A small chuckle escaped. “Yes, I do.”
Moving on from that, I asked, in a slightly lower tone, “And you think I’ll be in Combatant as well?”
He nodded immediately and said, without missing a beat, “I definitely think you’ll be chosen for Combatant.”
Surprised at his certainty, I asked, “Why do you think that?”
“You’re strong. You’re brave. The way you fight here shows it. You’re powerful. And you also seem a little defiant,” he added jokingly. “I’ve seen the expression on your face when Flint or River are giving us orders, commands. Instructions that we have to follow. I don’t know if you even realize it, but you look almost…angry. And during that first combat training session when Flint made you fight against him? Just before you won the last round, you got this look in your eyes. Like you were going to make him pay for the things he’d said.”
Coal paused, then concluded, “You have a fighter’s instinct with a rebellious nature.” Smirking, he shook his head slightly. “And I don’t think that would fit into the other Divisions too well.”
Immediately I turned my head away, heat creeping up into my cheeks at his words. I remembered the fury I felt when I fought against Flint but didn’t realize it had been visible on my face. And did I really look angry every time they were ordering us around? Was I that poor at hiding my feelings?
But more so, I was shocked at just how those simple words, defiant, rebellious, could trigger such strong, painful memories inside of me. Dredge them up and up until they clung there, just below the surface, trying to claw through that final barrier I kept in place.
It was quiet for a long moment. He must have sensed something was wrong.
“You know what,” he added quickly, clearing his throat uncomfortably. “Maybe defiant is the wrong word. I didn’t mean that. Resilient, that describes you better. Like when you climbed back up the wall after falling. You don’t give up.”
I just nodded silently, but didn’t reply. I couldn’t. My throat already felt tight and I knew if I tried to speak, my voice would break. And I didn’t want him knowing why.
Coal’s gaze rested on the side of my face, but I refused to meet it.
Instead I pulled my coat tightly around me and we walked the rest of the way back in silence.
We entered the oppressive gray stone building and I was about to turn down the hallway towards my room when I suddenly remembered. Quickly reaching up, I started to untie the leather band holding it in place.
Coal shook his head, clasping a gentle hand around my wrist. “Keep it. I have others.”
“Are you sure?” I asked, my arms still raised. “I could always borrow one from Aurora.”
“It’s fine. Don’t worry about it.” He looked uncomfortable for a moment, hesitating before he finally added, “I’m sorry if I said something that upset you earlier. Are you okay?”
“I’m fine,” I replied hastily, desperate to not discuss it any more than that. “I’ll see you tomorrow, okay? Thanks again.”
I hurried down the hall, too quickly to be considered walking, leaving him standing there. And despite the guilt I felt about it, I had no choice. I wasn’t ready to tell him.
✽✽✽
That night I lay in my bed, my hair splayed out on the pillow, and thought about the day. But instead of fiddling with the ring as I usually did, tonight I kept playing with the leather hair tie Coal gave me. It was clearly handmade. A thick, braided leather cord with two small metal clasps on either end to keep it secured.
I hoped he really did have others and hadn’t just lied to me.
Reaching over, I placed it on the nightstand and extinguished the lamp. The room dissolved into darkness.
I had come so close to revealing my past to Coal today. But I didn’t want him to know that part about me yet. Was it because I was still afraid to share too much with him? Or was I afraid that hearing those things would cause him to change his opinion of me, and not in a positive way? Perhaps both. Either way, it likely didn’t matter. Because based on the look he’d given me, he wasn’t going to let it go.
And if I didn’t tell him, who’s to say he wouldn’t find out from Rowan or the others?
Chapter 27
The entire next morning, before breakfast, I kept replaying the conversation between Coal and me in my head. Over and over.
Why, I had no idea. I’d managed to avoid him since leaving yesterday, going to the extent of skipping dinner entirely.
But I saw him now. Well, his back at any rate. He sat at a table across the cafeteria, surrounded by the other trainees from Fire Society, finishing his tray of food. They were immersed in conversation, much like the one Finn and Aurora were trying to keep me engaged in. And despite my attempts, my gaze continued to wander across the room. A deep laugh chortled out of Coal and I watched as he slapped the back of an equally large guy with short blonde hair seated next to him. I lowered my gaze, though my brows rose. Had I ever heard Coal laugh before? Probably not. But I liked the way it sounded.
But as my eyes slid over once more, I realized with a sudden startle it was no longer his back facing me. No, he’d risen along with several others, having clearly finished their meals. Instantly I dropped my gaze, lowering it to my plate and the crumbs of toast still residing there. Picking up a fork, I pretended to be very interested in them, scooting them about.
But as the corner of my gaze picked up the shadows of his group passing, I allowed my eyes to lift once more.
They landed right on his blue ones.
My breath caught and I didn’t know what to do. Things had ended so strangely between us yesterday. It was my fault of course. My secrets that kept me from getting close to anyone. But how would he respond? Would he demand answers? If I told him, would he avoid me like so many others did?
My stomach clenched nervously. And then…
A wink.
He gave me a wink as he passed by!
Instantly a smile spread across my face as I let loose a breath. He was going to let it go. At least for the time being.
