“I assure you Harrow, I won’t make a move on an injured student bleeding all over my bed.”
“Hazen will have a field day with this in the morning.” I muttered, drawing the dress gingerly over my head, crying out as it tugged on the skin of my shoulder.
Despite what he had said, Harbringer froze for a moment, his eyes locked on my face, and then he stood, strode over to one of the couches on the other side of the room and seized a cushion, which he then pushed at me before bending down to the medical bag. I held the cushion against my stomach, though my modesty was still somewhat intact, thanks to my underwear. I hooked a leg up beneath me, and turned to present him my injured side as he began pulling out gauze, wipes, and various bottles and tins.
My brassiere was still intact, though it was soot-roughened, and I suspected that my arm had protected that particular section. The rest looked bad.
He treated me silently, his mouth set into a rigid line, and I began to watch the forest again, my mind travelling all the way to Nareon’s kingdom. If the King granted me permission to go back there with a guard, what would Nareon say about the recent attacks? Would he fly into a rage and lash out at the nearest person? Or did he already know about them? Was this the start of something that he had been waiting for? He had made no effort to hide my presence in his kingdom, he had even gone as far as to parade me through the towns, and had kept me in his throne room, half-drugged with compulsion, throughout one of his court ‘games’. Surely, he would have known that his enemies would come after me eventually?
I drew away from the thoughts, turning back to watch Harbringer work. He had just finished covering the burns along my ribcage, and now moved to my shoulder, working silently and efficiently.
“People aren’t so bad as I always suspected.” I said thoughtfully.
His black eyes flicked upwards for an instant, and then returned to my shoulder.
“Sometimes they’re good, sometimes they’re not. It’s the same no matter what race.”
I nodded, thinking back to something Miriam had said, that had sounded remarkably similar.
“Before I came to the Academy, every person I met either hated or feared me, or else they treated me like some kind of half-wit house pet. But now, it seems like every person I let in… well, they accept me.”
“Does that include Nareon?”
“I suppose, but I was thinking more along the lines of Cale, and Hazen, and Rose. And you too,” I added, watching him, “Cale said you didn’t like me at first, but now you do.”
“Oh?” he chuckled, “and how does Cale know that?”
“Hazen doesn’t like it.”
His eyes flicked up again, and the laughter drained from his face. His fingers stilled, and I found myself falling once more, as I did whenever he really focused on me with that never-ending onyx glare. It wasn’t cold this time, only wary.
“I can imagine why. Perhaps it’s a little more interest than I should be showing in a student.”
Every thought flew from my mind, which I was oddly thankful for, because I wasn’t sure if Harbringer was reading it or not. For the umpteenth time that night, my heart began beating rapidly again, and he noticed, because he scowled.
“Don’t encourage it, Harrow. You’re a damn synfee, do you have any idea what that look on your face would do to any sane man?”
I shook my head mutely, and he tore his eyes from my face, his expression tightening as he finished treating my shoulder and began to bandage it.
“Nareon is the only one I kiss, and I don’t think he’s particularly sane.”
He dropped the pair of scissors he had just picked up, and when he straightened, his eyes were wide.
“Nareon?” he chocked.
Frowning in confusion, I nodded, “it’s how I draw his energy. I took energy from Cale once too, the same way. Nareon made me.”
“You can’t take it any other way?”
“I don’t know. I drop my glamor, my compulsion leaks out, and I feel their desire, it makes me hungry, and when I touch their lips, I feel their energy flow into me. It’s not really a conscious decision.”
“I’ve heard the synfees feed off desire.”
He didn’t look so shocked anymore, but his expression was still troubled.
“Couldn’t you draw your energy from Cale again, instead of going back to Nareon?”
“I’m never in control of it. Nareon is very strong. If I took energy from a human, I don’t think they would be able to stop me, and I certainly wouldn’t know to stop myself. I would keep draining them until they had nothing left, until they died.”
“What is it that makes Nareon able to stop?”
“I think it’s his compulsion, I always feel it, it’s always there.”
I had a sudden image of Nareon, hovering over me after tearing my dress, his grey eyes savage. Beside me, Harbringer flinched, and I shoved the image away.
“He gets that look a lot.” I tried to keep the annoyance out of my tone, not liking that my thoughts were never private.
“I don’t like it.” He muttered, pulling the cushion from my lap so that he could get to my thigh. He pulled the bloody sheet away too, throwing it to the floor.
“You pulled out a few stitches, I’ll have to re-do them.”
“Good news then.”
He half-smiled, and bent back to the bag, rummaging around until he found a vial of the yellow drink.
“Sorry, I should have given this to you earlier.”
I muttered my thanks as I took it from him, draining it all, even if I wasn’t supposed to. He watched me with an arched brow, his cringe deepening as the strange, chalky potion took immediate effect, and I flopped backwards, thinking that the wall was closer than it was. He jerked out of the chair and caught my head just before it hit the windowsill, laughing now.
“Maybe I should have measured that out first. You were only supposed to take a cap-full.”
