The summer had started out quietly, but as time passed, Marysa's temperament brightened again. Alayne was glad to see it. So while many didn't have time or patience to listen to Marysa's continual chatter, Alayne enjoyed it. It meant that her friend was nearby, safe and healthy, and not in the hands of a Shadow-Caster.
Alayne settled herself into a seat opposite the windows where she could watch the shuttles and listened to her friend's flow of conversation, enjoying every nuance of tone and word. If Marysa wasn't chattering, the quiet was strained.
The girls had spent quite a bit of time together over the summer, living in the same City Centre. Kyle, the girls' good friend from the year before, had written both of them twice near the beginning of the summer, but it had been at least a month since they'd heard from him. “He's a boy; he doesn't write,” Marysa had explained when Alayne had commented on this. “I'm shocked that he wrote to us at all. Well, I'm shocked that he wrote to me at all.” She'd cast a sidelong glance at Alayne as she'd said this. Alayne had refused to react. She knew, of course, that Kyle liked her as more than a friend, but Jayme...
Alayne couldn’t think of Jayme. Her heart was still too raw.
“Okay, ladies,” Marysa's mother, Louisa, stood. “Your flight's here and ready.” She pulled Marysa and Katrina out of their seats and gave them both hugs. Alayne rose and took a deep breath, blowing it out slowly. She looked into her mother's eyes and then her father's before wrapping her arms around their waists, squeezing them tightly. Bryan stepped back. “Take care of yourself, Bug.” He cleared his throat.
“Same to you, Dad.” She whispered in her mother's ear as she gave her one last parting hug, “Take care of him, Mom.”
“I will.” Wynn let Alayne go and swiped at the moisture that had gathered in her eyes. “We'll come visit at Christmas again. It won't be long. And contact us by the school's MIUs when you get there so we know you arrived safely.”
Alayne hefted her bag over her shoulder and turned toward the gate entrance. Marysa and Katrina followed behind her. Alayne glanced over her shoulder. The last sight of her parents was of them locked in a tight hug, their faces staring seriously after her. She raised her hand once more before hurrying down the hallway into the shuttle.
* * *
Marysa's chatter didn't stop until the shuttle neared Clayborne. The top of the spire was visible in the distance, and both girls leaned toward the window for a better view. They could see other shuttles circling the platform in the crystal blue haze of sky, and their own shuttle slowed and banked to the right.
The yellow fields beneath them tilted into view, and Alayne caught her breath as she eyed two tiny willows in the center of the field below them. A slice of pain washed through her, and she shut her eyes. When she opened them again, she saw Marysa's light blue eyes resting on her face.
“You okay, Layne?”
Alayne cleared her throat and straightened. “Sure.”
Marysa's mouth tightened, and she shook her head. “You don't always have to pretend, honey. I know you're still hurting; you can talk to me about it if you want.”
“There's nothing to talk about,” Alayne snapped. She immediately regretted her harsh words. “I'm sorry, Mary. I—just don't want to talk about it now.”
Marysa nodded, turning to gaze back out the window. The pilot's voice interrupted their thoughts. “Okay, ladies and gents, our turn's here. Sit tight, and I'll have you landed in a couple of minutes.”
Alayne glanced around the shuttle. All in all, there were fourteen students lining the walls of the craft. It was a larger shuttle, thirty seats in all, so there were several empty black vinyl seats beneath windows. Katrina sat across from them. She looked bored.
The spire grew larger in the window, and soon the shuttle hovered directly over the landing platform, lowering gently onto the wood planks. Alayne felt the pilot release the bend as soon as the craft was settled, and she unbuckled, moving into line behind some other students at the door. A moment later, the hatch opened, and they filed out into the brilliant sunlight. A brisk wind picked at Alayne's clothes, and she shaded her eyes with her hand.
Alayne stared at the sunlit prairie, her excitement to be back mixing with a lump of homesickness that had settled inside her throat.
Two arms wrapped around Alayne, and she was turned and squeezed against a hard chest. Kyle's white-toothed grin shot like lightning across his face.
“Kyle,” she grunted as his arms compressed the breath from her lungs.
“Missed you, Layne.” He dropped a kiss on her forehead before pushing her back to study her.
