“They are Canadians, they speak English here,” Cord told her. “This is a class where they study books and the English word.”
“Why?” Tegan asked, rising again to peer through the window.
“Exactly,” Cord chuckled softly. “Come.” He took her to several more doors, some where the students were actively moving about, and Tegan had to be careful not to be seen. Each time he explained the bare basics of the subject the students learned. “This is mathematics.” Cords disgust lay heavy on his words.
Looking through the small window in the door, Tegan noted letters on the white board at the front of the room. “Why does A plus B, equal C?”
“Who knows or cares?” Sloane muttered.
“But why do they learn it, is it a form of spell?” Her eyes searching Cord’s for the answer.
“It is a dark magic, called algebra,” Cord answered, Sloane chuckled at his answer, and a perplexed Tegan looked between the two of them.
“Can we find Zahra now?” Sloane asked.
“She is at physical education,” Cord answered as he strolled down the hall.
“If you knew that, why didn’t you take us to the playing fields?” Sloane grumbled, turning and heading back the way they had came.
“Oh, it’s not that kind of physical education,” Cord grinned at his brother. Then with great flair, he opened a door with the word janitor on it.
“Hey, I’m in here!” came a disgruntled male voice and female yelp of surprise.
“Zahra my friend, be a dear and come out, make sure you are clothed, you have visitors.”
“What the fuck man, who is this? We’re busy in here!” The male voice demanded as it got closer. Tegan stepped back in surprise when a shirtless human male of average height appeared in the door. He was slender for his height, black hair, average looking, Tegan mused, he had no abdominal muscles at all. He reached up and grabbed the door frame as he looked at the three of them. “Who the hell are you?”
“Cord? Are you joking?” Zahra’s fury was evident before she even appeared. Fixing what seemed to be a strap and straightening her skirt she looked up at Cord as she ducked under the human’s arm. She froze when she saw Sloane, looking guiltily at the human, before her attention was caught by Tegan and her eyes narrowed. “What do you want?”
“You’ve been called home,” Cord said watching her with amusement.
“No.”
“Not interested, Zahra, tell your plaything goodbye,” Cord reached for her arm and yanked her completely out of the way, nodding at Sloane as he did so. As Zahra cried out in protest, Sloane quickly punched the human, who dropped down at his feet. “Be right back,” Cord said as he vanished.
“Wow,” Tegan murmured, her head trying to catch up on the last few moments. “What will we do with him?”
“I say put him back in the closet,” Sloane grinned as he bent down to lift the unconscious male and walked into the closet with him.
Curiously, Tegan followed. It was quite cramped and had hardly any room to move. “It’s so tight in here, what’s the attraction?”
Sloane grunted as he dropped the human. “You have to be with the right person to understand the appeal.”
“Oh,” Tegan didn’t understand that there was appeal as she looked at industrial sized bottles of detergent and other liquids. “I don’t understand.”
“Be thankful you will never have to,” Sloane turned her, giving a gentle shove to leave.
“I’m sorry,” Tegan offered lamely.
“For?”
“What you saw,” Tegan shifted her feet uncomfortably.
“That’s just Zahra,” Sloane shrugged as he closed the door, leaving the human inside. “It stopped bothering me a long time ago.”
“It shouldn’t,” Tegan said to him, reaching out and squeezing his hand. Sloane smiled at her in surprise that she was initiating contact, his smile turning sad as he squeezed back.
“I believe that seven minutes of heaven, happens inside the closet,” Cord said from behind them, his tone as always, mocking.
“Seriously? She’s my cousin,” Sloane glared at his brother.
“What’s seven minutes of heaven?” Tegan asked.
“Want me to show you, little tiger?” Cord’s voice dropped dangerously soft and Tegan found herself dropping her gaze away from his intimate stare.
“You’re such a son of a Drakhyn,” Sloane punched his brother’s shoulder as he moved off the wall. “Where are the others?”
“Kallie is in that awful math class, Briony in one of the science ones, both Jax and Gable are in the actual playing fields.”
“Okay, you taking the playing fields?” Sloane asked.
