Chapter 29 #2
“I need to…touch you to help. Is that okay?” His nose scrunches slightly with his words, and the small expression has a smile stretching my cheeks. It was an expression I’m sure he would never show in class. Something more casual, cute even.
I stifle a laugh and give him a small nod, his own face softening with my grin.
He wipes away the dried blood and dirt around my legs, cleaning them with some disinfectant. His touch is slow and careful, and gentle so as not to hurt me. But concern pinches at his brows with each new mark and wound he finds.
He takes my hands in his, cleaning the small scratches around them but his movements quickly freeze when he reaches my wrists.
Tension radiates from every pore on his body as he goes rigid. His eyes turn cold and hard, with a darker look in them than when he first found me.
He gently pulls my cuffs up further and I flinch.
I had forgotten about the rope marks and how raw my skin was from them. They looked almost blistered now with small parts of my skin peeling from the friction of forcing myself free.
I try to pull my hands away, but he takes them in his, gently cradling them in his large hands. His fingers gently hover above the raw skin before his gaze turns up toward me, his forest green eyes turning a darker shade as he grits out, “ Who? ”
The anger in that one word has a shiver rolling down my spine.
He must notice, because a moment later he releases my hand; his chest slightly swelling and deflating as a look of confliction wars within his gaze.
He turns back toward me with a look of almost desperation etched in them as he opens his mouth again, but I cut him off.
“I’ll be fine. By tomorrow there won’t even be a mark.”His brows slightly furrow with my words before quickly straightening out again. His stare falls toward my wrists and feet again as I continue. “Everything will be okay–”
“No.” His face hardens again as he shakes his head. “Whoever did this to you can’t be let off.”He leans in toward me again as his fingers gently brush along my wrists. The contact sends a small tingle down my back. “Anything… anything could have happened to you…”
The thought seems to take a little breath from his chest as his eyes close for a brief second before opening once again.
“I’ll never go down without a fight. And I’ll make sure they can never do this to me again.” I meet his deep green eyes, “You may not want to hear this as a teacher…”
He gently takes my wrists in his hands and turns his gaze to the forest beyond us.“With what I feel right now, I would do things a teacher shouldn’t…and not regret them.” He turns his gaze back to me and freezes.
I hadn’t realised I had leaned in closer when he turned away, our faces now sitting just inches from one another.
I feel the slight inhale of breath he takes as our eyes meet, something quickly flickering across his face before he turns away.
“I’ll help.” Before I can protest his words, he pulls himself away and stands. “I’ll train you so that no-one will ever be able to touch you, let alone hurt you like this again.”
* * *
Gadriel wasn’t kidding with the training. If I thought he was pushing me before, I was wrong. Now it was like he was in constant battle mode with endless sparring sessions, only stopping to eat or sleep.
He had also stayed in the academy over the weekend, training with me all day and even having our meals together. I think he might have been worried about the chance of another attack happening and was keeping an eye on me, too.
Truthfully, I enjoyed his company. There was more to him than just the ‘ Defence teacher’ or the ‘ Elven instructor from the Valor clan’.
And with each training session and meal, he showed me a new expression; a small smile, a slight chuckle or a soft gaze, things I’d never thought I‘d see on his face or directed toward me.
A small smile stretches my lips remembering I have Defence class as my last lesson today.
I make my way through the corridor as more glares and whispers are directed my way. You would think they would get bored of this shit already, but it just seems to have gotten worse lately.
I meet each glare with a smile of my own, and by the change in their expression, it's not a pleasant one. But I wouldn’t be holding back anymore, even for those that just look or glare at me.
I make my way to the Music room after just finishing ‘ World History ’ with Mr. Finch. He had been harping on about ‘student conduct’ and ‘proper education’, his narrowed gaze turning back toward me repeatedly in class.
Ever since Annex and Mallyn hadn’t been showing up to his class last week, the ego-ridden fart seems to have a larger pep in his step and boost to his annoying voice.
I head into the classroom, a small headache growing as I make my way toward my seat and notice silence falling from around half the room as I walk in.
“No shame at all.” Calls one of the girls to the back of the second year seats, while another beside her stifles a laugh.
I stop, turning back toward the familiar voice holding its laughter. Alice Parker.
I narrow my eyes toward the small black haired girl and she flinches.
This little witch was one of my kidnappers.
I had remembered every face from the flashes of memory I had, and of those involved in my little kidnapping. I had resolved that each and every one would pay me a hefty price when they least expect it.
“W-what?” The petite witch stutters, her mock bravado failing her without her accomplices around.
A taller sandy-haired girl places herself in front of her, covering her from my eyes as her own glare over at me.
Her lips pursed together before curling upward, “So bullying your little sister isn’t enough for you, now you're trying to start on Alice?”
Alice tugs at the girls sleeve, her eyes flickering between me and the tall girl beside her. “It's fine Sylvia, I–”
“What's fine? Her throwing her weight around acting like she's something she's not?” A mocking scoff leaves her lips. “And all because she got a little bit of attention from guys who probably don't even know her name.” This again.
Her eyes trail down my front, a familiar look twisting her features as she mirrors so many others before her. “They could only ever want her for one thing anyway.”
They really were put out by this weren’t they? That I spent time with their ‘ Infernal Four’ . The guys must have a bigger reputation than I thought. Or did they just want their attention that bad?
When I don’t immediately respond, she glares at me; all anger and vitriol hate pulling at her features as the rest of the class fall pin-drop quiet.
“You’re an outcast for a reason. Someone so pathetic and weak with absolutely no magic shouldn’t even be here.
This academy isn’t for you. You should slink back into the gutter and shadows where you belong.
” She raises her hand mockingly as if shooing some animal away, before continuing on with her rant.
