Chapter 33
Elias
Arthur’s eyes follow Terra until she’s hidden in the forest. He doesn’t seem at all concerned about Edgar’s Shadow decimating the trees as it blazes toward the mountains.
“Aren’t you going to ensure no one tries to escape?” he says absently as he stares in the direction of the students.
I grin and nod. “Yeah, but I like to let them get a bit of a head start first. You know me. There’s no fun in it if I can’t hunt them a bit. Velis prefers it that way.”
Arthur breaks his stare and gives me a frown. “You know, being barbaric won’t hide your pain from me.”
My jaw tightens and I fist my hands at my sides. “Shut up. You don’t see anything when you look at me. No one sees anything.”
His brows arch and a surprised grin pulls at his mouth. “How odd. Since when did you try so hard to mask it?” he murmurs, pulling out his notebook and scrawling something in it lazily. “By the way, we plan on casting Edgar’s powers in two weeks. We need a bit of time to collect enough power. You should prepare for it as well.” I level him an indifferent look. Since when did I agree to help? “You’d best be off then.”
“You sure two weeks isn’t too far off? Did you see his Shadow? Kallos’s cast broke weeks ago.” Arthur just lifts a shoulder and writes more down in his journal.
Whatever, it’s not my problem. It’s only my problem when it’s time to put them down.
Velis pools from my skin and is at my side in a second. I mount it and I’m off hunting the stragglers. There are always a few that try to escape. I get it, this seems like it’d be the best time to try, but that’s sort of the point.
Velis picks up on a Polaris student ten meters out of the boundaries like a hunting hound, veering to the left and increasing its speed until a dark green cloak becomes visible. The student turns and catches sight of me, his eyes rounding with fear.
I don’t enjoy this.
Not at all. I’d prefer hunting Darkflies.
I raise my hand over the figure and close my fist over him. His head flies off cleanly, blood spiraling in the chilly spring air. A soft toppling sound thuds in the distance. I don’t look as Velis redirects its attention to the next rule-breaking student, leagues away in a different direction.
All I can think about are Arthur’s words. Since when did you try so hard to mask it? Haven’t I always? Does it show more now? I shut my eyes and let the lull of Velis’s steps take my mind elsewhere.
The second exam is near and I’d rather be anywhere else.