Chapter 27
Once the initial shock passed, the amphitheater erupted into a chaos of sounds, hugs, and celebrations.
Some people looked at me curiously, seemingly torn between thinking I was a freak or some kind of super healer.
I still couldn’t believe my level—it was way too high to be normal.
Ambrose was going to have a fit when he found out he’d been right about me all along.
In the middle of all the chaos, I spotted Breno slipping out through a side door.
I jumped up and noticed Aish and Hiro heading my way, so I pointed at Breno, hoping they’d get the urgency, and took off after him.
On the way, I accidentally tripped over Adrian, who called me a freak.
I wanted to flip him off, but I held back.
I didn’t want to start a fight now that he and his friends had finally left me alone.
I pushed through the double doors and stepped into the hallway, leaving behind the chaos of voices and happy shouts. Breno was already rounding the corner toward the stairs.
“Hey, Breno! Wait up!” I called, hurrying down the hallway after him. He didn’t stop.
“Please! Just listen, I need to tell you something.”
I rounded the corner on the stairwell, taking the last flight two steps at a time. He was already at the building’s exit door. I hurried after him, hearing footsteps behind me, but I didn’t turn to see who it was.
I ran out the door and managed to intercept him halfway between the building and the campus exit. The sun was directly overhead, though it wasn’t too hot. I caught up to Breno and grabbed his elbow, breathless from running. He didn’t pull away, which was already a start.
“Now you have something to say? Just now, Kyller?” he asked irritably. He was wearing jeans and a black t-shirt from the movie War on the Frontiers.
“Yeah, I know I’m a little late and you have every right to be angry, but I...
” I didn’t know what to say, and he stared at me accusingly.
“I want to apologize. I didn’t tell you because I really didn’t want to talk about the bond.
Not with you, not with anyone. Things between me and Zion are complicated... ”
He cut me off, pulling his elbow away and turning to face me.
“But you should have told me. You know what made it worse? It wasn’t even that you hid a partnership bond from me—it was the humiliation of finding out from someone else.
Actually, the worst part was finding out from Adele.
We’re friends, Kyller, and I had to hear it from the person who hates you most here! ”
I bit my lower lip and shifted my weight to my left leg.
“It was terrible, I know. But I wasn’t ready to tell anyone, and that has nothing to do with you, Breno,” I pleaded sincerely. “Zion and I are partners, but he rejected me for five years, so I started pretending the partnership didn’t exist.”
Hiro and Aish came through the exit door and walked over to us. From their silence, they must have sensed it was a tense moment.
“You could have told me. I wouldn’t have judged you—I wouldn’t even have brought it up, like I do with most things about your past. But you didn’t tell me. You let me build up expectations about the two of us.”
I frowned at him immediately. Aish and Hiro looked surprised too.
“You led him on?” Hiro asked indignantly.
“I never did that, Breno! I told you I was married! I said a million times that we were just friends.”
“Wait, you’re married?” Aish shouted in surprise.
“And she has a partner,” Breno said.
“A partner?” Aish exclaimed, even more surprised. “And who is he?”
“Zion,” Breno answered.
“By Amarwen’s fertile tits! You were hitting on the general’s woman, Hiro?” she shouted in alarm, then turned to me with wide eyes. “Wait! I kissed the general’s woman!”
“We kissed the general’s woman!” Hiro said, scratching his head.
“You did what?” Breno exploded.
“Does that make him a cuckold?” Hiro asked.
“I didn’t lead anyone on!” I shouted at the three of them, then finally turned to Hiro. “And no! Zion isn’t a cuckold because we’re not together.”
“Then why did you almost give me a chance at the party?” Breno grumbled, looking like a sulking child. Gods, where was Dominic when you needed him to make Breno act like a sensible adult again?
“Because you said what happened there stayed there, and I wanted to try a kiss,” I exclaimed, exasperated, gesturing like a madwoman.
“Come on, Breno! You know I’ve never been kissed, and I wanted the experience.
But in the end, it wasn’t going to happen—I was about to say that when Adele bumped into us. ”
“It’s true, man!” Hiro said, elbowing Breno. “She just wanted a kiss, so Aish and I gave her one.”
My cheeks flushed, and Aish smiled at me before turning to Breno.
“Look, I have to side with her on this. If Kay told you she was married and that nothing would happen between you two, you set yourself up for disappointment.”