Alayne smiled and then cocked her head to the side, a mild flicker of unease stirring in her stomach. “There's something different about you, Kyle. Did you grow a couple inches or something?”
The smile in his eyes wavered, but he laughed. “You've been on that shuttle too long, Layne. I'm still me. Summer wasn't that tough.”
The awkward moment passed as he pulled her in for one more hug, which she returned thoughtfully. Something strange played around the corners of his eyes, so subtle, she'd have missed it if she didn't know him so well. It was like a mirage—if you looked too closely at it, it disappeared into nothing. She pushed the feeling away, chiding herself for her lack of trust.
Marysa appeared at Alayne's side. “Okay, I've got my bags, and did you really only bring one bag, Layne? Honestly...”
Kyle cut her off as he wrapped her in a bear hug, too.
“Oof,” she gasped. She stepped back and gripped her bags tighter, nodding once at Kyle. “Hello, Kyle.” Her icy blue eyes measured Kyle, one eyebrow winging low. “You seem different.”
An awkward laugh left Kyle's lips, but before he could make any more comments, Marysa carried on as though nothing had happened. “Have you gotten your room assignments yet? What floor will you be on this year? Did Alayne tell you that Katrina got us the ninth floor? I'm way too excited about that. It'll be fun to stop on the ninth landing and watch all the First-Years trudge all the way up to the twentieth floor and remember how we don't have to do that anymore.”
Alayne waited until Marysa paused for breath before breaking in. “When did you get here, Kyle?”
“This morning. I was lounging around the school for a while, and then I came up here to the shuttle platform to wait for you girls to show up.”
“Homesick for your parents yet?” Alayne teased. She stopped as a shadow crossed his face. She was about to apologize, but Kyle shrugged.
“Nah. They're always glad for me to go.”
Alayne and Marysa exchanged glances. Marysa leaned over and began gathering her bags. Kyle snatched up two of them, and Alayne swung her own over her shoulder. “Have you seen any of the profs yet?”
“Just Sprynge. The High Court appointed him as permanent Chairman in Dorner's place. At least, that's what he told me.” Kyle frowned.
“Well, we knew that was probably going to happen, right?” Alayne asked. “What's the matter?”
He shook his head. “Layne, he's talking about prof replacements. Overheard him giving the secretary, Tarry, a spiel about how he planned to bring in some more prominent people on the political scene as guest professors and giving the ones currently employed here a forced sabbatical.”
“He can't do that!” Alayne gasped. The rotund professor's kindly wrinkled face seemed at odds with such a cold-hearted act. There surely must be an explanation.
Deafening wind whipped around them, snatching air from Alayne's lungs as a shuttle descended behind them. The official emblem on the side shouted Capital shuttle. The hatch slowly opened, and a woman stepped carefully onto the platform, the wind plastering her outfit to her body. She balanced carefully on four-inch heels as she smoothed her skirt in from the wind.
Alayne's eyes widened, and she glanced at Kyle.
All color had dissolved from his cheeks, and his skin had turned a sickly shade of white beneath his freckles. His gaze was glued to the woman. He swallowed hard. “Mom?�
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Chapter 3
Kyle's mother dusted off her navy suit and swung a slick leather handbag over her shoulder. She marched toward the door of the chute, sending a long look in Kyle's direction. The chute doors opened in front of her, and holding Kyle's gaze, she stepped inside and pressed the button. She maintained eye contact through the glass doors until she dropped out of sight.
Kyle stared at the empty chute for several silent seconds and then turned to the girls. “What was that?” He laughed uneasily.
Marysa rolled her eyes. “Beatrice Pence, head of the Elemental Defense Committee, and one of seven trustees of Clayborne Training Facility.” She snapped her fingers under Kyle's still-shocked expression. “And yes, she's your mother. We get it, Kyle. Your parents are bigwigs. Your dad's a trustee for Andova Training Facility, and he heads up the Elemental Specialization Committee in the High Court. Not to mention, he's got the ear of Leader Blankenship.”
Alayne stared at Marysa. “How do you know all that?”
Marysa rolled her eyes. “Seriously, Layne, don't you ever watch the news? Read current events? Vote, even? You're an Elemental; you should have been able to vote since you turned fifteen.”
