Chapter 9 #2
It’s like before, the flat-out run leaves me with lead-filled legs and lungs that burn. I burst through the doors after scooping up the box with all my stuff and nearly knocking people out of the way.
Orion is there, waiting, his face red like a tomato and covered in sweat. I’m sure we match.
“What the hell was that?”
“Coach Anders is sweet once you get to know him,” Orion remarks, and his smile gets bigger the more I stare at him. “At least today is done.”
“Not yet. I have so much homework, it’s not funny.”
“Let’s have an early dinner, then.”
“No shower first? I must stink.” I check by pulling the neck of my shirt open, which he blatantly ignores. His next mission is to get us to the dining hall as quickly as possible.
At least the class has similar intentions—to get away as quickly as possible. There’s a general lack of menace in the air compared with earlier, but then again, the golden coats are still absent.
I go to ask him what happened to the celestials—as their literal disappearance is still pretty mind-boggling—but Orion’s hand flies up. “No questions unless it’s about food.”
Considering he hasn’t done me wrong yet, it’s easy to stay quiet and walk next to him on tired legs.
Around us, people are going about their business, and there’s a cool breeze in the air and the smell of snow.
I shiver thinking about how cold my room is going to be in the middle of winter.
I hope that between then and now, I can fix my window properly.
Maybe I just need the right tools, and I could use one of the windows from the other rooms next to mine.
I add asking Orion where to find some tools to the growing list of questions.
I dig out my device and switch it on, feeling some of the tension I’ve been holding let go. I’ve got plenty of time for the work I want to get done. Given how tired I am, I’m not sure I’ll accomplish as much as I want to, but I feel better knowing I’ll get a few good hours in.
It blows my mind that only days ago, I was watching TV while eating leftovers from the community center with a growing resentment toward the government. Now I’m part of the reason there are fences around human cities and enforcers prowling the streets.
So far, I can’t say for sure what terrifies me more—that the government was right about how dangerous the others were or the fact that I’m one of them too. Because the truth is, so far, from what I’ve seen, I can’t say I’m impressed or in awe.
We wind our way through the dining hall, aiming for where we sat earlier, right in the back. Which is cool. I’ve never been wild about being the center of attention.
Orion waves me to the line, putting me in front of him again.
Instead of questioning how easy it is being with him, and how in such a short amount of time I trust him, I simply go with it.
Time will tell if my instincts are right, and maybe I’m leaning into what I saw when we first met, but it really does feel like we’ve always known each other.
I take a tray and shuffle along the line, accepting a plate from the server.
Unlike breakfast, there are no options, but as it was this morning, our food comes from what the other Houses don’t want.
I’m generally a fan of leftovers, but it’s the message that every person here keeps reinforcing that I don’t love—Noms are at the bottom of the pecking order.
Luckily, my parents taught me not to be hindered by judgment.
I sit, placing my box beside me, my tummy rumbling at the sight of the odd fusion of cuisine. There’s seriously no rhyme or reason to the food on the plate, but it’s warm and it smells okay.
“Is it a potluck dinner every night?” I ask, smiling at Orion as he prods at his plate with a fork.
I crack up when he looks at me like I’m speaking alien. For the first time, he looks at me strangely. “I take it that’s a human phrase?” he asks slowly.
I think he’s finally remembering I’m more human than he ever will be. Or was, apparently.
Blood doesn’t lie. It can’t, whispers through my thoughts.
Admittedly, it takes a second to register because it doesn’t sound like the usual voice I hear when I talk to myself.
And then it shuts off, kind of confirming, no matter how much I wished it were different, I need to accept the truth. This is my lot now.
I shake it off with another smile. “It is a human saying because, you know, only a few days ago, I was one. Anyway, potluck is the perfect description for what we’re eating. I’ll let you borrow that phrase anytime you want.”
He keeps looking at me, assessing me, really. His eyes roam my face while he considers something. He shakes his head before talking. “It’s weird. I forget that this is new to you. It’s like you’ve always been here.”
He confirms my sentiment toward him without realizing it. The Thales part, not so much.