But as he continued on, my gaze was drawn from Coal’s blue eyes to someone else’s. Someone next to Coal. Someone who stared at me, brows narrowing as a frown appeared. That frown turned into a grimace, quickly followed by clear distaste as they moved to Coal’s grin, then back to me. He dragged a hand over his severely short, mud-brown hair. His dark eyes bore into mine and I shivered involuntarily.
And although Coal continued past, not noticing the angered expression on his fellow trainees’ face, I certainly did. Because the look he gave me sent a clear message: Stay away.
✽✽✽
Later that day, I returned to my room to change before heading out for training practice with Coal. Since he hadn’t said anything and judging by the wink he gave me, I was assuming nothing had changed. After pulling on a light sweater and pants, I left and made my way towards the main entry.
But as I turned the corner, I stumbled to a halt.
This hallway wasn’t empty. Oh no. Standing ahead, walking directly towards me, was that guy from Fire Society. The same one who’d grown angry when he’d noticed the grin Coal and I shared.
His eyes locked onto mine only a moment after I noticed him.
He froze in place, his demeanor changing instantly. His face seemed to harden, hands fisting at his sides. And then, he continued towards me.
Still confused by his reaction, his expression, I moved closer to the side to allow him room to pass. But instead of doing the same, he purposely angled his steps towards me. The wall blocked my efforts to move over any further. His pace increased. I stumbled backwards, but there wasn’t enough time to get away.
An instant later he slammed into me, the force of the impact knocking me to the ground.
I gasped out loud, pain instantly ripping through my shoulder where he’d hit. I looked up in disbelief, waiting for him to offer to help me up, to mutter an apology at the very least.
He just kept walk
ing.
“Why did you do that?” I cried out at his vanishing back, finally reaching my breaking point. I was so tired of people avoiding me, staring at me, glaring at me, humiliating me. Hurting me was the final straw.
He didn’t glance back. Just rounded a corner and disappeared.
Shaking my head, I covered my face, wiping away the moisture there before rising to my feet. What had I done to deserve this?
Rubbing the blossoming ache with my hand, I gingerly began testing the extent of my injury. At least I could move it, but the entire area throbbed.
Rowan had told me why those hoping to get into Regent now avoided me.
But what had I done to cause someone from Fire Society to treat me like this?
✽✽✽
Swish!
My knife flew through the air, clearly missing the target. Instead, it embedded in the bark of the tree itself, a foot below the outer ring.
“Again,” said Coal.
But the next one was worse. It didn’t even hit the tree. Flying off to the right, it disappeared into the surrounding woods.
“Do it again,” he ordered, pacing back and forth and I could tell he was working hard to keep the frustration out of his voice.
It was the next afternoon. I’d called off our training session yesterday because of my shoulder. I didn’t tell Coal the true reason why, instead just claiming I needed a break.
But today I would have to practice. It was either that or he would start to question what was going on. And I didn’t want to discuss what had happened. Didn’t want to think about it.
Practicing seemed like the better option.
But we’d been practicing for over an hour and, if anything, I was getting worse.
In the beginning, he’d asked over and over if anything was wrong, trying to find an excuse for my poor performance. The relentless ache in my shoulder prevented me from throwing the way he’d instructed me previously, but I didn’t want him knowing why. And I didn’t want to appear weak.
So instead I just snapped back, “I’m fine!”, ignoring his concern and launching another knife, each throw worse than the previous.
Sighing, I picked up another blade. And promptly closed my eyes as soon as it landed. The knife lodged itself into the ground, about ten feet in front of the targeted tree.
There was a silent pause. I could literally feel the exasperation radiating off him. I waited, expecting him to start complaining about my miserable performance, but instead he just muttered, “Again,” and crossed his arms in front of his chest.
Grumbling under my breath, I picked up the next knife, realizing there were only two options. One, tell him the truth. Or two, throw the way he taught me, no matter how much it hurt. We would never leave here otherwise. I chose the latter.
Moving my arm slowly behind my back, the pull against the injured muscles there immediately sent a spasming jolt through my shoulder. Masking the pain from my face, I clenched my teeth as I drew back further. And further. And just when I could bear it no longer, I launched the knife powerfully towards the brown bark.
Fire! My shoulder was on fire. It exploded through every muscle fiber, every sinuous tendon, searing through me. Struggling to keep my face calm, I bit my lip, then turned towards the target with bated breath.
My knife lay lodged right in the very center.
Pride coursed through me and, despite the pain I still felt, a smile spread across my face. I glanced over towards Coal, expecting praise for my flawless execution. Instead, his expression was grim.
“What was that?” His voice was dangerously low.
Was he kidding? “Are you serious? That throw was perfect!”
“Not the throw, Sage. That look on your face just now. What happened?” he demanded. “Are you hurt?”
Damn it. Immediately I felt my face flush. “It’s nothing,” I muttered, reaching down to pick up the next knife. Instead, I felt his hand clasp around my wrist, gently taking the blade from my grasp.
“I saw the pain on your face when you threw that last knife. What happened?”