“Of course, brother,” Cord wore a sly smile and Sloane muttered under his breath as he walked away.
“Go with Sloane,” Cord instructed. “Watch.”
Tegan realised by this point she was so out of her depth of understanding, she may as well just wait here until one of them came back for her. A groan sounded from inside the closet had her pushing off the wall and hurrying to catch up with Sloane. He looked into one of the rooms and made a slight tapping noise on the window, it was soft and barely a sound, but a copper-haired female raised her head quickly. There were voices in the classroom and then she slipped out through the door.
“What’s going on, Sentinel Ivanov, where is Zahra?” she glanced at Tegan. “Who are you?”
“Needed at Headquarters, I’ll explain when we get Kallie,” Sloane walked purposefully down the hall.
Tegan studied the red-haired female, her skin was almost as pale as Tegan’s, she was tall, an inch or two taller than Tegan. Her frame was slight, but she moved with a confidence that belied her training.
“Briony,” she offered to Tegan as they followed Sloane.
“Tegan.”
“You look like Michael, are you a cousin?”
“Briony I told you I would tell you at Headquarters,” Sloane’s voice drifted back to them.
“Bell is about to ring for lunch, Sentinel, may as well wait for Kallie here,” Briony grinned. “She hates maths, she’ll be the first out of the door.”
Just then a shrill piercing sounded the hall, startling Tegan. Doors opened and students piled out. Tegan glimpsed Sloane catch the arm of a small dark-haired female. She looked at him in surprise before a warm smile spread across her face. She was quick to notice the others though and her smile faded.
Tegan turned to see Cord coming back up the corridor. “By the Ancients, I hate this place,” he muttered when he reached them. “Who’s next?”
Tegan went to put her hand out, but Cord reached past her, grabbing the two female Akrhyn, he pulled them into a now empty classroom. When Tegan looked inside, they were gone.
“I don’t know why I am here,” Tegan said to Sloane in the quiet room, his answering shrug as he looked out of the window quietened anything else Tegan was going to say.
“Ready?” Cord asked as he appeared in the classroom. Both nodded and as he reached for them, the class disappeared, and they were in Salem’s study.
Tegan noticed that the Akrhyn they had collected were in the study too. Zahra was in the middle of an argument with her father – she really didn’t know that there were Akrhyn stationed at the school for her protection.
“I cannot believe you would disrespect my wishes like this!” Her hands were on her hips, her stance indignant.
“Zahra, I really don’t care what you believe,” Salem replied calmly from behind his desk. “I did it and I will do it again.”
Realising that there was more of an audience in the room, Zahra turned her fury towards Tegan. “And her? You sent her?”
“No, that was me,” Cord drawled from his corner in the room.
“Why?” Zahra was looking at him confusion.
“Because I can,” Cord shrugged. “Aren’t you interested in the human we left in the closest?”
“What human?” Salem asked in alarm. “Did he see you
portal?”
Cord snorted his derision at the question not bothering to answer, while Salem shook his head.
“Who’s the human?” Michael asked.
“Brett Andrews,” Briony answered. “He’s Zahra’s current love interest.”
“Current?” Cord’s questioning look of concern to his brother was marred with the malicious smile he sent Zahra.
“Sloane doesn’t care,” Zahra snapped. “Everyone knows that.”
“Principal Salem, are we to resume our normal training?” One of the males asked as he looked at his fellow teammates. The hope on all their faces was barely concealed.
“Yes, thank you for your service,” Salem inclined his head. “Tegan and Michael will take over your training from now until Summer Turning.”
The four Akrhyn turned to Tegan as one, they regarded her curiously. Tegan had been standing at the back of the room, staying out of Zahra’s immediate sight and trying to blend into the walls. These kinds of confrontations were unknown to her, she felt incredibly uncomfortable at witnessing the dispute between Salem and Zahra. When Salem had told the Akrhyn she was to train them, she had looked at Michael in surprise. Now the four of them were watching her, she didn’t miss the fact that Zahra had flung herself into a chair in disgust.
