by Eric Vall
“I couldn’t sleep much last night,” I shrugged. “Have a lot on my mind.”
Layla leaned forward on her elbows and smiled. “Like what?”
“I told you, I’ll talk about it when Braden gets here,” I said with a roll of the eyes.
She scoffed, “You’re no fun at all.”
“I happen to be tons of fun, thank you.”
Layla balked. “Not as fun as I am.”
I chuckled. “No one in this world is as fun as you, Layla. You know that.” I smiled at her as I shoved a large chunk of egg into my mouth.
“You’re damn right,” she replied.
We focused on eating for the next few minutes, which was all well and good because I didn’t feel like fielding all of her questions. I was pleased to see that I could cancel out her habit of nagging by complimenting her. I’d have to try that in the future to see if it was more than a theory.
Before long, I spotted Braden enter through the large double doors. He made his way to the food line, which was long now that the usual breakfast hour was upon us. I’d been here for half an hour, so I hadn’t waited at all for my food.
Braden came and sat next to Layla once he had his tray. “You two are early,” he said casually as he muscled through a thick yawn.
“I was early, she just got here,” I said with a snort.
Layla stuck her tongue out at me. “I’ve been here a while, you ass.”
Braden started to eat his eggs. “Did I miss anything?” he asked with his mouth full, a far cry from his noble upbringing.
“I don’t know,” Layla said, her gaze pivoted to me. “Have we, Gryff? Spill it, what’s been on your mind that you refused to share with me until Braden got here?” Her smile was smug as she swatted a strand of hair from her eyes. She and Braden both stared expectantly at me.
I sighed. “Okay.” So I retold the conversation I’d had with Arwyn. Braden said nothing as he chewed and listened, while Layla thankfully stayed respectful and didn’t interrupt, especially when I mentioned the fallen mages. When I finished retelling it, I left them with the question that’s swirled in my brain for the last few hours.
“What should I do?”
They both looked at me with furrowed brows. They probably had similar thoughts to what I’d had when Arwyn first told me. But my options were limited, at least they seemed to be. Hopefully, my friends’ collective thought process could come up with a solution because I struggled to find one.
Layla crossed her arms and laid them on the table. She huffed. “This is a conundrum. It’s a shame it can’t be illegal.”
“You would think that,” Braden said with a light snicker.
She scoffed. “Better than you. You’d probably opt to just ask them nicely. Nia would tear your head off.”
He flushed. “S-she’d rip yours off too.”
Layla smirked back. “I’d like to see her try.”
I tuned them out as their conversation dissolved into bickering as they were wont to do. It was as they went back and forth that a thought occurred to me.
“Layla?” I asked. Her gaze latched onto me as she raised a brow. “If I wanted to find something I could use to blackmail Gawain, do you think you could find something like that?”
She scratched her chin, considering. “Perhaps. I need another excuse to go prank him anyway. I can’t promise I’ll find anything of use, but I’ll certainly give it a go.”
I smiled. “Thanks, Layla, I appreciate it.”
She grinned wickedly. “Well, I didn’t say I’d do it for free. You’re my friend, Gryff, but I am an opportunist. I have terms.”
A groan escaped me as I leaned my head back. “Fine, what do you want?”
Layla shrugged. “A favor.”
“A favor?”
She started to drum her fingers against the table. “Yeah. Maybe I’ll ask you to help me with something in the future. Maybe it will be bizarre, I don’t know, and I’ll let you know when I’m cashing it in. Got it?”
I ran a hand through my hair. “You’re a piece of work, Bethel. Okay, fine.”
“Excellent,” she beamed.
“So,” I began. “We have a plan now. Use Layla’s mischievous skills to find some dirt on Gawain, use that to make him forfeit his spot on the monster response squad. Then I ride off into the sunset.”
“You’re ridiculous,” Layla rolled her eyes.
“Says a woman who is quite possibly the most ridiculous person on this earth,” I responded. We both smiled and chuckled at that.
