Chapter 49
Skye
Health class was a blur.
The gala was days away. Ben wasn’t my father. My mother had lied to us. Levi…
I didn’t want to be in class, but I had way too many absences.
There was no being kicked out of an academy like this, there was only forced conscription.
I wanted to avoid that at all costs, and I was fighting every urge I had that wanted me to use my Royal powers for evil and get Aiden and I out of here.
We were outside today while Coach worked with some of the earth affinates. Aiden was in the affinity gym practicing the zaps, and I’d been paired up with River.
As usual, he’d been ignoring me. I’d sat down on a log so I could wallow, and at some point, I’d noticed River making some ivy vines grow up a nearby tree.
It was a beautiful demonstration of an earth affinity, and it made me remember the flowers Wyatt had grown, which made me think of the secret garden I’d found first term.
It wasn’t too far from here, I was pretty sure. Maybe I could sneak away.
Can I come home to grab something?
Zephyr was quiet for a few minutes.
This is your home, Skye. You come and go as you please, you don’t ask me for permission.
I breathed out slowly, fighting a grin.
I probably won’t get a chance to see you, I’ll be busy. Zephyr sighed. Business is booming ever since those cult weirdos showed up.
They’re still there?
Unfortunately. All they’re doing is gathering for protests, so it’s not like anything can be done.
I shook my head as I looked at my hands. He had a point.
I’ll see you if I can. I just need some shoes for this gala.
I still think I should go, too. Zephyr’s tone soured and I almost rolled my eyes. I did want to bring him along, but it was my first outing as a member of a Royal Chain. His being there would only add fuel to the gossip for now.
“Hello?”
“What?” I muttered, looking up at River. I squinted into the sun, nearly groaning out loud when I saw him. His sharp features were softened, his blue eyes looking at me with a bit of concern while the sun streamed around his face, lighting up like a halo. What the hell.
“You okay? I’ve been trying to insult you for like, five minutes.” He plopped down on the log next to me, and I jolted as the whole thing rocked. I glared at him, and his lips twitched toward a grin.
“I have a lot going on,” I said, looking away. Anton wasn’t in class today. Carla was alone, huddled near a tree a little further into the woods.
River snorted. “Looks like Martin is finally facing some consequences for her actions.”
“So?” I scoffed, looking back to River, who had a glare trained on Carla in the distance.
“She’s on drugs,” River said, his blue eyes narrowing at me.
“I knew that,” I replied, because I did. She’d tried taking Aiden down that rabbit hole with her, and he’d gone, for a while. “So is Anton.”
“Yeah, that one’s obvious. At least his are supposed to help him.”
“What?” I looked up, confused. River pursed his lips like he hadn’t meant to say so much, and I rolled my eyes. I didn’t have the energy for this today.
River bumped my shoulder with his. “Seriously. What’s wrong?” he asked.
“I have a lot going on,” I repeated.
River snorted. “Fine, don’t tell me. I can’t help you anyway.”
He leaned back against a tree directly behind the log, stretching out his long legs next to mine while resting his hands behind his head.
“I have some stupid shit coming up, too.” He sighed.
“Why’d you punch the wall next to my head?” I asked.
River went silent, staring out at the other students while he prodded the inside of his cheek with his tongue.
“I needed to see something,” he said finally.
“My fear?” I snarked.
River shook his head. “Remember what you said? That if you went in my head, I wouldn’t know?”
I nodded, narrowing my eyes as he spoke.
“Was that just you bragging, or were you serious?”
“I was serious. Why?”
He shrugged, then looked away as if to end the conversation. Several seconds of silence followed, and just as I began to wallow about how Ben wasn’t my father again, River spoke.
“My…dad. He’s a Telepath.”
I blinked, looking back at him. He seemed a little more rigid now, his posture a little less relaxed.
“Cool?” I said sarcastically.
River’s lips twitched, and I almost got a smile before he looked away. His blue eyes flashed in the sun.
“He goes in my head a lot, and…it hurts.”
“Oh,” I turned so that I was fully facing him, straddling the log.
I didn’t know how or why our relationship had taken a turn, but I wasn’t exactly mad. River was funny when he wasn’t being a dick. He’d never opened up like this, and something told me he probably wouldn’t again.
“It doesn’t hurt when I do it,” I replied. “I’d tell you to ask someone, but…I don’t really want to reveal who knows how good I am at telepathy.”
River nodded, his eyes darting from me back to the ground every few seconds.
“Why did you think I was in your head?” I asked.
River looked at me, his eyes skating over me like usual, only this time he didn’t end up scowling.
“It’s stupid,” he said.
“Tell me,” I said. “Please? What did I do to make you think I just go in people’s minds like that?”
“You’re telling me you’ve never gone inside someone’s mind?” River asked in disbelief, raising his eyebrows slightly. “Never, not once?”
I sighed. Obviously I had. I’d even looked into Lana during first term without any guilt.
“It’s been a while,” I admitted. “I only speak to my Links now.”
“Red?” River asked, nodding toward the affinity gym.
“Don’t call him that,” I sighed again.
River shook his head, and then his gaze hardened into a glare. I rolled my eyes, opening my mouth to say something about his hot and cold attitude giving me whiplash, and then a grating voice spoke from behind me.
“Hey, Wa–…Riv, can we talk?”
“No,” River replied immediately. “Get lost, Carla.”
Carla blinked, her brown eyes darting to mine before her lips twisted. “Him, too?”
I raised my eyebrows as River groaned from beside me.
“We’re paired up, Carla. I can’t control that.”
Her lips twisted further, then she shook her head in disgust. “Whatever. You two deserve each other.”
“What the fuck?” I hissed as she stormed away. I whirled around to find River glaring after her. “What does that mean?”
River scoffed as he stood. “Nothing? Don’t flatter yourself. I’m not interested.”
My jaw dropped as he stalked off, following the route Carla took.
Fuck. Him.