Chapter 52 Koa
koa
. . .
Quarter four was like a wildfire that started quickly and burned everything within hours rather than three months. We had only two classes, and we’d just finished the final for Mind and Will: The Anatomy of a Breakdown with Professor Emberveil.
We all passed, and Rune had done amazing.
I already knew I liked Rune, but it was definitely something more than a crush. My magic started reacting to her every time she was around me, and every time I heard her laugh or moan through the walls, I ended up with my hand down my pants.
It was embarrassing, and I’d never admit it to anyone but her.
I couldn’t believe that Slater was right, but I was almost positive that she was my mate.
“You’re so hot when you torture others,” Zuko purred in her ear.
She turned toward him and smiled. “Ditto, toxin.”
“We still have one more final,” Dimitri muttered. “And we have to pass the year-one exam after that.”
“Fuck,” all nine of us replied to Dimitri.
He let out a harsh breath. “This is why we must study.”
Rune leaned against Slater as they walked, but she said nothing witty in response.
She hadn’t been saying anything at all to him.
I frowned.
Rune and Dimitri used to get along better. But once quarter four started, they’d seemed to avoid each other.
Slater and Zuko also glared at him frequently, which was unsettling.
I didn’t miss the look of longing on his face when he stared at her, though. Or her at him.
We made our way to Simulator 1.6 for the Essence and Restoration final with Professor Greenblood, and she was waiting outside of it with a calm smile like she always had.
She had long, tangled gray hair and mottled hazel-green eyes with flecks like dried leaves.
She always held very intense eye contact, too.
She leaned on her twisted staff made from a hollowed root.
She was a nature witch who specialized in healing. Her aura was always comforting.
“You will put what you’ve learned this quarter into action today on simulated patients,” she spoke softly.
“The patients will be from the Second War and suffer from trauma and volatile emotions. Whether you pass or not will depend on your discipline and focus, emotional clarity under pressure, and your compassion. You will have access to the first-aid kit with healing potions and salves. Your squad is being split in half, so five agents for one patient. You will take turns in the simulator in groups. Up first are Rune, Koa, Slater, Zuko, and Hawk.”
A sigh of relief came from Rune as she shot a quick look at Dimitri before the five of us went into the simulator.
The door slammed behind us, and a glowing, glass-like healing arena formed around us.
A makeshift bed lay in the center with a woman on it.
She was partially burned, with broken bones and emotionally fractured, if her aura was anything to go by.
“Hey, it’s okay. I’ll heal you with my magic. It’s a special power.” I kneeled down, reaching into my chest and pulling out the familiar hum of my special power to access my healing. Blue flame came from my hands, but before it could heal her, she screamed.
“Get away from me! No! Don’t! Stay away!” She screamed like I was killing her, and she hit me with her broken arms.
“I’m sorry!” I stopped healing her immediately and backed away. “I’m trying to heal you. I will not hurt you.”
“The fire!” Her screams turned to sobs. “My mate, he—” She cut herself off with a high-pitched wail.
Rune sat down next to her but didn’t touch her. “We don’t have to talk about it if you don’t want to.”
“He’s dead!” she screeched, imp magic popping up everywhere as she swung at Rune.
“We didn’t kill your mate!” Zuko moved in front of the hit and forced the patient down on the bed.
“We’re trying to help you!” Slater told her as he and Hawk moved to the other side of her, stopping her from trying to attack everyone who wanted to help her.
“The drake fire—they burned him alive! He was a good man! But they killed him, and they held me down and made me watch!” She sobbed harder, her entire body convulsing as the guys stepped back from her and let her lash out.
Imp sparks popped around her, harmless but in great numbers.
I gently took Rune’s hand in mine. “You and Drecken have been testing out potions with your venom, right?”
She nodded, realization crossing her face. “Since she can’t handle the flames of your healing, I should be able to get my venom into her. I just need to use a healing potion, right?”
I smiled softly. “Exactly.”
Hawk ran over to Rune as the patient started screaming, and I knew she was in a memory loop she couldn’t escape of her mate being murdered in front of her. “Hurry, Rune, come on.”
Hawk pulled her toward the patient, too roughly.
“Let go of me, Hawk,” she snapped coldly.
He didn’t. “I’ve got you; don’t freak out or anything, but—”
“I said let go!” She yanked her arm away from him. “I don’t want to get docked for envenomating a squadmate.”
“Rune, I’m sorry, I—”
“I don’t care if I get docked,” Zuko snapped, spoon in hand as he moved between Rune and Hawk, holding Hawk by the neck and scooping one of Hawk’s black eyes out until the tendon snapped.
Hawk fell onto the ground, eye gone, and blood pouring out of the socket as his scream merged with the patients’.
“Holy shit, Zuko, did you just—?” Slater’s mouth fell open in shock.
Zuko didn’t seem to care; he just shrugged.
“He disrespected her boundaries. I reacted. What’s the problem?” He turned to Rune, breathing hard as he tossed the spoon at Hawk on the ground. “You good?”
Her hands trembled, but she nodded. “Thanks, Zuko, but I think he gets the point. Koa, could you…?” She flicked her eyes at Hawk.
I sighed but nodded.
I could tell Hawk grabbing her sent her into a panic, and I could only guess it had to do with her icedrake ex.
I bent to Hawk, making sure my back was to the patient, so she didn’t see my blue flames as I popped his eye back into the socket and healed it. “If you ever touch Rune again, I will not heal what they do to you.”
“Next time, when she says let go, fucking let go,” Slater growled at him as he stared up at us with two working eyes again.
“Sorry,” he croaked.
I stood up and followed Rune toward the patient as Hawk continued to apologize on deaf ears.
“Drecken had me try the super-strengthened healing potion the agents use.” Rune pressed two fingers over the patient’s head as she cried. “This should ease your pain, both mental and physical.”
A few seconds later, the woman stilled, exhaling a long breath before grabbing Rune’s wrist gently. “Thank you.”
The simulation fell apart, and we left the simulator as Dimitri, Lorian, Raze, Eleanor, and Aura went in. Lorian focused on calming the patient as Dimitri used his compulsion to make the patient take the healing potion offered and the salves all over their wounds.
When they came back out, Professor Greenblood cleared her throat.
“I would like to state that I do not condone violence, but I also want it understood that we do not harass our squadmates, either. Rune, your healing stabilization score once you provided treatment was the highest score in class history.”
Rune smiled, and her golden eyes met mine with excitement.
I gave her a thumbs-up.
“Zuko, you fail in compassion but score perfect on precision. I do not believe House of Vitality is for you with how quick to violence you are, but I won’t fail you completely because you handled the patient well and didn’t let her hurt the healers.” Professor Greenblood winced.
Zuko chuckled. “Fair.”
“Hawk, you are given a psychological flag for the boundary violation with Rune.” Professor Greenblood tsked before turning to me.
“Koa, you are advanced in field healing. You also were the one to realize what your squadmate was capable of, knowing that the way you heal would further traumatize the patient. Full marks.”
“Thank you.” I bowed my head toward her as she passed everyone else on the final.
But I couldn’t tear my gaze off Rune, who was snug between Slater and Zuko. Even Dimitri watched her carefully.
For some reason, the way Hawk had grabbed her had shaken her, and I hated that.