by W. J. May
Aria dropped her eyes to the bed, feeling a little cold herself.
Yeah... tonight.
It was quiet for a long time, considering they were virtual strangers. Yet somehow there was nothing uncomfortable about it. Both were merely sitting there, completely lost in thought.
After a few minutes, Sofia ventured a shy question of her own.
“Why did Jason keep quiet about what happened?”
Aria lifted her head slowly, surprised to find that she was intensely relieved that he had. Of course, there was no way for him to have guessed their story. Of course, considering the tiger almost mauled him to death, their story was no excuse. And yet it managed to change things.
“I don’t know,” she said honestly. “We all wanted him to. I thought our parents were going to explode, but...he didn’t say anything. He wouldn’t let us say anything either.”
Sofia stared a moment, then nodded quickly—looking back down at her hands. “...thank you.”
Aria’s eyes narrowed as a good deal of that relief faded away. “Don’t thank me—I would have done it.” She glanced ever so briefly at the smears of blood staining her glittering dress. “I don’t care how crappy a hand he was dealt, your brother still almost killed someone today. It started as a stupid argument and almost ended a man’s life.”
Sofia’s breath caught in her throat as she pushed to her feet.
“I know,” she said quietly. “Trust me—I know.”
Aria eyed her sharply, refusing to let her off the hook.
“Has he ever done something like this before? You said he got into fights—”
“Fist-fights,” Sofia said earnestly. “And they were nothing like this. I couldn’t believe what I was seeing tonight. The fact that he actually shifted...”
Her eyes filled with tears and she turned quickly to the window.
“Anyway, I just...I just came here to make sure Jason was okay. And to say I’m sorry.”
Aria pushed to her feet as well. Strangely enough, the night had raised far more questions than answers. But one thing was clear: This girl, at least, had nothing to apologize for.
If she was being honest with herself, Sofia Hastings was actually rather sweet.
“I’ll pass that along.”
They locked eyes for a split second before Sofia nodded and headed to the door. Her hand was already on the knob when she glanced back around.
“About Benji, I would never...” She trailed off, dropping her eyes to the floor. “He’s the only person who’s been nice to me since we got here. I’d never hurt him, Aria.”
A strange mix of emotions stirred in Aria’s chest. She shrugged dismissively.
“Yeah, well...he’s nice. It doesn’t mean anything.”
Sofia’s lips parted with a hint of surprise, then she nodded quickly and vanished into the darkened hall. Aria stared after her for a long time before shutting the door with a telekinetic flick of her fingers. It clicked shut as she sank onto the bed, staring up at the ceiling.
Something hard crunched beneath her. She shifted around to find the broken pieces of a crown. They glittered in her open hand, like tiny shards of ice.
...long live the queen.
Chapter 6
“She’s so quiet when she sleeps...like an entirely different person.”
The curtain of dreams fell away as Aria’s mind slowly awakened, too groggy to latch on to the disembodied voices talking casually above her.
“I thought of that. Once, during our freshman year, I drugged her with some of that tea we found at Aunt Angel’s. Thought we might get along better if she was unconscious most of the time.”
“What happened?”
“She woke up halfway through and smashed the teapot over my head.”
Aria’s eyes fluttered open to see Benji and Lily sitting on her bed—shoes kicked to the floor, sipping cups of espresso. The sun was up and they’d already drawn the curtains. Of course, they didn’t bother waking her. They were merely chatting, leaning against the headboard on either side.
“Get off my bed.”
They glanced down with twin smiles, pleased she’d decided to join them. Another cup of coffee appeared and was pressed into her hand. The mace Benji had been swinging dropped casually to the floor.
“Good morning!” he said cheerfully, looking much better once he’d had a chance to sleep off the events of the previous night. “You certainly took your time waking up.”
Aria glared up at him, wincing against the halo of sunlight. “How did you get in here? There are rules, you know—”
“I climbed up the tower.”
She and Lily glanced out the window with the same dubious expression. They wouldn’t put many things past their charismatic friend, but it was a hundred-foot drop down slick stone.
His smile faltered, then turned into a scowl. “Fine. I came in through the front door. Elpis is at a staff meeting with the rest of them.”
A staff meeting.
“You think it’s about us?” Aria asked quickly. The last remnants of sleep had vanished with the first sip of coffee, and she was putting things together a lot faster now. “The meeting?”
Benji shrugged, glancing away as she checked to make sure she was still fully clothed.
“They usually are.”
Sure enough, the dress had survived an evening of restless sleep. Though it certainly wasn’t in the same condition as when Molly had hung it so proudly in her closet.
“I think it’s bad luck to fall asleep in a bloody ball gown,” Lily observed, glancing down at the crimson splashes across the jewels. “Wasn’t that the secret lesson of Cinderella?”
When Julian had brought home a book of fairytales for his young daughter, his wife had countered by purchasing her the Grimm tales upon which they were based. As a result Lily had a whimsical, if slightly twisted, view on most parts of the world.
“Marie Antoinette,” Benji corrected authoritatively. He stirred another lump of sugar into his coffee with a shimmering stick Aria recognized as a part of her deceased tiara. When he caught her looking, he tossed it onto the shelf. “You know, you’re supposed to wear these—not break them.”