“Of course, I voted.” Alayne shifted uncomfortably. “I just didn't pay much attention to whom.”
Marysa frowned at her. “You shouldn't take it lightly, Layne. There's a lot of good that some people can do, and it's up to us to put the right people in the right places. You should think about that.”
Kyle glanced nervously between the girls. “I'm hungry. Anyone want to go to the commissary with me?”
Alayne dropped her gaze and moved toward the chute. “We need to go find our room first and get rid of our bags.”
“Right,” Kyle looked down at Marysa's bags that he still held in his hands. “Let's do that.”
The three entered the chute, and Alayne's stomach hit the ceiling as the car dropped to the common room in a matter of seconds. As the doors slid open, she managed to regain her breath. “It's been a while. I need to get used to that again.”
Marysa walked to the steps leading to the girls' dormitories and the three of them started up. A mixture of boys and girls swarmed the stairs. Moving days were a pandemonium of mixed genders in the dormitories as students helped each other move in. Once classes started however, boys wouldn't be allowed on the girls' floors and vice-versa.
Alayne flushed as she remembered how many times Jayme had sneaked into her room last year to help in her search for the Vale. A lump rose in her throat, and she swallowed with difficulty as she fought her way up the stairs through the press.
The ninth floor corridor appeared soon enough. Marysa led the way, talking non-stop. “Katrina got it all fixed for us, Layne. She got a room assignment and everything, so we don't even have to hurry to find an empty room. She put us on the end of the hallway, and we have two windows this year. It's a bigger room all around, and we have our own bathroom, too. We don't have to use the hall bath. It's funny that moving down in floors means we're moving up in the world, right?” She laughed over her shoulder, and Alayne smothered a smile as she glanced at Kyle.
Marysa reached the end of the hallway. The door to their left was already marked “Marysa Blakely and Alayne Worth.”
She set one of her bags down and turned the knob. The door opened into the room with a gentle creak.
Daymon Houser's broad back filled the entryway. He twisted to face them.
“What—” Alayne dropped her bag on the floor in the hall and pushed past Marysa. “What are you doing in here?” she demanded.
Daymon didn't smile. “Guardian, remember?”
Alayne flinched. It was odd, the casual mention of his relationship with the Vale, not keeping it such an utter secret as he had done last year. But after Alayne's struggle with Malachi on the mountain, all secrets were gone. The entire school knew that Alayne was the Quadriweave and that Daymon was assigned as her Guardian. Too many people had heard what Malachi had come for, and the secret could no longer be kept. Alayne didn't want to think what that would do to her ability to make friends; Daymon could be intimidating.
“Daymon, there's such a thing as privacy, which you have just violated. You're not supposed to be nosing in my room when I'm not here.”
He shook his head and sank down on one of the nearby beds. “In this case, it's a good thing I did, Layne.”
“What? Why?” Alayne didn't want to acknowledge the fear that traced itself up her spine at his words.
“Seems someone else was interested in invading your privacy, too.” He dug in his pocket and pulled out a tiny round circle, no bigger than a sequin. It was black and reflective like glass. It rested on the tip of Daymon's forefinger.
“What is it?” Alayne asked. She eyed the circle suspiciously.
“A camera. I disconnected it,” Daymon said, sliding it back into his pocket. “Trouble is, I'm not sure where the other end of it is. I need to do some looking around the school.”
Kyle spoke from the doorway. “Meanwhile, the person who put it in here is going to know you found it.” He crossed his arms over his chest, his jaw tight.
“Then the person will know that he or she is going to have to face more than Alayne once we figure out who did it.” Daymon shrugged. He pushed himself off the bed and eyed Alayne again. “I checked the rest of the room, but the camera was the only thing I found. Keep your eyes open. Don't let anyone besides me or them,” he motioned to Marysa and Kyle, “into your room.” He ducked through the door, his tall frame striding down the corridor.
“Well,” Marysa broke the silence in his wake, “he's just a bundle of joy, isn't he?” She sighed and shook her head. “Maybe we should have tried to keep you a secret for a little while longer, Alayne. I don't like the whole school knowing about your connection with the Vale. It just seems dangerous.”
