Gloria Oliver (20 page)

Clarence shot more fire after the old man, but as before, Nertak disappeared before it could hit him, reappearing farther ahead. Small fires dotted the yard, making thin tendrils of black acrid smoke, and already lay claim as their trophy some of the bushes outlining the garden.

Students started appearing at the balconies, drawn by the noise, the heat, and the smoke, to find out what was going on outside.

Nertak continued to run, trying to maneuver himself over to the main building to escape inside it. Kel and Clarence kept cutting him off. More and more of the yard caught on fire, leaving the old man less and less room to escape.

Talia slowed, shaking, not able to get closer due to the liquid flame burning the area. Unlike Nertak, she couldn’t dodge the fire, and the dragon and his quarry’s movements were so erratic, she wasn’t sure which direction they were going to go from one moment to the next.

Out of nowhere, Lareen appeared on the scene wearing something closely resembling the scarf dress she’d worn the other night except this time it was yellow and orange. “Kel! Stop this at once!”

Nertak ran right for the Administrator, Clarence and the squire at his heels. Lareen shifted to get between them, her arms outstretched. “Stop!”

Clarence jumped over her in a perfectly graceful arc.

As he realized Lareen hadn’t slowed his pursuers, Nertak yelped and ran faster.

Students started pouring out from the doors and through the garden. Nertak headed right for them.

People screamed and scrambled out of the way as they saw what was barreling behind him.

A large, one-armed, armored figure stepped out of the doorway even as Nertak zoomed inside.

Clarence skidded to a halt, the door too small for him, as Kel yelled at him to keep going. The dragon was about to take another deep breath to expel more flame when the armored man crossed the distance between them in a blur and, with a mighty fist, punched Clarence in the face.

Dragon and rider whipped back as if they’d been struck by a cannon. Kel lost his hold on his seat and fell to the hard, ground stunned. Clarence shook the yard as he landed backward, almost crushing Kel’s unprotected body.

Seren ignored the dragon. He walked past Clarence, bent down to pick up a dazed Kel and easily threw the squire over his shoulder. As if this were no more than usual routine, he turned around with his burden and went back inside.

“All right, everyone,” Lareen’s voice boomed across the yard, “the excitement is over. Go on back inside.” She looked up at the balconies and those students standing outside looking unperturbed. “Go on now.” She stood there for a moment until the grumbling audience finally started to comply. Without another word, she followed in the same direction as Seren.

Watchers came out in droves to put out the fires in the yard.

Talia stared and watched all this, her whole body numb. She’d done this. Though she had no idea how or why—she was responsible for this. And it was only through a miracle no one was dead—a miracle.

Her chest feeling tighter than ever, she stepped out of sight behind one of the pillars bordering the garden. Her strength suddenly left her and she collapsed to the ground. Her whole body shook as a sob abruptly racked through her. She threw her hands over her mouth trying to hold it in to no avail. Hot tears rolled down her face as she wept bitterly into her hands.

Less than an hour later, she raised her head from the ground as loud voices filtered to her from somewhere in the garden. With a panicked gasp, she realized breakfast was over and everyone was on their way to class. That she’d missed the meal made no difference to her—she honestly didn’t know if she ever cared to eat again—but with everyone going to class she would be missed. Already she was sure Mandee and Yllin would be wondering where she’d been this morning. If she didn’t show up for class, she was sure Helyn would worry and would send people out to look for her. And once they found her, the questions would begin. She couldn’t go through that.

Shaky and exhausted, she forced herself to her feet. She wasn’t ready for questions; she wasn’t ready to admit her guilt. The time would come, sooner or later, she knew, but she didn’t want it to happen in such a way everyone would find out. She didn’t want to become the latest gossip in school.

She wiped at her face with shaking hands and then brushed the grass and soot off her clothes. Whether or not she could make it through class without breaking down or confessing she wasn’t sure, but she needed to try. And later, when she got a chance, she’d go see the Administrator and tell her everything.