“Are you positive that this is such a good idea?” Braden asked. He burped slightly and dabbed at his mouth with his napkin.
“Yes,” Layla and I said simultaneously.
Braden smiled and put his hands up. “Okay, okay, I was just being sure. But you can count me in. I want to see you succeed.”
“Don’t worry,” I said, my smirk wicked. “I will.”
Chapter 19
The next day, we had another study hall break. I lounged on one of the sofas and went through my notes since Arwyn told us we had a test coming up, though she’d been coy on when it was. Could be tomorrow, could be in a week. We had no ideas, so I had to be prepared for when she sprung it on us.
Braden sat beside me, his sausage link finger skimmed along his notes as he read them silently. His lips moved as he read, and while I could sometimes hear him mutter a few words under his breath, it was impossible to make out what he was saying. He yawned, which seemed much louder in the silence.
It stormed outside, so the din of rainfall filled the room. It was a soothing sound to study to.
After a distant rumble of thunder sounded, the doors of the study hall creaked open. My eyes drifted up from my notes and found Layla walking in, the thick green coat she wore over her robes soaked from the rain. She pulled back her hood and shook her hair to fling off stray drops of rain. I frowned as she approached. She hadn’t been in class this morning.
“Where have you been?” I asked a little too sternly, like a disappointed parent.
She stripped off her drenched coat and dumped it on the floor at her feet before she crumbled onto the cushion next to me. “I went snooping around Gawain’s room last night,” she began, her voice a whisper. “I came back later and pulled off a wicked prank, then I drank a lot with my roommate.”
Braden and I both looked at her with raised brows. “Why?” Braden asked.
Layla shrugged, “Because I could.” She closed her eyes and pressed the palms of her hands into her temple. “Gave me a wicked hangover though. My head’s still pounding.”
I chuckled, and Braden just shook his head. “You sure are something, Bethel,” he said with a smirk.
“I don’t need reasons for my actions, Flint,” she replied with a sly smile. “I just do what comes naturally.”
“Anyway,” I started, “did you find any dirt on Gawain while you were… what exactly did you do?”
“I spread out a bucket of roaches all over his bed since I heard him say once that he hates bugs.”
My mouth fell open as I gave her a long stare. “Where on earth did you get a bucket of roaches?”
She winked. “Don’t worry about it.” Then she frowned. “Back to your question. No, I didn’t find anything. Sorry, Gryffie. I went while he was at the bath yesterday, but it’s not like I had all night, plus I had to make sure he wouldn’t know anyone was snooping around his things, well, outside of the roaches.”
I groaned. “Great. Back to the drawing board.” I put my notes down and ran a hand through my hair. “Thanks anyway, Layla.”
She smiled next to me. “Don’t mention it. Just be ready for when I ask for that favor.”
“What? I still have to do that? But you didn’t find anything!”
Her eyes narrowed. “I don’t recall promising that I would find anything worthwhile. You owe me the favor for the attempt alone.”
Braden suppressed a laugh. We were supposed to be quiet after all. “You are truly deviou
s.”
Layla beamed. “Thank you.”
I grunted. “I guess I’ll have to think of something else then.”
Layla slid closer to me. “Did Arwyn give you a time limit with this? Do you have a deadline before it’s too late for you to find a way onto the squad?”
Very good question. I shrugged. “She didn’t actually, but I think it’s a pretty safe assumption that I don’t have all semester to come up with an idea.”
“My idea still stands. Asking nicely works more times than not,” Braden said with a gentle grin, his eyes still on his notes. Layla and I both stuck our tongues out at him. We caught each other doing so, then chuckled at each other. She’d really rubbed off on me.
We dissolved back into silence after that as I let my thoughts wander into what I was going to do. I was in the midst of these thoughts when the door to the study hall suddenly slammed open. All heads turned to the commotion. In strode Gawain, followed closely by a few of his goons. He wore a long black coat with golden embroidery which glinted in the light as it fell around his ankles. I had no clue what material it was made of, but I bet it wasn’t cheap.
