47. Confrontation
“ H oly shit!” Harrison said as he reached for an apple from the centre of the table in the dining hall. “This isn’t good, this isn’t good at all.”
“Try and keep your voice down,” Serene said, elbowing him in the side.
“Ow!” He scowled at Serene before rubbing the apple against his blazer and taking a bite with an audible crunch.
“But no, this isn’t good,” Serene added.
“What do we do? I guess keeping your head down is out of the question, as you’ve already been spotted, Aeden.
You need to act like every other student that’s bonded to an Aer- Kin.
The last thing you need now is for them to realise that” – she leaned forward, as if the Sable twins were standing over her shoulder – “Nyra is unable to fly. Not when they are picking off students they don’t deem fit to be at the academy.
” She looked across at the Guardian table where Lucien used to sit, sadness in her eyes .
Nyra was back at the hatchery with Lyric, who was just as concerned about the situation as Aeden and the others.
It had taken a while to settle her, but Aeden had reassured her that he would be back later that day once he had updated Harrison, Serene, and Vivienne, and attended the last of his classes.
Orion had said they would speak soon, and that concerned Aeden. It was only a matter of time before he realised that Nyra was different from the rest of the Aer-Kin, and then what?
“Things are way too hot right now, for me and for Nyra. We’ve tried blending in, but maybe our best path is to escape, to leave the academy and go out on our own.”
“Aeden, you wouldn’t last two seconds out there,” Serene protested, less than impressed with the suggestion.
“What are our options?” Aeden snapped back. “I am so tired of hiding, so tired of fearing what might happen if they discover Nyra’s wings are the way they are.”
He scanned the dining hall as all the other students ate. “Any single one of the students in this hall, even one of the faculty, could go straight to Orion and tell him exactly what is wrong with Nyra. Then what? I don’t want to simply wait for us to be executed for doing nothing wrong.”
Aeden was in an impossible situation, unable to flee and unable to stay. To flee would be instant exile from Nevaria, and a bounty would be placed on both their heads. Stay and, well, that didn’t bear thinking about either. Aeden slumped his head into his hands and let out a frustrated cry.
“I don’t know what to do,” Aeden sighed, his hands muffling his voice .
“Whatever it is, we will stand with you,” Vivienne said, patting him on the back. “I think I can speak for all of us when I say that.”
The others nodded in agreement as Aeden rubbed his weary face. He was so tired of all of this, of living on edge, of wondering if this day would be the one where he and Nyra met their ends.
“All I want is for Nyra to be okay, to be accepted. She deserves that.”
“Please just keep your head as low as you can, for the time being at least, until we figure out what in the hells to do,” Serene said. “Maybe we should speak with Lyric, perhaps he can advise us.” She sighed as the ideas dried up. “I don’t know, maybe a transfer to another academy.”
“I don’t think that would work,” Aeden said, shooting the idea down. “How would we get there, for one? It’s a long distance to any of the other academies. Aviara is one of the most remote academies, too.”
“I’m just trying to help Aeden,” Serene said in a frustrated tone. She crossed her arms in front of her chest.
“I’m sorry, it’s just, I don’t know what to do. The situation we’re in, well, there aren’t any good options.”
A commotion interrupted their conversation as a group gathered on the other side of the dining hall, somewhere between the Scout table and Offence table. A sound clattered, like something being knocked onto the floor, followed by cheers from some of the other students.
“What’s going on over there?” Serene asked. She stood up on the bench for a better look .
Harrison did the same, and his face lit up. “It looks like a fight!” he said, hopping down and rushing over to join the growing crowd.
Serene, Vivienne, and Aeden followed. When they reached the back of the crowd, Aeden slowly pushed his way through until he could see what was going on, the raucous cheers getting louder and louder. He pushed and shoved, knocking people out of the way until he could get close enough.
“Shit,” he said. Kael was on his back, arms raised in front of his face defending himself from the raining down blows that Cassian was unfurling onto him.
