53. Breaking Point
A eden was traversing through the narrow stone corridors of the academy.
It was relatively quiet, with just a handful of students gathering around, as it was early evening.
There was still plenty of natural light entering through the tall windows, but the lamplighters had started their evening patrols, giving the corridors a soft orange glow.
It was relatively serene – almost calm – which was a stark contrast to how Aeden was feeling.
He had left Lyric feeling more than a little frustrated.
His mood had already been on edge before he went to the hatchery, following his confrontation with Master Sorrel, but that visit had done nothing to lift his spirits.
Yes, he was frustrated. Yes, he wanted to prove that Supports could be so much more than what was expected of them.
But now he felt like he was grieving not just for an Aer-Kin he hardly knew, but also for Lucien.
After all, if not for him saving Aeden from drowning in the lake, he might not still be here.
He had only seen Bertha a handful of times before her death, and he didn’t know whether his feelings were more conflicted because of Lyric’s reaction than the actual death of the hatchling.
All he knew in this moment was that he needed to find Harrison, who had told him earlier that he had some kind of plan to deal with Orion.
Whatever that plan was, Aeden needed to know it.
He needed to find him now, because Orion couldn’t be allowed to get away with what he had done.
His Manipulation – or whatever his controlling ability truly was – had to be stopped. And that needed to happen now.
Why train us to reach into the Weave, only to cower behind others? Aeden ruminated on the thought for a moment. He was done hiding. For once, a Support was going to take control of the situation.
He had already been to the bunkhouse, but Harrison was nowhere to be seen.
Neither were Vivienne and Serene, for that matter.
He had headed there as soon as he’d left the hatchery, and when he couldn’t find them, his next port of call was the dining hall.
Given the time, he imagined that would be the next best place to look.
He knew that if he could find Serene, he’d be able to find Harrison.
What made the situation worse was the smell. Thick smoke clung to him, choking him, sticking to his clothes like an unwanted reminder of where he had been. He desperately needed a bath to freshen up. The smoke had bedded into his clothes and his hair, with ash and soot smudged into his shirt.
As much as Aeden tried to think about something else, his thoughts kept spiralling.
He couldn’t stop seeing Bertha’s face laid on the fire, her eyes closed, peaceful and unassuming.
He kept ruminating over Lyric’s behaviour and attitude towards Midnight.
He had said he hated her – that he was scared of what he might do to her.
That concerned Aeden more than anything.
It was a blessing that he had Nyra to remain at the hatchery to keep an eye on Midnight and make sure she was okay.
Then his thoughts drifted to Midnight herself. The poor Aer-Kin, only a youngling, already chastised by her brothers and sisters, and her hatchery master – all through no fault of her own.
Maybe Master Sorrel was right. Maybe I shouldn’t be here. Maybe it would be better for everyone if I just left .
He knew the thought was ridiculous, but he couldn’t help himself. Ever since getting here, it had been setback after setback, and the whole situation was just getting more and more fucked.
As he approached the dining hall, he hoped beyond anything that his friends would be there. Just for this evening, he didn’t want any drama. He couldn’t cope with anything else.
“Harrington,” Kael said, leaning against the wall. Aeden hadn’t even noticed him until he shot past. There was a smugness in his voice that told Aeden straight away that this was not a conversation he wanted. “Why are you in such a rush?” he said.
There was no one else standing with him. Kael was on his own, which made the situation even stranger. Kael was never alone. He was too calculating for that. But Aeden couldn’t help but think that he was exactly where he wanted to be.
“Not now, Kael. I don’t have time for this,” Aeden said, trying to cut the conversation short before it even started.
“What’s with the hostility?” Kael asked. Gods, Aeden would love to wipe that smug face off his head if given the opportunity. He knew in an instant he needed to get away, and fast. This was not the place or the time .
“Don’t take this the wrong way, but you look like you need a bath. I mean, you absolutely stink of smoke. I saw the pyre over at the hatchery. I assume you were there. Don’t tell me something happened to your precious Aer-Kin. That would be a delightful end to my day.”
“Fuck you,” Aeden said, slowly and controlled.
“Oh, did I hit a nerve? At least if it’s dead, the natural order has been restored, because let’s face it – neither of you are good enough for this academy.”
Aeden knew he shouldn’t stop. He knew he should’ve just carried on to the dining hall and caught up with his friends.
That was where safety was. That was where he could regroup and come up with a plan to deal with Orion.
In every scenario that ran through his head, it hadn’t accounted for him coming face to face with Kael, especially when he was feeling like this.
And the fact that Kael was pushing his buttons made his reaction almost inevitable.
“I said fuck off,” he warned with slow, concise words.
Kael, however, took that as a challenge.
He took a step towards Aeden, a smug slither of a smile tugging at the corner of his mouth. “What’s wrong? Did I hit a nerve?” Kael said as he approached. “The worst thing you ever did was grace this academy’s halls.”
Kael stopped in his tracks, bringing his hand to his chin and thinking in an over-the-top kind of way.
“Come to think of it, that’s a lie. Everyone knows the worst thing was you bonding with that runt.
It brings shame to this academy. The fact they’ve allowed you both to stay here shows changes need to be made.
Don’t worry, that’ll all be getting fixed soon.
I’ve made sure of that,” he said, his grin returning as he stared challengingly at Aeden .
“What have you done?” Aeden demanded.
