Chapter 27 #2
I’ve been enjoying myself, but this challenge is different.
I could get properly hurt. Get it wrong and the consequences would be painful.
I look at Feniks, and he nods encouragingly at me.
“You got this.” His confidence in me calms the frantic flutter of my heart.
The memory of the Fateball incident flashes through my mind.
I went from plummeting to being gently lowered to the ground by his magic.
He won’t let me fall. I know that with a certainty that settles deep in my bones.
Fuck it.
Taking a deep breath, the crisp autumn air filling my lungs, I run. My feet pound against the bitumen. There is no time for second thoughts, no space for doubt. I launch myself into the air, a moment of pure, exhilarating, terrifying flight.
Trusting the professor. Trusting myself.
And then?
I land on the other side. “I flew!” I yell at him, a grin stretching my cheeks so hard. He’s there in an instant, giving me a high five. "Yeah, you did," his voice is warm and filled with pride. “Yeah, you did.”
“Thanks to you, professor.”
He takes my wrist with his hand and pulls me slightly towards his chest. We’re breathing heavily. “Alexis,” he corrects.
The blood is pounding in my veins, and the musky, pine-needle scent of him makes my head spin. “I-I-I’m sorry, what?”
“I was thinking that in private,” he says, a hint of amusement in his eyes, “that you could call me Alexis, rather than Professor Feniks. I rather think we’ve moved beyond the student-teacher dynamic, don’t you?”
My treacherous body continues to heat up. I know he didn’t mean it ‘like that’, but still, a flush covers my skin. ‘Alexis’, thankfully, doesn’t seem to notice. “Sounds good,” I croak.
We start heading back to the academy, and Alexis tells me he’d searched the school database for information about the twins. “You probably know it all already,” he says, “but I’ll give you the rundown anyway—OK?”
I’m silent. Cosmo's mark keeps me unable even to acknowledge the conversation.
Alexis sighs. “Your friends were jointly ranked second in school, just a shade below Cosmo Drakeward, which is extremely powerful for sophomores. Wes had higher scores in academic classes, but Donovan’s physical ability was unmatched.
As for family; no siblings, and they had barely any contact with their parents, both of whom are scientists involved in gene research.
The twins were both independently wealthy, having inherited significant funds from their grandparents. ”
He’s right, there’s nothing I don’t know. Once we're within the shadows of Defectivum, Alexis stops, turning toward me. "Good work today, Theo," he says. “Are you interested in some more training during the week? Early before school starts?"
Our eyes meet. I want that. “Yes, please.”
“Good,” he smiles. “I’ll figure out a schedule, then text.”
“Thank you,” I say, then lower my voice. “Thank you, Alexis.”
He reaches out a hand, then hesitates, dropping it back to his side. The almost-touch sends a shiver down my spine. "I guess I'd better go back to Professor Feniks while we're around the school," he says.
“I guess so,” I agree, feeling a little overwhelmed with our new friendship.
“Ah, Feniks,” Professor Bilderblast waddles out of the Defectivum building. “Just the man. Wanted to pick your brains about my Fantasy Fateball league.”
The atmosphere shifts, and I turn away and head inside, mentally gearing up for an unsatisfactory shower.
My mind is in a haze of half-formed thoughts as I pull open the little door that leads down to my basement room.
I’m halfway down the creaky stairs before a flicker of awareness pierces through the fog.
Movement. Something, someone is moving down there.
I freeze. Panic, cold and sharp, threatens to grip me.
Manu? No. No, he’s gone.
Cosmo?
Reaching for my phone, my fingers hover over Alexis’s name. There's no need to panic, but it's better to be safe than sorry. I take another tentative step down, clearing my throat. “Hello?” I call out, my voice a little shaky.
The noises halt, and a tall figure wearing coveralls comes into view.
Relief washes over me, so potent I almost sag against the wall. “Ludo! Phew, I’m so glad it’s you.” I quickly finish descending into the basement and give him a tired smile. He has various pieces of piping and tools spread around the basement floor. “Whatcha up to?”
His mouth twitches, just a flicker of a smile. I look over his shoulder and can’t believe my eyes. “What the.”
Ludo has installed a utility sink in the corner of the storage area. He looks almost shy as he glances at me, then twists a faucet. Instantly, water gushes out, hot, judging by the clouds of steam that billow upwards.