Gawain’s lips were peeled back in a snarl and his skin was flushed red with rage. I wanted to ignore him and go back to my studying, but then I realized he was coming right for me.
Before I could react, he moved past me and pushed Layla to the ground from where she sat at my side. Her knees knocked against the low wood table in front of us, and her legs scattered some papers that Braden and I had set out. I didn’t care about that. I cared that this asshole just pushed my friend. Gawain wasn’t looking at me, so he didn’t see me cock back my foot before it was too late. I kicked him square in the chest and sent him toppling over the table in a flurry of pages and curses.
By this point, the whole room had erupted in excited chatter as people got up and crowded around us. As Layla clambered to her feet in a stunned daze, I hopped over the table and got into Gawain’s face as his goons helped him to his feet. I was about to take him to task, but before I could, Layla exploded into a hurricane of rage. I only barely caught her before she threw herself at Gawain’s entire group.
“What the fuck was that for?” she spat at Gawain.
He teemed with anger, tension rolling off him as his goons tried to hold him back, but Gawain didn’t do anything brash, not with me and Braden looming in front of him. He sneered at us. “That,” he enunciated, “was for breaking into my room and pouring roaches”— he shuddered at that— “all over my room.”
“I did not!” she yelled in my grip, her laugh betraying her anger. That was, of course, a blatant lie.
Gawain laughed. “Gutter trash lying? I’m shocked.” He reached back and pulled forward one of his goons. Square-faced with shaved blond hair and deep brown eyes that always seemed annoyed, Horden Naim stared back at Layla and me as if we were roaches that were buzzing around his head. “Horden here saw you leaving my room with a bucket.”
Layla stopped struggling. “Oh, that? Please, I was just borrowing that from your washroom.”
“I don’t have a bucket in my washroom,” he said through gritted teeth.
“Couldn’t find it? Maybe that’s why you always stink.”
“Why you little—” Gawain started to lunge, but I held him back with a firm push on his chest. My hand came back wet from his drenched coat.
“Woah, easy there, friend,” I warned. “Don’t make me break that perfect little nose of yours.”
Gawain’s glare could melt steel, but he didn’t make another move. He knew I wasn’t joking. “Move aside, summoner, so I can take this troublemaker to the Headmaster.”
I pushed Layla behind me. “No, I don’t think so. Besides, this is hardly a grave offense.”
He ground his teeth. “Breaking into another student’s room is strictly prohibited.”
“Debatable,” I said with a snort.
“All you gutter scum are a waste of space, nothing but trouble. You aren’t good enough to lick my boots.” Gawain stepped into my space and poked my chest with his bony finger. “I’m sick of you too, summoner. Trying to steal attention and glory from your betters.” He sneered and looked me up and down, his face contorted in disgust. “You steal my woman…”
I raised a brow. “Your woman?”
“Nia Kenefick. She is mine and I won’t stand trash like you to sully her. I’ve seen you with her late at night.”
I laughed. “Oh Maker! Does Nia know that? Because from what I’ve observed, she despises you.”
He frowned. “She is a prickly woman, yes, but despise… no.” He shoved a finger at my chest again, this time hard. He had pointy nails that were perfectly manicured and colored. “Regardless, you will stop seeing her, or I will make you stop.”
I didn’t like threats and was not one to sit by while someone mistreated and threatened people I cared about, but a thought crossed my mind as he said it that gave me a brilliant idea. I suppressed a grin.
“Let’s duel for her.”
Gawain’s face scrunched. “Pardon?”
“You heard me,” I said as I crossed my arms, eyes narrowed.
He chuckled harshly, as did his brainless lackeys. “You wish to challenge me to Rashni Kae? You, a summoner?”
I frowned. I felt like I’d heard the term before, but I didn’t know its meaning other than it was a magical duel, so I nodded. “I do.”
His grin was bright and insidious. “Oh, how delectable. What would your terms be?”
I was pleased that he asked. “How about this: if you win, I’ll quit associating with Nia in any way outside of class.”