“Only what should’ve been done when you first brought that wretched thing into the academy grounds. In fact, I’m pretty sure Orion was really appreciative of our little conversation.”
That was all Aeden needed. That was the excuse he’d been waiting for. Without a moment’s hesitation, he balled his hand into a tight fist, cracked his knuckles, then launched forward, slamming it into Kael’s cheek.
The connection was satisfying. Aeden had wanted that for so long. Kael was sent sprawling backwards from the sucker punch, blood splattering from his mouth as he slid down the hallway on the polished stone floor.
The students nearby stopped dead in their tracks. They wanted to see exactly what was happening.
“You motherfucker,” Aeden snapped. “What have you done?”
Kael groaned, climbing back to his feet, wiping his bleeding lip with the back of his hand.
“I’ve already told you,” he said, raising his fists and charging towards Aeden. He unleashed a haymaker from the side, but Aeden blocked it, then leaned back and slammed both fists into Kael’s chest.
Fury filled every part of him as Kael staggered backwards, barely able to stand.
“I can’t tell you how long I’ve wanted to do that,” Aeden said. He grabbed hold of his shirt and tore it downwards, revealing his scarred chest from their last altercation. “Ever since you did this to me.”
Aeden didn’t give Kael a moment to think. He flew at him again, diving and spearing him into the ground. By this time, more students had begun to gather, some even running to fetch their friends.
Aeden’s head was gone. He needed to punish Kael. He needed to prove he wasn’t just a Support. That in a one-on-one fight, he could beat him. That he was better than him. Better than anyone at the academy.
Kael put his hands up to defend himself from the ground as Aeden straddled him, knees pinning him down. Then he started raining down blows, over and over again – arms, chest, face – pummelling Kael.
Each blow felt like a breath released. Like each and every one of his problems were being resolved with every thunderous strike.
He didn’t care about the consequences. He just wanted to make the dickhead pay for everything he’d done since Aeden’s first day.
Kael’s face became bloodied and bruised, his arms falling limp by his sides as Aeden continued to beat down on him.
Shocked gasps came from the crowd. Everyone watched on as Aeden lost all control.
Someone grabbed him from behind.
“Aeden, stop! That’s enough!” It was Rowan. She tried desperately to pull him back, but he shook her off and drove another punch into Kael’s nose with a satisfying crunch.
“Get off me!” Aeden said.
“You’ve proved your point – Cass, do something!” she cried.
Cassian also tried to pull Aeden away, but at this stage, a full swarm of Aer-Kin attached by ropes wouldn’t have stopped him.
Aeden wanted to kill Kael .
But that would be too easy. That would be too much of a kindness. Aeden didn’t want this to end.
He focused on the Weave and channelled his magic. “You want to see what a healer can do?” Aeden snarled.
He focused power into his hands, which started to vibrate with a soft white glow. He pressed his hand against Kael’s side and focused that power. The throbbing sensation in his fingers intensified as he squeezed tightly, threatening to crush bone.
With a rasping gasp, Kael’s eyes shot wide open, and he sat upright. The room gasped once more.
Kael’s wounds were healed. His face was bloodied, but his nose was no longer crooked. His split lip had sealed over.
“What are you doing?” he begged. He tried to lash out at Aeden, but Aeden grabbed his arm and slammed his forehead into Kael’s face again, causing his nose to explode once more.
“You think you’re better than me? Better than everyone else at this academy? Look at you, getting your arse kicked by a healer.”
Aeden continued the assault, hammering down on Kael’s face and cheeks, then grabbed his shoulders and slammed his head against the floor.
“Aeden, stop! Please!” Rowan begged. “We need to stop him – he’s going to kill him!”
“That would be too kind,” Aeden muttered. He channelled his magic again to heal Kael once more.
“Had enough?” Aeden said as Kael’s nose snapped back into place. He was weary. Though his injuries weren’t causing pain because of the healing, it was still clearly affecting him .
Kael rolled his head to the side and spat out a pool of blood.
“What the shit is going on here?” Harrison said as he entered the crowd.
“He’s out of control!” Rowan cried. “He’s going to kill him!”
Kael was exhausted, confused, broken. He looked around, dazed.
Aeden leaned down, his mouth close to Kael’s ear. “Know that I beat you. Know that if you ever come near me or Nyra again, I will kill you.”
He sat back up and hammered a final fist into Kael’s cheek, knocking him out cold.
A giant hand grabbed Aeden by the scruff of the neck and hauled him up. He recognised the grip – it was Master Storme who slammed Aeden against the wall and pressed his forearm to his chest.
“What have you done?” Master Storme growled, looking across at the unconscious Kael, sprawled out in a pool of blood. “Don’t just stand there – fetch Mistress Plato at once!”
A nearby student took off running. Aeden continued to struggle in vain against Master Storme’s iron grip.
“Let me go! It’s no less than what he deserved!”
“What did I tell you in training?” Master Storme growled. “You’re out of control. Just like those students who attacked you. I thought you were better than that.”
“Like fuck you did,” Aeden snapped.
“Well, well, well,” Orion said. “Isn’t this simply delightful? You can stop fighting now. ”
The anger in Aeden remained, but his resistance faded in an instant. A darkness entered his soul – a cold sensation that cut through to his bones, like being in a dark, damp cave. He had never felt so alone, so vulnerable. Was Orion using his powers on him? He must’ve been.
And that thought sent a chill through Aeden’s entire body.
Especially now that Kael had told him all he needed to know about Nyra.