Her stomach knotted in pain at the thought. Even if they sent her home in disgrace for what she’d done, she just couldn’t let Kel take the blame for all this. She couldn’t. She still possessed no idea how everything could have gone so wrong, but at least in this, her thoughts were clear.

As soon as the main tide of students died down, she pushed through the garden out into the path. She followed the last of the breakfast crowd back into the building and then headed off to her class.

She was the last of her group to arrive. She didn’t look at any of her classmates as she headed for her seat. She cringed inside as the buzz going on inside the room hushed at her entrance. Did they already know? Did someone see her? She felt her lips quiver as she sat down.

“Talia?” Helyn was suddenly before her.

It was all she could do not to break down right there and then and confess.

“Are you all right?” the teacher asked her. “You don’t look well. Should I take you to the healer?”

She shook her head, not trusting herself to speak.

“You look very pale,” Helyn insisted. “How do you feel?”

She didn’t look at her teacher as she forced herself to answer. “I-I think something didn’t agree with me from dinner last night,” she said. “I’m doing better now though.” She felt her eyes mist over at the lie.

What was she doing?

“Are you sure?” Helyn pressed.

The teacher’s concern only made her feel worse. Talia nodded slowly.

“Well, all right, if you’re sure. But if you start feeling worse, tell me right away.” Helyn stepped hesitantly back.

Talia nodded again, trying to reassure her, though she knew nothing would ever be all right again. It proved to be one of the longest mornings of her life.

The tears attempted to come back off and on throughout the morning. Though she tried, she found she couldn’t pay attention to Helyn’s lessons—her thoughts drifting of their own volition to what she knew she needed to do and to imagining the horrors being inflicted on Kel and Clarence as she sat there safe and sound.

As soon as they were released for lunch, she zoomed out of the room and headed for the stairs instead of the dining hall. Since the Administrator didn’t usually join the students for lunch, she hoped this meant she might find her in her office.

To her surprise, once she came within sight of the golden door, she saw five or more students already gathered there, while four watchers guarded the door. The students were bombarding the two men and two women with questions even as the latter stalwartly ignored them.

Talia slowed, even as the taller of the two men appeared to have more than enough of it. “We’re not tellin’ the bunch of you nothin’. Get out of here before we put you down and give ya a real reason to come here.” His tone was gruff.

Cowed, most of the students left in disappointment. One passed Talia and pointed back at the watchers as he spoke. “Don’t bother. You won’t get anything out of them.”

She stayed where she was until they’d gone.

One of the women grabbed one of the remaining two students by the ear as he said something rude.

“Ow! Let go,” he screamed.

She didn’t, instead giving him a hard look.

“He’s a menace, I tell you! He needs to be expelled.” The boy was trying hard to look dignified even as he stood on tiptoe to minimize the pain to his ear.

The watcher yanked on it again. “You’ll get your say, I’m sure, but not here and not now. Out!”

The tall man who’d spoken to the others stared at the culprit while rolling up his sleeves. A small smile of anticipation lighted on his lips.

“All right, all right! We’ll leave.” The other of the two boys came forward and grabbed his friend’s arm.

The watcher let go of the first boy’s ear and let the second drag him away even as he protested.

Totally unsure how to proceed at this point, Talia slowly stepped closer to the obviously annoyed adults.

“Excuse me.”

“Miss, you have no business being up here. Please go back downstairs.” This came from the second of the two women. She was plumper than the other and had a kind looking face.

“Please, I—I need to speak to the Administrator.” Her voice shook.

The woman frowned. “I’m sorry, but we’re under orders. No one is to disturb her right now.”

“But I have information,” she insisted. “Information on what happened this morning and why.”

This raised a number of eyebrows.

“Child, it may be so, but there’s to be no exceptions,” the woman said gently. “If you’ll leave your name and your teacher’s, I’ll make sure to tell her.”

Talia stared hard at the white-tiled floor. If she told them her name, word would surely get out. But what else could she do? Everyone would learn about it eventually anyway. “T—Talia. My name is Talia. My teacher’s name is Helyn.”