Gawain chuckled and nudged his henchmen who all laughed and jostled each other with disrespectful sneers. “Okay, summoner. I like this. What will happen if by some miracle you manage to best me?”
I kept a straight face. “Well, obviously you let me keep being friendly with Nia, but also, I’ll take your place on the new response squad that the Headmaster has put together with Miss Hamner.”
That made he and his posse devolve into a gaggle of cackling idiots. Even a few of the students joined in, but most stood around with eager curiosity. We provided them with all the drama they craved. Once Gawain and his idiots settled down, he wiped actual tears from his eyes. What a fucking cock.
“Oh boy, I appreciate that, summoner, I needed a laugh on this truly dreary day,” Gawain said as he powered through the last of his snickers. “And why pray tell would a summoner want to be on the response squad?”
I shrugged, my lips tugged up into a slight smile. “Maybe I’m just ambitious. Maybe I have a death wish.”
Gawain scoffed. “Doesn’t matter. Fine, you have yourself a deal.”
“Shake on it,” I commanded, my hand out for him. He looked at it as if my hand was smeared in shit, but he reluctantly shook it. His grip was firm, but his hands were much too soft, like pillows compared to the rough calluses of my palms.
Someone cleared their throat as they pushed through the crowd. It was the prefect, a fourth-year student who looked over study periods to make sure we behaved, stayed quiet, and did our work. He was tall and thin, with thick black curls and round glasses that hung loosely on his beak-like nose. I don’t know where he’d been during this whole altercation, but he was here now, and he didn’t look pleased.
“Gentlemen, I couldn’t help overhearing the end of your conversation,” he said, his voice stern and his expression unamused. “If you wish to compete in Rashni Kae, it will have to be sanctioned by the Headmaster himself, as well as those… extracurricular terms.”
We both nodded. “Okay, sounds good. Lead the way,” I said.
Gawain snorted. “Good, you’re not fit to lead us up a tower, let alone be on a response squad.”
I ignored that, biting back a scathing remark. I’d get the last word in the duel. The prefect ignored it too and took the lead.
We made our way silently from the study hall to the stairwell that led to the Headmaster�
��s office. I didn’t know if they were unaware of the lift or if we weren’t allowed on it, but I kept my mouth shut. Scaling those steps wasn’t an appealing prospect, but it was worth it to make Gawain take that climb.
I hated spending so much time in close proximity to Gawain, and the feeling, I was more than sure, was mutual. I wanted to squirm every time one of his fingertips or parts of his robes grazed me. By the time we reached the top, my legs trembled, and my heart beat out a rapid rhythm. Sweat trailed down Gawain’s face. While it was impossible to tell if that was sweat or rainwater, he couldn’t disguise how tiring the climb had been. His skin was flushed from exertion. He struggled to breathe, which would have been a sight if I wasn’t also gulping for air.
The prefect looked less winded than we did, but I was sure he’d made this climb dozens of times, and he’d had at least four years of physical military training with the major, Mrs. Gerelda, and the upper-class trainers. He collected himself and straightened his robe before he knocked on the door.
There was a pause before a muffled, “Come in,” responded from within. Permission granted, the prefect opened the door for us.
Gawain looked around in awe, his head on a swivel. Clearly, he’d yet to be invited to the Headmaster’s office. I felt privileged to have a personal relationship with the great Marangur Sleet. Meanwhile, this blueblood snob who thought he was so important had no such thing. It made me smile.
The Headmaster sat at his desk and sifted through some papers as we approached. Without even looking up, he smirked and said, “I have to say, I wasn’t expecting for you two to show up in my office together.”
Gawain gulped next to me, and I grinned. Good, I liked to see him nervous. The Headmaster stopped looking through his work and lifted his gaze to us. I could understand Gawain’s trepidation. The Headmaster had a steely stare that could entrap anyone within his sight. Luckily, I was already accustomed to it. Mister Sleet laced his fingers together.
“What can I do for you?” he asked, a brow lifted at the prefect.
The prefect bowed. “These two first years would like a duel to settle some personal grievances, sir.”