“You motherfucker!” Cassian said as he jabbed a strong fist into Kael’s side. Kael didn’t so much as flinch at the solid blow, and he seized an opportunity to slam a forearm into the side of Cassian’s head, knocking him sideways.
He quickly rolled over and returned the blows onto Cassian as he sat over the top of him. Cassian managed to block most of them, but he was bleeding from his nose and had pure anger in his eyes. He was wild, a long ways away from the joking, carefree Scout that Aeden had come to know.
Cassian grabbed hold of Kael’s arm and pulled him close before slamming his forehead into Kael’s face. Kael reeled backwards, staggering to his feet and raising his hands in front of himself. Cassian did the same, waiting for Kael to make the next move.
The two of them threw blow after blow at each other. Face, body, sides, arms – no place was left unscathed as the two students brawled as if they were fighting to the death.
“If you touch her, I will fucking kill you!” Cassian roared, spitting blood on the floor before wiping at his nose with his forearm. His shirt was ripped and bloodied, bruising already forming on his eye.
“Cassian, don’t, please,” Rowan pleaded with him from the edge of the crowd. Tears streaked down her cheeks and her eyes were puffy, red blotches across her face.
What exactly had Kael done? Whatever it was, it must have been bad to get a reaction like this from Cassian. The guy was so laid back he was practically horizontal.
Aeden pushed his way around the inside of the circle that had formed, heading towards Rowan. She was distraught at what was unfolding as Cassian and Kael continued brawling.
Cassian was able to hold his own, but as a Scout, he had speed and agility, but Kael had that with an extra adding of strength, too.
There was no denying the fact that Kael was a skilled fighter, evidenced by his posture, the way he held his arms. The Offence class had more combat training than everyone else; after all, they would be fighting on the front lines.
Cassian was more of a brawler, unrefined, just raw-dogged determination and an inability to back down.
“What?” Kael growled. He tapped at his bust lip with the back of his hand. “She’s practically begging for it, but don’t worry, I have no interest in mixing bloodlines.”
“Fuck you, you asshole,” Cassian said.
Aeden didn’t have a chance to warn him that Kael was simply baiting him, provoking him into dropping his guard and throwing a wild punch.
That was what made him vulnerable. Cassian was furious, but Kael, he was as calm as anything, and judging by the smirk on his face, he was enjoying every second of this .
Cassian took a wild swing at Kael, slow and cumbersome, giving Kael enough room to duck under the blow. He jabbed Cassian in the stomach, then switched to an uppercut, which snapped Cassian’s head back with a crunch.
“Cass!” Rowan cried out as Cassian was sent backwards towards her. Aeden helped her by grabbing hold of her cousin to stop him from falling over.
The crowd was getting even rowdier, with the cheering and jeering mainly from the Offence students.
Kael raised his arms in adulation from his peers, like he was a gladiator in an arena. They lapped it up as he spun around in a circle, smugness oozing from every pore of his skin.
“Let me go,” Cassian said, “I can still fight.”
“Cass, please, don’t,” Rowan pleaded with desperation, pulling him back as hard as she could. “Just let it go.”
“I saw the way he looked at you, like you were a piece of meat.”
“Listen to Rowan,” Aeden said. He was stronger, courtesy of the Weave, so he didn’t struggle as much to hold him back. “He’s under your skin. As long as you keep diving back in, he’s just going to keep beating your ass.”
“I said, let me go!” Cassian pulled away from Aeden and Rowan and stormed across to Kael, who had his back to him. He was being rash and predictable, just as Aeden had feared.
Kael heard him coming, and after a quick glance, he stepped to the side, meaning Cassian flew straight into the pocket of Offence class students, a couple of whom Aeden recognised from the sparring session with Master Storme, and one or two from when they’d jumped him .
They caught Cassian and held him in place, his back now turned to Kael.
“When will you all learn that Scouts” – Kael aimed a kidney punch at Cassian – “are not” – he smacked another fist into the opposite side, grabbed hold of Cassian’s shoulder, and spun him around so they were faced to face – “fighters.” Kael slammed a full fist into Cassian’s jawline, causing him to fall sideways and smash into the ground.