“You probably haven’t even had a chance to take a breath and sort through any of this. And, babes, your injuries. Have you even had a chance to feel them today? Probably not. After today, I mean, they’re even worse. Complete baptism of fire.”
I point at him. “That’s a human saying, for sure.”
“No, it’s not,” he argues, batting my finger away with a piece of bread.
“The Greek word baptizō means to immerse or dip. Thus, a ‘baptism of fire’ refers to being entirely immersed in divine fire. Considering, once upon a time, it’s said the gods walked among us and they had the divine touch, I’d say it’s from our world and is yet another thing the humans stole.
” He finishes with a sassy and massive bite out of the bread he was waving around.
I follow him and start to eat. The warm spinach and mushroom quiche is delicious. I look over at the food being set up for all the other sects, wondering who had this for lunch.
Before I can ask, Orion fills in the blanks. “It’d be from the purple team, the magik users.”
“Because it’s…”
He rolls his eyes. “From the earth.”
I take another taste, savoring the flavor and noticing it’s definitely more intense than back home.
Orion decides it’s time to test my memory, his eyes moving to a group of students. “The shifters.”
“Are green.”
He nods in agreement and pulls his gaze back to me and our food.
“The shifters are where we get our protein. Although they’re big eaters because of their super-fast metabolism.
So when we get protein, it’s a big deal.
” He takes a mouthful of the fluffy white mashed potatoes.
“The celestials, your friends in gold, only eat white foods, and we get a lot of our food from them because—get this—they’re super fussy and overly demanding.
” He points to his plate, and there is an imbalance of white on it.
I didn’t notice before, but now it’s hard not to. My thoughts go back to last night’s dinner, which was rice and dinner rolls. Given it was white and knowing now who it was prepared for, it’s hard not to assume they were handmade.
Their loss. I take another scoop of potatoes, and they are so delicious I could eat a whole plate of them. I twist around, seeing who we’ve missed out on. The demons in their black couldn’t survive on liquorice alone, so I look to Orion for more information.
“Let’s leave it at, if they eat actual food, it’s charred meat only.
Similarly, the vamps don’t eat anything prepared here.
They still come for the social aspect, and they’ll have their own drinks on offer, but nothing from the vampires or the demons is served at Thales.
And when I say leave it at that, another day I’ll tell you more, but seriously, Maya, I think you’re already at saturation point. ”
I nod, agreeing with him, and we eat in companionable silence, while peering around the hall, which is getting busier by the minute. Even the celestials have rejoined us, but they all look dimmer, if that’s even a thing.
As I look around at the students, I try to figure out who’s the king and queen bee of Thales. All schools must run the same, right? There’s always a group of students who are the most popular, the best-looking, and the most powerful.
“I can’t figure it out. Are the celestials I had a couple of run-ins with today the self-appointed royalty of Thales?
Or was it the vampire who tried to eat me, or the shifter he fought with?
Is it bad that I can’t figure it out? Does that mean there’s more than one group who rule?
” I’m not panicking. I’m talking fast, though, and my eyes keep jumping from table to table.
Orion barks out a laugh that makes a few people turn to look at us. I kick him under the table, but he ignores my worries.
“A couple of things. First up, the most… I don’t know if dangerous time is the right word, but mornings are generally when there’s a lot of drama.
Dinner is usually pretty chill since everyone is worn out after the lessons and gym class.
Throw in that each section has its own drama to deal with that usually happens, like with the celestials, nearly every day.
Given how quiet they are, I’d say they got a reaming, probably by one of the Archangels.
I wish I cared, but honestly, I don’t. But you’re right—everyone who’s here at the moment is on a similar level in terms of ‘power.’ Each student here can argue black and blue that they’re at the top of Thales, but they’re all less than the real top of the school.
You watch how all the people giving us shit now preen, but are quick to grovel when they’re in attendance. ”
“Can you be more specific? Who are they?”
“They are Bael Morningstar, Emrys Nuada, Arlan d’Perigord, and Cane Remus, also known as Professor Cane. Four of Quin-state’s best. Tragic backstories brought them together and bonded their future.”
“They’re actual brothers?”