“I’ll keep that in mind,” she grumbled, shoving him off her comforter. “Well, if there’s a staff meeting, I’m assuming everything’s cancelled because of last night?”
“Just the morning,” Lily answered. “They shifted the schedule to make up for time lost to the dance, and we still have classes in the afternoon.”
Aria nodded briskly, opening her closet with a flick of her fingers and levitating herself a robe. “So if you’re here already, then where’s—”
Before she could finish her question, the door burst open and a handsome man stood in the frame. He took one look at the strange scene in front of him before storming angrily inside.
“Why didn’t you wait for me?”
The girls lifted their eyebrows while Benji pushed abruptly to his feet, setting down his cup of coffee. “Why didn’t I wait for you?” he repeated sharply.
Jason stopped mid-stride, looking instantly repentant. “On second thought, it’s completely understandable—”
“Good,” Benji interrupted, blistering with sarcasm. “I’d hate to have inconvenienced you.”
Jason bit down on his lip, edging discreetly to the far wall whilst keeping a careful eye on his friend’s sparking hands. “You never told me what your dad said to you last night.” His voice dropped to half volume, speaking almost to himself. “You didn’t say much of anything...”
Stupid, stupid, stupid.
The girls exchanged a quick look, then settled back for what promised to be a show.
“Oh, I’m sorry,” Benji snarked, raising his eyebrows in mock innocence, “did you have a question?”
“Ben—”
“You wanted to know what exactly my dad said between threats of dismemberment and charges of obstruction of justice?”
Jason flushed, wondering why he’d cho
sen to speak. “Actually, we can just talk about it later...”
But Benji was on the warpath. He swiftly crossed the room, coming to a sudden stop at his best friend’s side.
“You see, Jase, I’d love to answer...but every time I try to remember what happened it’s like this strange fog comes over me and I just can’t seem to manage.”
If there wasn’t a chance the argument would end in blood, Aria might have smiled. The boys played rough. But Jason clearly didn’t have a leg to stand on, and Benji was just getting warmed up.
“Look, guys, I’m really sorry—”
“Have you ever had something like that happen?” Benji continued, unaware his eyes were flashing electric blue. “Where someone asks you a simple question, but you can’t seem to freakin’ answer?”
Jason nodded quickly, bowing his head. “I get it, all right? And I’m really—”
“On that note, are you feeling better?”
The conversation screeched to a halt as Jason lifted his head, thrown by the sudden shift in direction. “Uh...yeah. Alicia completely healed me.”
Benji nodded briskly. “Good.”
A bolt of lightning flashed between them, and Jason flew into the wall. There was a painful groan as he slid slowly to the floor, regretting the moment he’d decided to get out of bed.
“Careful not to land on the mace,” Lily said lightly.
He pushed to his feet, then stepped back quickly to avoid the serrated spikes.
“Was this intended for me?” he asked warily, giving it a bizarrely practiced twirl before putting it back in the cache. “Or did you just have a busy night?”
“Busy night,” Aria replied. “Your friend Sofia paid me a visit.”
Benji looked up immediately, every ounce of humor fading from his face. “Why—is she okay?”
The girls shared another secret glance and Aria fought to control a smile.
“She’s fine. But, given the fact that she attacked us then snuck into my dorm room, I want to thank you for asking if she’s okay.”
Benji nodded distractedly, missing the finer points. “But she’s really all right?”
Aria softened in spite of herself, remembering their words from last night. Yes, Benji was kind. And he forgave too quickly. Though she couldn’t help but think this was a little different.
“She was worried whether Jason had come out of it,” she began slowly. “And she was very insistent about you. She said she didn’t attack you. That she just dragged you away from the fight.”
Benji turned his gaze to the window, looking uncharacteristically thoughtful. “That’s true. She had me by the arm, but it didn’t hurt. The second we left the clearing, she let me go and just stood there. I kept waiting for her to attack, but...nothing. I finally tried to go back, but every time I started to run past her she’d get in my way. By the time James got there, the other students must have heard what was happening. They flooded into the trees, then she was just gone. I was hoping she’d shifted back into herself,” he murmured. “You know, before...”
Aria turned from one boy to the other.
“...before she got caught like Alexander and dragged into the infirmary?”
“Only to be cleared,” Lily added quickly. “Don’t forget that part.”
Jason’s cheeks flushed. “Yeah, about that...”
FOR THE NEXT HALF-HOUR, three of the friends took turns berating the fourth.
There was everything from ranting, to hissing, to shouting, to enough electrical shocks that it began to seriously set back the good doctor’s work.
Strangely enough, it was Lily who was the most effective. Since they were children the girl had been like a little sister, and when she spoke of lying to her father there were tears in her eyes.
By the time they were finished, Jason looked like he’d rather have gone another few rounds with the tiger. But he was no less firm in his resolve.
“I’m sorry.” He said it only once, but he meant it with all his heart. “But we can’t tell them.”
“Why in the bloody—why not?!” Benji demanded. “And don’t think you’re the one taking the heat on this one! If anything, they’re going easy on you after your little tiger attack!”