Alayne went to retrieve her bag from the hall. She brought it in and tossed it on one of the beds. “Well, Malachi didn't leave me much choice, did he?” she muttered. “He swooped in, brought his fire-walkers, and hunted me down on the mountain range.” She unzipped her bag with unnecessary force. “He fought me and he fought Daymon.” She yanked some clothes from the bag and carried them to the dresser, wrenching open a drawer. “Then he escaped and spread the news that I possess the Vale and that Daymon's family are its Guardians,” she slammed the dresser drawer shut with a bang, “but not before he killed Jayme.”
Angry tears blurred her vision. She stayed still, wishing she could slip into sleep and never wake up. But sleep meant nightmares, the same haunting trek through the woods to watch her knife thud silently into Jayme's chest and the moonlit slide over the top of the falls. Nightmares only brought more pain.
Finally, Marysa broke the silence. “I'm going to get some food from the commissary. Why don't you come find me when you're ready?” She exited the room before reappearing a moment later. “Kyle, stop being dense. That's your cue to leave.”
Kyle quickly straightened and turned for the door. “Need me, Layne?” he asked.
Alayne shook her head and braced herself for the inevitable disappointment she knew would cross his face.
It didn't come. He merely nodded once and closed the door behind him, the door latch clicking loudly in the quiet room.
Alayne stared at the closed panel for a moment before sinking onto the mattress. She unzipped the side pocket of the bag, yanked out her pillow and tossed it at the headboard. Collapsing on the bare bed, she wrapped her arms around the soft cushion and closed her eyes, sinking almost at once into a troubled sleep where Jayme died a thousand deaths on repeat.
* * *
Alayne woke an hour and a half later to the sound of the door closing gently. She opened her eyes and watched Marysa tiptoe across the floor to the opposite bed. Alayne groggily wiped her eyes and sat up.
“You must have been really tired,” Marysa said, plopping onto her bed. “Kyle and I already had supper and signed up for our classes.
” She immediately stood back up and began pulling her clothes from her bag. “Kyle says he really wants you on his hockey team again this year, and I think since he's team captain, he should be able to choose, but I don't know. Professor Grace managed the hockey brackets last year, and she's out.”
“What?” Alayne sat up straight.
Marysa shook her head, her mouth turning down at the corners. She threw a wad of clothes onto the bed and snatched up her other bag. “She's leaving. Beatrice Pence is replacing her for her Throw-Casting classes. Sprynge's announcement on the school news feed didn't say whether it's permanent, or if it's just for this year, or even part of the year.”
Alayne's mouth tightened. “I need to go talk to him.”
“Fat lot of good that'll do,” Marysa muttered. She turned her bag upside-down and dumped its contents in the middle of the floor before grabbing the next one and doing the same. “He's holed up in the Chairman's office, and Tarry won't let anyone talk to him. I tried already.” She absently grabbed Alayne's bag and turned it upside-down.
“Hey, that's my stuff,” Alayne snapped. She looked with chagrin at the pile of stuff that had mixed with Marysa's.
“Oh, honey, I'm so sorry,” Marysa gasped, her hand over her mouth. “I was so busy being irritated, I didn't realize which bag I'd grabbed.” She bent down and began sorting through Alayne's things, refolding clothes and setting small objects on the nightstand near Alayne's bed.
“It's okay.” Alayne bent and began to rematch her socks into pairs.
“What's this?” Marysa held up a ring box. She opened it slowly, and the sparkles from Alayne's birthday ring caught the evening sunlight from the windows.
“Oh,” Alayne grabbed the box and slid it onto the nightstand. “My parents gave it to me last year for a going-away gift the day I went to assessments. It was my grandmother's.”
“Why don't you wear it?”
“I—it—it's...” Alayne stuttered to a stop. Finally, she took a deep breath and tried again. “It unnerves me a little, I suppose. When my parents gave it to me, they said it would help me know if someone intended me bodily harm. Of course, we all three thought that was just a myth. But last year, when those boys attacked me in the pool,” she paused and glanced over at the ring box, “it got really hot just before it happened. Like, uncomfortably hot. I had a red ring around my finger afterward.”
Shadows of Uprising (Guardian of the Vale Book 2) Page 3