“She’ll get your message.” This came from the shorter of the two men.

Without looking at them, she turned around and walked back the way she came. As she reached the stairs and started down, she was half tempted to run to her room and bar the door and never come out again. She sighed, looking down the hallway as she reached her floor, the idea truly tempting her. Her parents would be so ashamed of her if they knew. Facing up to one’s responsibilities was something they both strongly believed in. She did, too. But she’d never thought it would be so hard.

With another sigh, she resumed going down.

As she opened the door into the dining hall, she was almost deafened by the roar of conversation going on inside. Every few seconds, she heard Kel’s name mentioned from one direction or another. Some of the discussions were reserved, but most of the ones she heard were pretty heated. Several watchers were even forced to stop a fight that broke out at one of the tables, something she’d never seen happen before.

For once, she didn’t look for her friends but instead sought somewhere a little out of the way, hoping for some quiet and solitude. It was not to be. Mandee spotted her from across the room and rushed to her side.

“Talia! Where have you been?” the red-haired girl asked with some worry. “What happened to you this morning? Daltan said you looked ill in class.”

She opened her mouth during the deluge of questions, but nothing came out. In the end she just nodded.

“Well, come on. We’re over here. You probably should try to eat something.” Mandee grabbed her arm and dragged her over to where the others were waiting.

When they got there, Yllin was in a hot argument with one of the other girls. “He deserved it and you know it! This has been coming for a long time. It would have served him right to have fried.”

Talia frowned, not having to guess what they were talking about.

“Yeah,” chimed in one of the others, “but what could Kel have against the old man? I heard they got along, maybe were even friends.”

Yllin snorted. “I don’t know and I don’t care. I just hope whatever it was, this has taught the letch a lesson.”

“Ah, Yllin, not this again.” Mandee made a face. “It’s all you talked about at breakfast.” Talia sat down, not looking at any of them.

“I heard one of the other classes is taking bets on what will happen to the squire.” This came from one of the boy’s in Yllin’s class. “They’re giving ten to one odds Kel will be declared insane.”

One of the others jumped in. “The upper third year class is giving three to one this whole mess has something to do with a girl.”

Talia stared only at her plate.

“Hey, it’s too bad you were sick this morning, Talia,” Yllin said. “Since you normally get here early, you might have gotten a real good view as the old letch ran for his life.”

“Hey, that’s right!” Sonsan’s eyes it up. “We could have gotten the news straight from an eyewitness.”

Talia wished she could make herself disappear.

“Are you okay?” Daltan’s query whispered to her from across the table.

She looked up into her classmate’s dark eyes and saw genuine worry there. She didn’t deserve it. She figured he was recalling those nights he’d seen Kel outside her balcony. “Yeah.” She tried hard to smile.

She wasn’t sure how well she succeeded.

Lunch was filled with rumors and innuendoes, but no one seemed to have any real facts. She listened to them all as they were laid out before her, her stomach in knots.

“Do you think they’ll
execute
him?” Sonsan’s voice seemed filled with fear and awe at the same time.

“No way,” Mandee protested. “He didn’t kill anyone, so why should they?”

“But he did try,” another argued. “He would have done it if not for the old man’s magic bracelet. I heard one of the teachers say so.”

The words were blows to her soul. Surely the Administrator wouldn’t have Kel killed, would she?

Would she? Her stomach cramped hard; she doubled over in pain.

“Talia!” Mandee paled beside her.

She tried to say something but couldn’t. It would be her fault. If he were killed, it would be her fault. Her friends’ concerned faces quickly surrounded her, but were then pushed back by a couple of watchers.

“Child, what’s wrong?” The smaller of the two put her hand on her shoulder and tried to peer into her face.

Talia tried to speak again, but all that came out was a sob. Two or three of the others answered for her instead. “She didn’t come down to breakfast.” “She was sick this morning.” “She hasn’t looked good all day.”

“All right, all right.” The other watcher held up her hands as they all spoke at once. “We’ll take her to the healer. Don’t worry, we’ll make sure she’s all right.”