“Alright, you guys can go find Marcus, tell him you are here, and you need rooms,” Michael instructed them. “We’ll see you tomorrow morning, training room two at,” he looked at Tegan, “six-thirty?” Tegan nodded quickly just to avoid the four Akrhyn looking at her again. “Okay, dismissed.”
The four young Akrhyn bowed their heads in reverence to Salem and then left the room. Tegan watched them go, noting how synchronised their movements were. Looking up, she felt Zahra’s eyes on her again.
“Why are you even here?” Zahra spat venomously at her.
“I’m an Elite Sentinel, stationed here by the Great Council, member of the Elite Guard,” Tegan answered firmly.
“You could have been asked to be moved,” Zahra folded her arms across her chest as she glared at Tegan.
“I was content with the position that the Great Council assigned me to,” Tegan answered honestly.
“I’m not calling you sister,” Zahra snapped.
“I wouldn’t want you to,” Tegan replied. When Sloane coughed out a laugh, she realised how her words could have been interpreted, but she wasn’t about to correct her statement. Tegan was pretty sure Zahra didn’t deserve her courtesy.
“Wow, you’re charming,” Zahra grumbled as she turned to her father again. “Are you going to explain anything to me?”
“You’re so charismatic, Zahra,” Cord spoke up from his corner of the room. “I always delight in our encounters; it reminds me why I hound my brother to commission for the bond to be dissolved.”
“Drop dead, Castor,” Zahra turned her back to him and stared at her father, clearly impatient for a response.
“Sloane, Tegan, we are no longer required,” Cord headed for the door. “By your leave Principal.” The scorn in his voice was unmistakeable.
“Castor,” Salem frowned briefly at Cord’s back, his attention focusing back on Tegan and Sloane. “Thank you for your help, I will catch up with you later?” His question was directed to Tegan. Sensing Zahra was about to react, Tegan nodded quickly again, before turning and hurrying after Cord.
Headquarters were quiet the next day, too many Sentinels preparing for tomorrow, which was the deadline the Drakhyn had stated at the fence. Tegan was in the training room, preparing for the four Akrhyn that had been in the school with Zahra. Michael hadn’t arrived yet and she was debating between kali sticks or basic exercises to assess their levels of training.
The training room door opened as Sloane came in, wearing soft cotton black training pants and a loose grey t-shirt. His physique filled out his clothes nicely and Tegan wondered why Zahra would pick the slender human over Sloane. It made no sense to her; he was loyal, charming and attractive. What more could you want? she wondered idly.
“May the Ancients bless you on this day,” Sloane grinned at her. “How are you this morning?”
“May the Ancients bless you, cousin,” Tegan beamed at him, pleased he was making the effort to observe the traditional greetings for her. He had even cut down on his swearing. Again, she found herself wondering what was wrong with Zahra that she didn’t want him. If anything, from what she had seen of the youngest Holt, if anyone should be found wanting in their qualities it was Zahra.
“Why are you watching me like I just crawled out of a Drakhyn nest?” Sloane asked warily.
Tegan laughed at him as she tossed him a kali stick. “I was just admiring my good fortune, that my handsome cousin was such an admirable Akrhyn.” She smiled up at him, “want to spar?”
“I don’t know whether you are complimenting me because you mean it or because you want to spar?” Sloane walked around her as he tossed the kali stick between his hands idly.
Tegan tilted her head to the side as she watched him, her eyes dancing with laughter. “Can’t it be both?”
“Now I’m worried,” Sloane laughed as he moved into a defensive stance. “Alright, little cousin, let’s see what you got.”
Still laughing Tegan sprang forward, her kali stick raised to strike. As Sloane moved to block it, she spun quickly, bringing the stick across the back of his legs.
“Delfar,” Sloane hissed through his teeth. Earning him another strike across his back for swearing. “Did you have coffee this morning?” Sloane asked suspiciously.
“Less talk, more action,” Tegan teased as she circled him.
“Okay, but if I hurt you, it’s your own fault.”
