Chapter Twenty-Nine
TWENTY-NINE
My spirits can’t help but lift as Sebastian throws a stream of fire at Jed’s feet, making him jump around from foot to foot. ‘You wanted to give them a show, Jeddison. Well, show them how well you dance.’
Jed flips him off. ‘That is not my name, and you know it, asshole.’
Sebastian holds a hand to his chest in mock shock. ‘No more Zainey baby? I’m hurt.’
Tilly and I hide our chuckles behind our hands.
They’re both so playful with each other and the crowd is eating it up.
It’s ridiculous and for the first time since I arrived, I feel …
lighter. Carefree. I feel like a twenty-one-year-old who snuck out with her friend; someone who hasn’t lost a brother or disappointed her father.
Someone who knows nothing of grief, or war, or hatred.
‘Call me that one more time, I dare you,’ Jed threatens.
Sebastian grins, slow and predatorial. ‘Jeddis—’
Jed rushes Sebastian. He ducks low and tackles him to the ground with a loud thud, kicking dry dirt up into the air.
They roll around, fighting for dominance, scuffing more dirt all over the place.
It sticks to their sweaty skin and seeps into their hair as they each take turns exchanging the upper hand.
Sebastian straddles Jed and punches him in the jaw. Jed spits blood at the ground then brings his elbow up and rams it into Sebastian’s nose. Blood spurts down his face and over his lips until it drips off his chin onto both of their chests.
‘I know this shouldn’t be a turn on, but it totally is,’ Tilly says beside me, her hazel eyes lit with excitement.
I don’t answer, even though I’m secretly inclined to agree. Sebastian is thrown off by Jed and sprawls onto his back, swapping their positions. Jed throws two bursts of fire down at his friend, each one locking onto a wrist and pinning his hands above his head, holding him to the ground like cuffs.
Sebastian smiles, baring straight teeth covered in blood. ‘Is this the part where you have your way with me, Jeddison?’
My stomach drops. Oh … Stars.
‘You wish.’ Jed taps him on the cheek, twice. ‘This is the part where you surrender, pretty boy.’
‘I think I just started ovulating,’ Tilly whispers.
Jed and Sebastian stare each other down for a long moment as the crowd starts to chant Jed’s name over and over, ready to crown him the victor.
Something tells me that Sebastian could get out of his predicament if he wanted to; he barely looks like he’s trying to fight against the fiery binds that hold him to the ground.
Or maybe the binds Jed threw his way aren’t supposed to be strong at all.
In fact, they don’t look to be hurting Sebastian one bit.
I know what it feels like when fire lances across your skin.
I still bear the mark to show for it. Scarred indefinitely, I was told.
But these binds have been around Sebastian’s wrists for almost an entire minute, which tells me if Jed wanted to hurt him, he would.
It’s all for show.
The punches and blood are real; I can see that with my own eyes. But their magic? I graze my eyes along each of their naked torsos and arms and realise there isn’t a single burn mark on either of them. They’re playing the crowd.
I wait, expecting Sebastian to take the upper hand and win the fight but much to my surprise, he relents, shouting loud for everyone to hear, ‘I surrender.’
The crowd claps and cheers for Jed, who leaps to his feet, waving the fiery cuffs away with a swipe of his hand before he holds it out for his friend to grab onto. He pulls Sebastian up with him and they immediately start playfully shoving at each other’s chests.
They walk out of the ring together as two others replace their spots.
Sebastian leans down to pick his shirt up where he discarded it before the fight.
There’s a wide smile on his face, lighting up his eyes and making him seem younger.
I find myself staring at him, even as he uses his shirt to wipe the drying blood from his chin, nose and chest. I can’t look away.
Not even when he stops right at the edge of the circle and lifts his head in my direction.
I freeze, yet I still can’t tear my eyes away.
It’s only when his smile falters and the warmth in his eyes dissipates like a flame being snuffed out that I realise how screwed I am.
My mind tries to rationalise, that if I stay really still, maybe I’ll blend into the foliage and trees around us.
That ridiculous thought proves to be utterly hopeless as his green eyes fill with fury and connect with mine.
Oh, shit.
Tilly tugs on my arm and yanks me down behind the boulder.
‘Did he see you?’ she yelps.
‘Yes! But I don’t think he saw you. So quick, hide!’ I start trying to shove her forward, telling her to save herself, but she stays put and shoots me a stern look.
‘If you think I’m going to abandon you, I fear you have the wrong idea about how this friendship works. Plus, he looks like he wants to eat you alive, and I’m not prepared to have that on my conscience.’