“No!” Rowan said, rushing across to help her cousin, who was out cold.
Rowan threw herself over him, sobbing. “That’s enough, Kael!” she cried, but Kael simply laughed.
He raised his leg, ready to stamp down on Rowan, who turned her back to brace herself from the blow.
That was enough for Aeden. He shot out from the crowd, kicking Kael’s leg away as he stomped down.
“Do they not teach you combat etiquette?” Aeden said, his blood pumping ferociously through his veins. “You don’t attack someone with their back turned to you. I didn’t have you down as a coward, Kael.”
Kael adjusted himself and simply started laughing. “Yet it’s you who has the coward’s mark.”
“The fight’s over, Kael, move on. Go and celebrate your hollow victory.” Aeden was unmoving in the way he stood between Kael, Rowan, and Cassian. His muscles were tensed. He would fight him too if he had to. Both his hands were balled into tight fists as he waited for Kael to make his move.
The two stared each other down, facing off.
Aeden truly hated him. He didn’t understand how such an asshole could be allowed at the academy.
What he would give to wipe that smug look off his face in front of everyone.
The cheers around them became nothing more than muffled noise as the two refused to avert their stares, Aeden’s breathing getting heavier and heavier.
“Consider this a lesson,” Kael said, looking down at Cassian.
He was starting to stir, with Rowan rolling him onto his side and checking him over.
“Don’t fuck with me.” Kael spat on the ground and turned away to the other Offence class students, who welcomed him in with open arms like he was some kind of war hero.
The crowd dispersed, the entertainment over for the day. Aeden knelt beside Cassian, placing his hands on him.
“ Nyra, can you help me with some magic? ”
“ I’ve just eaten, so I have plenty of energy ,” she said.
Aeden had never received a lesson, but the ability to draw on the magic was becoming more and more natural every time he used it.
Closing his eyes, he focused on the Weave between him and Nyra until he could see the tendrils of light taking form and moving towards him.
As with when he’d healed Rowan’s finger, the tendrils first wrapped around Aeden’s arms, and then he focused on Cassian’s body.
Energy pulsed from his hands, throbbing, making his hands feel tender and sore.
From what he could tell, there were no serious injuries, so this shouldn’t be too difficult.
Magic continued to flow through his hands and into Cassian as he started to come around, opening his eyes.
“W-What happened,” he said. “Why do I feel funny?”
Aeden didn’t speak as he continued to heal him until the pulsing sensation in his hands dampened.
“What are you doing?” Cassian sat up .
“He’s healing you,” Rowan said with irritation. She punched him in the arm. “What were you thinking, starting a fight with him? He could have killed you.”
Cassian rubbed his arm. “Row, what was I meant to do? I saw the way he looked at you. You’re my cousin! You might be happy to put up with that shit, but I’m not.”
“You should have ignored him and not given him the response he needed.”
Aeden took a moment to check over Cassian.
The bruising had gone from his face and his nose had stopped bleeding, but there was still a trail of blood running from his nose, over his lips, and down his chin.
“I think you’re all healed up,” he said.
“How’s your back feeling? Kael got a couple of strong blows in. ”
Cassian arched his back and rotated his head from side to side. His neck clicked multiple times before he stretched out his hands. “I feel like I could go a few more rounds with that prick.”
“Well, that isn’t going to happen,” Rowan said.
Aeden stood up, offering a hand to Cassian before helping him to his feet.
“Happy with yourself? Now that you’ve acted all macho?” Rowan turned on her heels and stormed out of the dinner hall.
“Row, wait!” Cassian shook his head in disbelief. “Thanks for healing me, I’ll catch up later,” he said before shooting off after Rowan.
Kael watched them leave the room with a wide grin before he started laughing and joking with the other Offence class students .
Aeden took a deep breath. Despite the temptation, despite the urge, this wasn’t his fight to get involved in.
He needed to avoid the urge to do something.
It felt wrong, it went against every fibre of his being, but he had his own battles to fight, and more than anything, he needed to keep out of the spotlight.