He pushes that shock of floppy white hair out of his eyes, then beckons me further into the corner, behind another plaster partition.
My breath catches. He’s poured concrete on the floor, smooth and gray, and in the center, a brand-new drain gleams. My gaze travels upwards, tracing the pipe that juts out from the wall, about six feet high, with a shower head attached.
“Did you do this for me?” I whisper. His mouth twitches again, that Ludo-smile.
“Thank you.” I place a hand on his arm. I want to throw my arms around him, hug him tight, but…
I hesitate. He’s so reserved, I’m not sure if he’d appreciate that kind of enthusiasm, so I just keep a huge grin on my face.
“This makes a world of difference, you have no idea,” I say, helping him hang a shower curtain, one hook at a time. He looks at me, starts to open his mouth, then frowns and turns, hiding his face away from me.
My heart cracks for him. Gods, what should I do? Ludo seems so alone, so lonely—and here’s the kicker—I can hear whatever he wants to say. I simply have to tune in.
My parents' warnings are loud and insistent: “Don’t tell, don’t tell,” but so is my own intuition.
For some reason, I’m convinced I can trust this gentle giant.
“Ludo?” I say quietly. He turns again, looking at me from under his hair.
“Can I tell you a secret, and we keep it between ourselves—just us, always?”
A frown creases his brow, but he nods immediately.
I take a breath, the secret I’ve carried my whole life beating at the confines of my chest, suddenly desperate to be free. It’s time. “So, the secret is…I can hear thoughts,” I say, trying to keep calm at the maybe terrible thing I’m doing. Will the WMO find out? Take me away?
No, I can trust Ludo.
“I can hear the thoughts in other people’s heads.
” I’m met by a blank look. “I try not to,” I rush on, desperate to explain—it’s like admitting I’m a peeping Tom, a voyeur.
“Most of the time, I can tune them out, and…with you? You hardly broadcast your thoughts at all,” I tell him.
“But I think… if you wanted to,” I pause, another deep breath, “you could speak to me with your mind.” I offer a small, tentative smile, praying he doesn’t think I’m completely deranged.
Ludo stares down at the concrete floor.
Gods, what an idiot I am. I’ll be turned into some kind of lab rat before the week is out.
—Can you hear this?—
My mouth drops open. “Ludo! Yes! Say something else.”
A pause stretches between us.
—I won’t tell your secret—
“Thank you,” I whisper, my eyes filling with tears.
—Also—
“Yes?”
—There’s a giant cobweb caught in your hair—
“What?” I quickly pull at my lengths, shaking my head from side to side. “Ugh.” Ludo’s massive paw reaches out gently and plucks a spider from the end of my curls. “Thanks.”
—Cobweb—
“Cobweb?”
—Cobweb can make cob, web, cow, bow, woe…can you think of any others?—
I can’t keep the huge grin off my face. “Bob?” I offer.
—Right.—Ludo’s mismatched eyes move over my face.—Are you truly my friend, Theo?—
“Yes, I mean I hope so…if you want me to be.”
—Very much—
Ludo drops down and begins packing his kit.
I kneel on the floor, gathering the scattered screws, the metallic chink of tools loud in the quiet space between us.
Passing him a handful, our fingers meet for a moment.
An unexpected feeling has me wanting to trace the lines of his palm, the rough, calloused skin.
I quickly pull back, confused at the sensation.
A low sound rumbles in Ludo's throat, something between a sigh and a growl.
—Thank you, Theo. For giving me this gift—
“You’re welcome,” I whisper, feeling my heart do a somersault. My emotions are all over the place at the moment. I guess it’s not surprising.
As he’s leaving, Ludo stops at the top of the stairs, gesturing at the door. My gaze follows his hand to see a heavy, deadbolt, newly installed.
“A new lock?”
The side of Ludo’s mouth twitches. —Forgot we can speak like this. What I want to say is…lock yourself in when you’re here alone, OK?—
“I will. Thanks again, Ludo.”
—Thank you, Theo—
After he leaves, I climb the stairs and reach for the bolt. When I slide it into place, the solid thunk allows my body to fully relax for the first time in days.
And now?
Time for a very long, very hot shower—courtesy of my friend, Ludo.