I scowled, and would have hit him, if I hadn’t decided to take notice of his closeness instead. One of his arms had shot out to brace against the windowsill as he leaned over me, the other now held the back of my head. His eyes flashed, travelled downward briefly, and I became possessed.
It was the only logical explanation for how I acted.
It wasn’t far to lean up and feather my lips over his cheek. His skin tasted like smoke and salt, and I kissed him again before drawing back. I was briefly seized by an impression of molten black heat, before he turned his head fractionally and caught my lips with his own. It was my first real kiss, devoid of compulsion, loaded with guilt, and apprehension, and tenderness. My life was in shambles, but right in that moment, everything stopped spinning, and for the first time in months, I didn’t feel like I was running to catch up with myself. Everything had halted for this kiss, and I sighed into his mouth, welcoming the gentle stroke of his mouth against mine.
I knew that he would pull away, but I still felt bereft when he did.
“You’re going to undo me.” He groaned, before returning his attention to my leg-wound.
I knew I should apologise, but I suddenly wanted to treasure that one kiss, and refused to ruin it with an apology. Harbringer began fixing the stitches, and I turned my head away, a little sickened by the tug on my skin, though I didn’t feel any pain. When he finished, he cleaned my leg off, wrapped it up, and then stood to fetch me a shirt. I needed help getting into it, and by the time the too-big length of it settled about me in some measure of decorum, I was exhausted. He lifted me from the bed though, and sat me in one of his armchairs as he set to changing the sheets. And that was where I fell asleep.
When I awoke again, I was curled in the bed, a heavy blanket tucked securely around me.
“Morning, little synfee.”
I blinked groggily, and turned to see my three best friends lounging about Harbringer’s room. Harbringer himself was nowhere to be found.
“Joseph told us what happened, but his mind was solid as a vault, I couldn’t
get details.” Hazen said, folding his arms behind his head, looking almost bored to see that I was, once again, lying injured in the aftermath of some mysterious attack.
“Why would Harbringer close off his—” I began, and then paused, slamming a wall down in my own mind so viciously that Hazen almost fell off his chair.
“Dammit.” I muttered, my thoughts spinning out of control, “dammit, dammit, dammit.”
Cale’s eyebrows rose high into his forehead, but Rose took one look at my expression, and burst into laughter. She looked positively delighted.
Hazen glanced at her, and then back at me, and then back to her again, eyes wide with disbelief.
“No,” he said, “no way.”
“Oh yes,” chuckled Rose, “have a look, it’s all over her face.”
He turned those lovely dark eyes back to me, but by this time, Cale had caught on and was laughing as well.
“Oh this is good.” He slapped his knee, “you’re going to get the most famous man in the kingdom fired for inappropriate conduct.”
I made a violent shushing motion, and swung my legs out from beneath the blanket, standing shakily, which of course, only made things worse, as I now stood there in Harbringer’s shirt.
“Oh dear god,” I groaned, “this looks much worse than it is.”
Rose smirked, and motioned a dress strung over the side of one of the worktables, “Professor Harbringer sent me back for clothes.”
I ignored their laughter, and hobbled over to the worktable, feeling Hazen’s glare follow me.
What the hell is your problem? I shot out in my mind, as I pulled off the t-shirt.
The laughter died off immediately, and I snatched the dress off the table, waiting for Hazen’s reply, but he didn’t give one. I tried to step into the new dress, but staggered, and Rose jumped up to help me, her eyes huge with shock, straying over my bandages.
“Guess it couldn’t have gotten too physical.” Cale muttered, also eyeing my bandages.
I threw him a scathing look, which had him smiling again, and then turned my glare on Hazen for good measure, even though he hadn’t laughed once.
What is it? I repeated, yanking the dress into position, and letting Rose button it up.
He’s a Professor, Bea. He’s what… ten years older than you?
I was scared and… I don’t know. I don’t criticise you for who you kiss, so don’t criticise me, Hazen.
It was just a kiss?
Are you serious?
I watched as some of the tension drained from him, and then he fell back into the chair that he had vacated, pressing his hand to his temple as if his head hurt.
You’re right. I’m sorry. I just can’t stand to see you hurt all the time. And that’s exactly where I see this heading. Last night was an exception, but it can’t happen again, not while he’s your professor.
I know.
He should know better, Bea.
It was my own fault.
I find that hard to believe.
I decided not to answer that, and Harbringer chose that moment to walk back into the room. He looked to me first, and his eyes focused on me long enough to convince me that he was currently realising exactly what he had walked into, and then he blinked and looked away, focusing on Hazen.
“Read, a word, outside.”
He turned and walked straight back out, and Hazen followed, leaving Cale, Rose and I to stand there, looking after them.
“That mind-thing has to be the most annoying ability that I have ever encountered.” I muttered, limping over to one of the armchairs, and gingerly sliding into it.
“Don’t mind Hazen, he’s just over-protective.” Rose said, patting my hand as she slipped into the armchair beside mine.
I tried to smile at her, but the movement was difficult, and I realised that the darkness was swirling within my head, rearing at a level that it shouldn’t have been, only five days since my last visit to Nareon. The others seemed to be thinking the same thing, and I wondered if it were the gathering clouds that were blocking out the sunlight that had previously been filtering through the windows, or if it were something in my countenance.