Groaning, I looked up at him. His lips were set in a hard line, eyes deadly serious. No choice now. Despite choosing option two, option one was forced on me as well.
“It’s nothing, alright? One of the Fire trainees just bumped into me. That’s all. I’ll be fine.”
His jaw clenched tightly. “Was it an accident?” he asked tersely. From the sound of his voice, he already knew the answer.
I hesitated, remembering the look in the trainees’ dark eyes, the anger on his face. “No,” I said in a hollow voice. “He hit me hard enough that I fell down. And then just walked away. No apology, nothing.”
The muscles in his jaw were so tight now, they appeared chiseled from stone. He remained silent though, eyes remaining on mine, and the rest just tumbled out.
“I don’t really understand it. Up until yesterday it was just looks from the Fire trainees. Staring at me. Angrily, though. As if they despise me, yet they don’t even know me. But yesterday was the first time someone physically hurt me. And I know he just banged against my shoulder, but I guess the way it happened, so purposefully, and since he’s so much bigger, well...,” I let my voice fade, speechless at the look of fury now overpowering Coal’s face.
“What did he look like?” he ground out.
“Short muddy hair, stubbly beard, deep brow, large nose. Tall and muscular, just like everyone else from Fire Society.” I didn’t think it was much of a description, but Coal seemed to know who it was. “Singe,” he hissed, anger flaring in his eyes.
After a moment he motioned to my right shoulder. “He hit you here?”
I nodded slowly, then nodded again in ascent to the question in his eyes. Moving forward, Coal gently grasped the neckline of my shirt, pulling it aside. Instantly I wished I hadn’t told him. Because I knew what he would see.
The night before, I stood in front of the long mirror in my room, gazing at my shoulder. Even then, only several hours after it happened, I could already see the hideous traces of a large, purple bruise beginning to form.
Now I flinched at his sharp intake of breath.
He stared at my shoulder, darkness coloring his entire face. I swallowed thickly, unsure of what to say. Unsure if I could even speak.
A moment later, he released his hold on my shirt and adjusted it back into place. His mouth was set in a grim line. I shifted uneasily. Eventually he broke the silence, his voice steadier now.
“How bad is it? Be honest with me. Did you have it checked?”
“Well no, but it’s fine. Really. Nothing is broken, I would be able to tell.” I think. “The bruise will be gone within a few days, a week at most. Don’t worry about me.” I gave him a weak smile.
After a long pause, he sighed resignedly. “It won’t happen again, Sage. I promise you that.”
I nodded, then reached out for another knife.
“Now what are you doing?”
I frowned. “Continuing to practice.”
He gaped at me as if I were crazy. “Absolutely not. We are done with any physical training for at least a couple of days.
“Coal, we need to practice! There is only a little time left-- I can’t afford to waste any of it. I’ll work through the pain.”
But he wouldn’t budge. “No physical training. If you insist, we can practice for the intellect portion. But that is all.”
“Fine,” I agreed reluctantly. He was right, of course. But I still worried about being ready in time for the other challenges.
We gathered our supplies, then made our way through the field, towards where several other trainees were already studying. I eased myself down, pressing my back against a large, smooth boulder, then pulled out a leather-bound text from my bag. Flipping it open, I purposely turned to a section on Society production, specifically that of Water Society, knowing we hadn’t yet reviewed it. “Okay, name the three most common food items collected in Water Society?”
He g
rimaced, but I just raised a brow, waiting.
“Crab, salmon, and…”
I pursed my lips slightly in jest, tapping my foot against the ground as he hesitated. “Well?”
He shot me a look. “Oysters.”
I hesitated a moment, surprise coloring my face. We hadn’t reviewed that. “How did you--?”
“You’ll have to come up with a harder question than that if you want to stump me,” came his reply, a mocking expression glinting on his face.
Clenching my jaw shut, I sent him a withering look. “Fine, you got lucky on that one,” I replied, then searched through the pages earnestly, eager for the challenge.
✽✽✽
I’d been quizzing him for over an hour. And in that time, he’d missed all of two questions. Out of nearly a hundred! But as I flipped through the pages, in search of another topic to test him on, the leather cover suddenly slipped from beneath my fingertips.
“That’s it,” Coal muttered, rifling the pages. “I’ve done my part answering questions. Your turn.”
I sighed, but couldn’t stop my lips from twitching. “Fine. Go ahead.” I leaned back, closing my eyes against the sun’s rays, listening to the pages flutter.
“Describe the process used to create metal wares performed in Fire Society?”
And so we continued, question after question as the sun crept lower in the sky.
Flipping through the pages again, he came to another section, this time near the end. I was surprised we’d gotten through so much of the material. He came to a stop about midway down the page, running his finger along the text there.
“What are several laws that, if a Society member broke, would identify them as a rebel and demand removal from the Society.”
Panic hit, quick and powerful. Immediately I felt my cheeks flush, my breaths growing uneven from the thoughts, the memories that the words alone brought up inside me.
“I think we probably reviewed that specific topic enough,” I managed, knowing full well we hadn’t discussed it once.
Awakening Earth and Fire: Earth and Fire Trilogy Book 1 Page 24