...little tiger attack?
Jason bowed his head, absorbing each new barb with quiet patience. He hadn’t said a word while they’d been venting, hadn’t done a thing to defend himself.
But on this point he was perfectly clear.
“I know that,” he said softly. “But what do you think will happen if we tell them? The guy shifted, then attacked us. He’s eighteen. They won’t just kick him out of school—he’ll go to jail!”
“And you care about that?” Lily asked incredulously. “The guy was about two seconds away from murder, Jason. Maybe he should go to jail. Before something like this happens again.”
“That can’t be your real reason.” Aria said softly, searching his eyes. “Alexander’s punishment would depend entirely upon what information you gave them. You know perfectly well how to tone things down and help him avoid prison. You don’t want him gone. You want him to stay.”
Jason glanced at her swiftly, then turned his eyes away.
“If that’s the case, you think it’s enough that he gets expelled?” he countered. “Like this was some...some academic infraction?”
“So what then?” Benji demanded. “You think jail is too much and expulsion is too little. Do you know where that lands him?” He pointed out the window to Joist. “Right here. Like nothing ever happened. Meanwhile, we’re the ones getting crucified by our parents on the south lawn.”
“I will fix things with our parents,” Jason swore. “I don’t know how yet, but I’ll figure out a way. You have my word.”
Lily folded her arms tightly across her chest. “And in the meantime?”
He flashed a tentative smile, trying to coax one back. “In the meantime, we’ll keep an eye on things ourselves. Decide how we want to handle it.”
She bit down on her lip, refusing to be swayed. “Tell me that’s not what this is about. Some schoolboy need to take control of the situation so you can dole out your own punishment. This is no time for revenge, Jase. He almost killed you.”
“And I won’t forget it,” Jason replied lightly. “But before we go any further, I must caffeinate. You can hardly expect me to fend you guys off in my present state.”
A hard silence fell over the room.
“I was recently attacked by a tiger, you know...”
This time, it was harder not to smile.
Last night the lights had been dimmed, the crowd had been shouting, and the smell of fresh blood had saturated the infirmary. Things looked about as bleak as they could get. But that morning, in the fresh sunshine drenched in the smell of espresso, they looked significantly brighter.
Benji and Aria exchanged a quick look before he rolled his eyes and clapped Jason on the back with a grin. Shocking him once more for good measure.
“Come on, let’s get our stuff and go down to breakfast. You’re buying.”
Lily snorted under her breath, sweeping past them. “You’re buying for the rest of the semester.”
Jason grinned, letting them pass before glancing back once it was just him and Aria. “I wanted to thank you,” he said softly, remembering that moment of golden light filtering through the trees. “I don’t know how you did it...but you saved my life.”
What else does he remember? she thought suddenly. Does he remember what we were talking about before it happened? How we decided to make things official? Make a proper go of it?
She stared at him for a moment, then decided he did not.
“You can thank me by not throwing it away.”
His smile faded slightly and he gave a quick nod. She’d have to change out of the ball gown before meeting them for breakfast, but she caught him at the last moment by the sleeve.
“Jason...please tell me why.”
He could deflect with the others if
he wanted, but she’d been there from the beginning. She’d seen it happen from start to finish, the whole bloody affair. The guy was fair, but he was his father’s son through and through. Actions deserved consequences. There was no way he’d just let this go.
He paused for a suspended moment, glancing to make sure the others had gone. Then he lowered his voice and turned back to her, staring deep into her eyes.
“The guy’s an orphan with no friends, limited family, and an incredibly tenuous position at this school. The one girl he wants is the one he can’t have, and he just placed himself in the hands of the only guy standing in his way. He’s reckless, impetuous, and a breath away from self-destruction.”
The hint of a smile played at the corner of his lips.
“What’s the worst thing you can do to someone like that?”
Aria knew the words without him even saying them. Like she’d pulled them out of his head.
Forgive him.
Jason flashed a quick smile and swung the door shut behind him. Leaving her standing alone in her room, silently wondering at the intricacies of the human mind.
Forgive the man, and he can never pay you back. Forgive him, and a part of his life is forever forfeit. It’s not a fight he can win. It’s not a debt he can pay. It is the death blow.
Unless he manages to change the game...
“HE’S NOT GOING TO BE in class,” Lily said for the tenth time, walking arm in arm with Jason like some kind of ballerina-turned-attack-dog. “There’s no way he’ll be in class.”
“Even if he is—it’s fine.” Jason continued humoring her with a patient smile, allowing himself to be escorted even when her own class was gathering on the opposite side of campus.
“It’s not like he’s going to try anything,” Benji muttered. “Not with your dad staying in a cottage on the other side of the lawn. I’d be surprised if he isn’t playing sick.”
Aria said nothing as they made their way through the corridors. Unlike the others, she hadn’t taken part in the riveting discussion that had started at breakfast. She kept her eyes on her porridge, occasionally waving away curious students who came to glean scraps of juicy information by hovering too close. It wasn’t that she wasn’t interested, there was just simply too much going on in her head to focus on any particular thing. That being said, she didn’t agree with her friends’ assessment.