“Oh no,” I slapped my forehead, “Nareon said that the energy would burn out quicker, the more I used my power, and I set the Infirmary on fire last night when I was running from the two synfees.
“Wait, that was you?” Cale seemed impressed.
The others returned then, and I pressed every other issue into a now-bursting box in the back of my head, labeled later.
“I need to see Nareon, today. I can’t risk this push getting out of control.” I spoke to Harbringer, but I could sense Hazen measuring the darkness himself.
“Alright.” Harbringer said, handing me a pair of crutches, “I’ll send word ahead, and the King will arrange someone to speak with you. Hazen can accompany us, but not the others, I’m afraid.”
Rose acted as if this were a usual occurrence, and so I supposed that it was, and nodded my agreement.
An hour later, we stood in one of the King’s formal receiving rooms, and Fenrel himself sat before us. He greeted his son with a stoic nod, and then simply set to examining me. I couldn’t have been much of a sight, hunched over and out-of-breath, my bandages peeking out from the sleeve and hem of my dress, but nothing slipped though his careful mask, and eventually, he simply looked away and addressed Harbringer.
“These attacks will have her dead before the week is out, but a guard will only draw unwanted attention. You’re stronger than four of my men combined, so I will be re-assigning you to her protection until all of this is over.”
I really am sorry. Hazen entered my head then, just as Harbringer asked about his teaching post.
“The Academy can assign someone else the position. You’ll be in charge of the girl alone, that means training her as well. If her power is as strong as they say, then she will be a great asset, if moulded properly.”
It’s fine, you were just being protective, I understand. Does your father talk about everyone that way?
Unfortunately, yes.
I wanted to talk more, but couldn’t be sure that our conversation was private, so I waited out the rest of the meeting with a carefully guarded mind, and didn’t speak until I was hobbling across the dirt road, back toward home, my new shadow strolling along beside me.
“Harbr—er, Profes—”
“Joseph.” He saved me smoothly.
“I’m s—” I began to apologise, thinking it the right thing to do in the light of my actions the night before, but he cut across me again.
“I’ll send a message to the Academy, Rose can collect your work and bring it to you at home for the next few days. I doubt anyone will attack you with me near, especially not in the middle of the kingdom, but I don’t want to risk another episode like last night.”
“Alright, but I still need to go to Nareon.”
“We’ll go and speak to your father first.”
I nodded, sidetracked for the moment by the task at hand. I didn’t savour telling my father that Harbringer’s new post was to stick to me like glue, but at the same time, I was glad that the King had given him permission to put together some of his men to escort me from border to border, where we might be in danger of encountering the worst of the attacks.
When we got home, I found my father waiting, which was unusual for the middle of the day, but he held a missive in his hand, and I assumed that the King had sent a message to him after our meeting. He nodded to Harbringer, and shook his head when he saw me, stepping up to touch the bandages on my arm.
“I can’t say I’m surprised that he gave you Harbringer. I don’t think anyone has managed to get into this much trouble under Read’s watch since the Revolts. And I know you were the one who set the Infirmary fire, I went to see it this morning, and it had Beatrice written all over it.”
I grimaced, and let him help me into the sitting room, where we sat down on the couch together and Harbringer moved to the window, tak
ing a little, sleeping mechanical bird out of his pocket.
“I don’t think I’ve ever made one that big before.” I said, thinking back to the fire.
“I’m not surprised, you must have been frightened.”
He touched my cheek, and then sighed, some of the tension draining from the broad set of his shoulders. “I’ve briefed the men. When Harbringer sends word, five of them will be sent to the game trail beyond the barracks to wait for you. Do you remember it?”
“Yes, I used it to walk to the Academy most mornings from Sparrow’s Settlement.”
“Alright then, I’m afraid I can’t arrange a regular group, not with the tasks they already have, but you will have five waiting, whenever you need them. And you are not to go anywhere without Joseph, am I understood?”
“I already agreed to this, you think I’d lie to the King?”
“Perhaps. You’re involved in something big here Bea, and I think you know it.”
I reached over to pat his knee, and Harbringer left the window.
“I’ve sent word to the Academy, and to the Black Barracks, your guard should be waiting by the time we get there. Are you ready to go?”
I nodded, and moved to stand, but my father caught my arm, an anxious look on his face as he turned to Harbringer.
“You have a reputation to uphold Joseph. If anything happens to her, I don’t care how much the King favours you, I’ll use my ability, and you’ll never even see it coming.”
“Noted.” Harbringer’s mouth quirked a little, and I think he enjoyed the prospect of someone beating him in a fight.
My father turned back to me, “I need to leave again tonight, but Joseph will send me regular updates. I’ve had Gretal clear out one of the rooms on the second floor, it’s right below yours, so he will hear if there is any kind of struggle.”
Leaving my father was harder than it usually was, because this time, there was a niggling feeling at the base of my skull, telling me that with each day, the danger of me never seeing him again grew. I kissed both of his cheeks, and hobbled out the door, past the minimalist garden, and toward the Black Barracks.
Hereditary Page 21