“Yeah, but maybe, Kay...” Hiro looked between me and Aish. “Maybe you shouldn’t kiss people who are clearly into you. It can mess with their feelings.”
This time it was Aish who huffed and rolled her eyes.
“If you like someone and ask for a kiss, you're the ones in the wrong.” She seemed nervous, gesturing emphatically. “You shouldn't be whining about getting rejected.”
The four of us exchanged confused looks. Obviously, this discussion wasn't just about me and Breno.
“Well,” Breno began, uncrossing his arms and looking me in the eyes, “at least I'm glad to know I was rejected because you have a bond. It's better than being rejected for no reason.”
“Reasons!” Hiro threw his hands up, shooting an accusing look at Aish. “I wish I could say someone has reasons, but I haven't found any so far.”
“What's going on here?” I asked, looking from one to the other.
“Nothing!” they answered in unison.
I took a deep breath and turned to Breno.
“I'm sorry,” I began, feeling miserable. “I really didn't want to hurt you. You've always been and always will be my best friend, but I wasn't ready to talk about the partnership bond. Actually, I'm still not ready—I don't even understand what this bond really is.”
I held his gaze, and as I explained myself, Aish and Hiro fell quiet too, glancing at each other. I struggled to stay silent while he seemed torn between holding onto his stubbornness and letting my words sink in. Breno sighed.
“Pull your hair back.”
“What?”
I was confused and took a second to understand the request, then smiled with relief and held my hair away from my face as I stepped closer.
I lowered my head, exposing my forehead.
He positioned his finger, pressed his thumb against his middle finger, and gave me a flick that deserved a round of applause.
I immediately felt my skin turning red, but I didn't complain—just rubbed the spot.
“I also apologize for being a pain in the ass. I'm a terrible friend for not noticing, and deep down, you're right. I was fooling myself.”
He bowed his head, waiting for the flick, and I stepped closer with a smile. Then I gave him a gentle flick on his forehead and quickly stepped back. Just like that, everything was resolved. Flicks solved everything between us—that was the rule.
“And where's the cuckold?” Breno asked as we headed toward the exit. I groaned and shook my head.
“I already told you that's not how it works. Zion will slice you to pieces just for hearing you say that.”
“Not before I kick his ass for being a terrible partner.”
“I'd like to see you try,” I teased, amused, while trying to elbow him in the ribs.
It didn't work—he blocked me with a shield so rigid my bones ached from the impact.
We smiled at each other, and soon I noticed Aish and Hiro weren't following us, so I stopped to see where they were.
When I looked back, the two were arguing heatedly.
She was pointing her finger in his face while he waved his hands in an animated speech.
“Hey! Aren't you coming?” I shouted to the couple who didn't yet know they were a couple.
They waved us off, signaling they'd follow soon—something that was clearly a lie.
We continued walking through campus, killing time before leaving.
The trees in that area were orange, purple, and reddish—maples, and since we were at the height of autumn, their colorful leaves painted the landscape in the most beautiful vivid hues.
Breno turned around, walking backward to face me, and said with a huge smile:
“Congratulations on your score!”
I still hadn't processed the number, because it seemed surreal that it was really that high.
“Thanks! I still can't believe it,” I said, my mind drifting back to everything the sonar had said, especially the part about fighting for the son of night, the savior of our people.
It was obvious it was referring to Zion, and after putting the whole puzzle together, I was certain Zion didn't kill descendants in the forest. I just didn't know what he did with them.
“Stop being modest—your gift has always been incredible, Kay. It was a given you'd be a special. Ambrose always said you were beyond any other elmedic.”
“Ambrose is a doting tutor who gives me way too much credit.” Before running after Breno, I'd seen his score. It had gone up from 600 to 850—an excellent number. “Congratulations on yours too.”
“Thanks,” Breno replied, but this time he seemed discouraged.
If he kept walking backward, he was going to end up falling, so I stopped on the path, under the shade of a plane tree with orange leaves.
“What's wrong?” I asked, worried. “Shouldn't you be happy?”
He gave a rueful smile and shrugged, catching a reddish leaf spinning down from the tree.
“I guess so.”
“Then why aren't you?”
Breno played with the leaf, avoiding my gaze.
“Something's been bothering me. I was hoping this score would solve my problem, but I think it made things worse.”
“Tell me, then. If you want to, of course,” I said, leading us to a nearby bench.