“Know your place, and be grateful that you were even allowed to attend classes here…And that's just because of your name. How blessed you are to be born a Bane and have a family like Seria who tolerates you. But you…” Her lips curl upward, a look of pure disgust scrunching her brows before she shakes her head, “You're such a bitter, ungrateful bitch who doesn’t know the grace she's been shown.”A mocking laugh falls from her throat before she continues, “And now you’re trying to bed the Infernal Four. But they’ll throw you away when they realise how disgusting you truly are.”
All her words fade away as she continues her one woman show with a single sentence replaying in my mind. ‘ The grace she’s been shown ’...by who?
Who ever showed me grace or even mercy here? Was it when I was attacked and almost assaulted by Dean and his group? Or the time I had to fight against Jeremy and Jake before defence class, with the rest of the boys cheering them on?
Or was it when I woke up after being drugged and placed in a beast detainment shelter in the forest, and left to die?
A strange noise leaves my lips, something low and dark and unrecognisable to my ears flowing out. And then another follows until I realise I’m laughing. The whole room turns toward me, their faces and expressions questioning before either turning pale, or turning away completely.
“Why are you laughing–” Sylvia’s words cut off, her features turning colourless with whatever expression she sees on me.
“Don’t people usually laugh when they find something funny?
” I take my seat and lean back in my chair, my gaze never leaving the stiff sandy-haired Sylvia.
“It's so funny how people think they know everything about me, and like they’re the sword and hammer of justice ready to punish me for whatever they think I’ve done wrong.
”My gaze flickers to Alice still standing beside Sylvia.
She flinches again and takes a step back, her gaze falling to the floor.
“You call me pathetic, weak and magicless, and then in the same breath say that I’m the big bad villain picking on her little sister.
” I scoff, “How does that even make sense? Especially for someone as powerful as Seria? Are you all blind or just that thick?” I glance around the room, noticing some furrowed brows and questioning looks, but I ignore them all and continue.
“As for the Infernal Four, well…it's not worth my time or breath explaining it all to you.
People like you don't use their heads anyway. You only listen to what you want to hear, and to the sweet lies whispered and spread around for fun. You only follow along like cattle to the slaughter.”
Sylvia’s cheeks flush a slight red, her brows scrunched and mouth opening but I cut her off with a wave of my hand.
“You want me to be the bad guy, because then it makes all the shit you’ve done to me okay.
But if I’m going to be treated like the bad guy…
” I look around the room, meeting each set of eyes watching me, “I might as well become one.”
And I mean it. No more of the pathetic or weak schoolgirl they know. It’s time they meet the new Micai and realise they shouldn’t have fucked with her.
I give Alice one last look, a promise in my gaze of things yet to come for the part she played. A small tremor works its way into her hands as she stares at me before I glance back toward Sylvia.
“Whatever.” Her voice is low, almost whispered as she shakes her head and takes a step back, bumping into Alice behind her. She takes her seat with Alice scurrying alongside her, her gaze unable to meet mine again.
I turn toward the board just as the door bursts open with Seria, Knox, Xander, Kane and Anders rush in laughing and giggling. They soon freeze when they notice the silence of the room and the heavy atmosphere.
Their gazes flicker around the room before falling on me.
Seria opens her mouth, “What’s going on–” but is soon interrupted by Mrs. Fleur scurrying into the class. They take their seats as she begins to talk about the next two singers for the class based assignment.
“Micai Bane and George Harrison. You’ll both be doing your solo songs today.” She smiles toward the class, completely oblivious to the atmosphere.
Wait. She wanted me to sing?
That wouldn’t be happening, and not just because of the little showdown a moment ago.
I had promised myself I wouldn’t sing for anyone ever again. Only him .
My voice was only for him.
“Ms. Bane,” Calls Mrs. Fleur, “You’re first and–”
“I won't be singing.” I shake my head, ignoring everything and everyone else as I meet her furrowed gaze.
“Don’t be silly, Ms. Bane. It’s worth forty percent of your overall grade. You–”
“No.” I cut her off, my tone much colder than I had intended.
She flinches, before fixing herself quickly, shirking it off as her regular smile turns into a frown, disappointment etched into her features.
“You could fail, Ms. Bane. Are you sure about this?”
I give her a curt nod, but try to soften my hardened features. I didn’t want to take my emotions out on the wrong person, she had nothing to do with the ache building in my chest or the lump in my throat trying to choke me.
“Fine.” Her shoulders sag slightly as she bites her bottom lip, clearly seeing this isn’t a battle she’ll win right now.
“But come to me after your next class, so we can discuss this further.” She gives me her best ‘serious look’, but it instead appears more comedic and like a child trying to scold another child. “I won't take no for an answer.”
I nod again. I would just have to be very clear about my decision. I wouldn’t sing for anyone, especially the people in this school.
She sighs and calls the next person up to sing.
I wasn’t trying to be difficult, and I actually quite liked her as a teacher. She wasn’t patronising or boring and didn’t seem to listen or care about the rumours going around.
As far as teaching went, other than being late and a little unorganised at times, she was quite good.
But singing in front of other people, and specifically these people …I wouldn’t.
It reminded me too much of him and of my past life. And the time we spent together singing was ours and ours alone.
He had taught me how to sing, properly sing; how to pour every drop of pain and emotion I felt into each lyrical word.
It was our escape, our freedom and something just for him and me.
It was our way of pulling through the harder days in the Facility together.
It was how we would communicate with each other and escape to our own world away from it all here and be free… when we were anything but.
He was the reason I sang; the melody to my words, the soul and heart of my songs, and the reason I survived so long in that hell hole…My beautifully lost siren, Zrael.