Her delighted laughter rang out across the room. The two of them concentrated on their sparring session, Sloane did take it more seriously and he got a few good hits in, for which he was grateful. As he lay on the mats with Tegan’s knee on his back and the kali stick being pressed across the back of his neck, he realised it was likely he would never best his cousin in combat.
“Well, this looks interesting,” Michael’s amused voice carried over the room.
The position that Tegan had Sloane trapped in, made it impossible for him to lift his head. “Michael, great, you’re just in time to see me best your lovely sister.” Laughing, Tegan got off of him, he rolled over and looked up at her. Tegan held her hand out to him even as he lay back on the mats. “I’m good thanks,” Sloane did a quick handspring, getting to his feet quickly. “You’re like a hellcat,” he muttered as he playfully swiped at her.
“That was fun,” Tegan smiled at him, happiness radiating from her.
“By Arflyn’s grace, if I knew you would look so happy, I would have let you beat me up with a stick about a week ago,” Sloane said quietly to her.
“You started without us?” Michael’s easy smile as he approached them was quickly returned by both Tegan and Sloane.
“I didn’t know we were properly training,” Sloane laughed. “But it was good, enjoyable.”
“Okay, well let me introduce you to our trainees,” Michael said as he turned back to the four Akrhyn. “This is Gable.” A tall broad shouldered Akrhyn stepped forward, his arms had definition but not the obvious muscle tone of Sloane or Michael. Or even Cord, his muscles were defined without being bulky, Tegan thought as she assessed the male. With sandy blond hair and a square jaw that didn’t offset the fact that his eyes were too close together. However, he dipped his head in acknowledgement and murmured the standard greeting.
“This is Jax, don’t let his height fool you, he’s fast,” Michael smiled at the shorter Akrhyn. He was shorter than Tegan, but he was stocky, and Tegan doubted his capability for speed, due to his top-heavy frame and shorter legs.
“This is Briony,” Michael indicated to the red-haired female, who nodded in greeting even as she assessed them coolly. “And this is Kallie.”
Kallie stepped forward and extended her hand to Tegan. “Hello, I didn’t get a chance to meet you
properly.”
Tegan looked at the offered hand and then at the female in confusion. “None of you did, which is why Michael is introducing you now.”
Kallie’s hand slowly dropped, and Sloane stepped up beside Tegan. “In human customs, they shake hands when they are introduced or to say hello.”
“But I am not human?” Tegan looked at Sloane in bewilderment, she turned to Kallie. “Did you think I was human?”
“No, Elite Sentinel,” the girl flushed and looked to Sloane again for help. “It’s just habit.”
“Oh,” Tegan considered this and then smiled. “I’m Tegan, it is nice to meet you all.” A quick glance at Sloane who nodded in encouragement had her relaxing her shoulders more.
“Tegan has lived and trained apart from most Sentinels,” Michael explained to the others. “Although you are fitting in well at Headquarters, aren’t you?” He smiled encouragingly.
“Yes, I think so,” Tegan bit her lip as she thought about it. “So much has been happening since I got here, I am far from settled yet.” She looked at them as they stood in front of her. They were obviously unsure of her and little did they know, that actually went in their favour.
“Can you tell me why you were selected to attend to Zahra?” Tegan asked.
“We are close in age, we are not yet fully trained, but trained enough to be able to protect the Principal’s daughter,” Briony answered. “We come from different Houses, so Zahra didn’t know us. It was thought we would have little to do really, but it counts towards our final Trials.”
“How does it count?” Tegan asked curiously.
“We all want to be Scout Sentinels,” Gable answered. He had a deep pleasant voice which Tegan realised matched his appearance.
“I was not aware Scouts were being brought back,” Tegan looked at Michael who nodded in confirmation.
“The Great Council decreed it eighteen months ago,” he informed her.
Tegan tucked that information away, her father had never mentioned it and it was not an option she had been given. It was an option she would have been interested in. “And how far are you from sitting the final Trial?” Tegan asked. A mixture of replies from twelve to eighteen months. Tegan grinned. “Well, let’s work on getting you there quicker.”
Into Darkness: The Akrhyn Series (Book 1) Page 22
