on the opposite side of the dorms from ours.”
Olive grimaces. “About that…”
I groan. “By the gods, tell me she’s not our other roommate.”
“Okay. I won’t tell you that.”
I sigh. Unbelievable. What are the odds that the person who attacked me within my first hour at Flighthaven is one of my two roommates?
Olive squirms, her displeasure at being the bearer of bad news written across her delicate face. Not wanting her to fret on my account, I manage a weak joke. “If you tell me she snores, too, that’s it. I’m running away.”
Her expression lightens, making my effort worthwhile. “The snoring isn’t terrible. Promise.”
After reassuring Olive that I’m fine, I tell her I need a little alone time to settle in before trudging toward the dormitory alone.
Students mill about and converse. As I approach, several cast furtive glances at me and start whispering.
A freckled fledgling with a boyish face elbows his buddy. “Who comes to Flighthaven in a dress ?”
His tall, wiry friend snorts. “What do you expect from a noble? Probably thought she was going to a party.”
Great. Apparently, more people than I thought witnessed my humiliating arrival.
While the whispers and heckles go on and on, I do my best to tune them out.
Once in the dorm room, I glance around to make sure I’m alone. Then I flop onto my bed. After the day I’ve had, I don’t even care that the mattress is thin and uncomfortable. Fatigue and helplessness threaten to overwhelm me, and I push back against both.
Maybe Olive was right, and Helene’s prank was just hazing. Even so, I’m not sure I’m up for a rematch in our room tonight. If I’m lucky, she has after-dinner plans elsewhere and I’ll be fast asleep by the time she returns.
Welcome to Flighthaven, newbie.
Helene’s venomous words ricochet through my head, sparking an image of her malicious, onyx eyes.
But why? Why do that when I’d done nothing to her? Does she get off on cruelty, or is it because I sat with Olive? Or did it have something to do with Helene’s remark about Leesa sneaking around…about secrets? Does Helene know more than she’s letting on about my sister? Someone in my fledgling class must. I refuse to believe that Leesa vanished without a trace and not a single person at Flighthaven has an inkling of what happened.
To find Leesa, I need to survive this place. Too bad that every minute I’m here makes survival seem like more of an insurmountable challenge.
Dread crawls down my spine as my eyelids droop and drift shut.