‘How do you know he looks like that?’ I ask, exasperated. I appreciate the sentiment of her not wanting to leave me behind, but I’d rather that than the both of us getting in trouble.
Tilly points over my shoulder. ‘Because he’s right there.’ Her eyes dart behind me at what I’m presuming is my unit leader coming our way. The nape of my neck prickles with heat. Slowly, and I mean very slowly, I glance over my shoulder to find him stomping through the trees toward us.
‘Fuck!’ My brain scrambles for an excuse until suddenly, I let out an obnoxious yawn, stretching my arms out for dramatic effect. ‘Tilly, did we sleepwalk again? We have got to stop doing that.’
‘What?’ she hisses at me before I kick her foot. ‘Oh, yes!’ Her eyes flash with understanding. She lets out her own fake yawn. ‘Stars, we sure are tired after all that sleepwalking. We should get back to our beds.’
‘I agree. What a weird place to wake up,’ I add, pushing to my feet and coming face to face with Sebastian, who’s glaring daggers. ‘Oh, Sebastian? What are you doing out here? Tilly and I were just—’
‘Sleepwalking, yeah I heard,’ he says deadpan. His eyes shift to Tilly behind me. ‘Why am I not surprised to find you here, Revlock?’
‘Me?’ she purses her lips, feigning confusion.
‘Who else would I be talking to?’
‘Hmm … now that is a mighty fine question.’
I grind my teeth together to stop the laugh that threatens to burst out of me at the sight of Sebastian’s face.
‘For fuck’s sake!’ he barks. ‘Revlock, get your ass back to your room before I walk back and tell your unit leader one of her acolytes was just caught hiding in the middle of the woods after curfew.’
‘Not hiding. Sleepwalking,’ I interrupt, flashing him an innocent smile.
He ignores me, pointing toward the academy. ‘Now, Revlock.’
I see the hesitation in Tilly’s eyes as she moves from foot to foot : she doesn’t want to leave me alone with him and I don’t want her walking back by herself.
‘I’m not letting her walk back alone,’ I blurt. ‘I’ll go with her.’
‘No. You’re staying with me and we’re going to have a little talk. If Revlock is scared to walk back by herself, I’ll happily go back over there,’ he points to the clearing, ‘and find one of her unit members to take her.’
And get her into trouble? Absolutely not!
‘This looks cozy,’ a chipper voice calls out, startling Tilly and me. Jed walks up behind Sebastian and claps him on the shoulder. ‘Silver! What are you doing out here? Did you see me win?’ He grins, looking smug.
‘Perfect timing,’ Sebastian interjects before I can even think of a reply. ‘I need you to walk Revlock back to campus while I have a word with Nocthare about safety and reckless behaviour.’
‘Ouch, that sounds rough.’ Jed screws up his nose. ‘Come on, Curls, let’s get out of here before Zainey gets all growly and ruins the mood.’
As if that ship hasn’t already sailed.
I grab Tilly’s hand before she starts to follow Jed.
‘Are you okay to go with him?’ I ask quietly.
It’s not that I don’t trust Jed to walk her there safely – I mean, after what I just witnessed, if anything were to happen, he would be able to defend them both.
But I want to make sure she is comfortable.
There’s a big difference between making a passing comment on how attractive a guy is, and letting him walk with you in the dark, alone.
Tilly nods, her eyes darting between Sebastian and myself with raised brows, giving me a ‘will you be okay?’ look in return. I nod back, squeezing her hand once more before she relents and turns to join Jed, who is leaning against a tree, waiting for her to follow.
I wait until they are distant shadows among the trees before I spin around. ‘So. Zainey Baby. Is that an official nickname or …?’
‘Hilarious,’ he growls. ‘Let’s go.’
‘I thought you said you wanted to talk.’ He glares at me like he wants to drag me into the ring he just vacated.
‘Oh, don’t you worry, we’ll talk. But not here.
’ He gestures for me to start walking ahead of him and I have half a mind to stomp my foot and stay right where I am.
But the crowd in the clearing starts to cheer and I realise he’s right.
They’re too close. If Sebastian was able to spot me from the ring, all it will take is for one person to wander out of the clearing to find us standing here.
I let my annoyance show on my face though, before I spin on my heel and start walking. I feel the heat of him at my back, as if he’s right on my heels. He probably thinks I’ll try and make a run for it. I won’t. Doesn’t mean I’m not tempted to though.
‘That’s far enough,’ he finally says.
I ignore him and keep walking several more steps for good measure just to get under his skin. When I feel like I’ve walked far enough I turn around, place my hands on my hips and brace myself for the scolding.