The dining hall remained noisy long after Apollo disappeared behind the tinted glass.
Ava was still staring at the Prep section.
"You know he's not coming back out, right?" Quinn said.
"I know."
"You've been looking at the door for three minutes."
"I know."
"Then stop."
"I can't."
Quinn dragged both hands down her face.
Yesu just sat there, eating. She had discovered that the dining hall served significantly better food than the café.
This revelation occupied most of her attention.
Ava suddenly sat upright. "Do you think his foot is broken?"
"Probably."
"Do you think it hurts?"
"Definitely."
"Do you think he likes flowers?"
Quinn nearly choked.
"What kind of progression was that?"
Ava ignored her.
"If soone was injured, flowers would be appropriate."
"You're not sending Apollo flowers."
"Why not?"
"Because you don't know him."
"I know his na."
"Everyone knows his na."
Ava opened her mouth. Paused. Then closed it again.
"...That's actually fair."
Yesu looked up. "Why don't you just talk to him?"
The table fell silent.
Ava froze.
Quinn slowly lowered her fork.
Then she looked at Yesu.
Then at Ava.
Then back at Yesu.
"You make it sound so easy."
"Isn't it?"
"No." Quinn pointed toward the Prep section. "That is Apollo Viremont."
"Vire who?"
"Viremont." Quinn emphasized the na like it should an sothing obvious.
"It sounds like a disease," Yesu said.
Ava let out a small laugh despite herself.
Quinn ignored both of them.
"It doesn't matter if it sounds like anything. It matters who it is."
She leaned forward slightly.
"APG Prep Level Two. Top Rank. Not to ntion being the sovereign leader's son. You don't just 'talk' to soone like Apollo Viremont."
Yesu blinked. "Why not?"
Quinn stared at her for a long mont. Then sighed.
"Because people like him don't get approached. They get… observed."
Ava nodded slowly, as if that made perfect sense.
Yesu didn't look convinced.
"He has a crutch." She said.
That made Quinn pause.
Ava blinked. "What?"
"A broken person can be approached." Yesu added simply.
Silence.
Quinn pressed her fingers against her temple.
"I feel like I'm losing brain cells."
Ava, however, was thinking.
"That's… actually kind of true," she murmured.
Quinn snapped her head toward her. "No. No it is not."
But Ava was already staring toward the Prep section again, expression softening.
"Still… I hope he's okay."
Yesu went back to her food. "Then ask him."
Quinn groaned.
And sowhere behind the tinted glass, Apollo Viremont continued eating lunch like none of this was happening.
***
In class 11-A, the students listened attentively as the horoom instructor taught.
That was until the lesson was interrupted by a knock on the classroom door.
A staff mber stepped inside and spoke quietly to the instructor.
A mont later—
"Viremont. Corvane."
All eyes turned toward them.
Apollo looked up. Mahirah seed delighted.
"You two are wanted in Professor Wakefield's office."
Several students exchanged curious looks.
Apollo simply closed his notebook and stood.
Mahirah followed.
The entire class watched them leave.
***
Professor Wakefield's office was occupied when they arrived.
Standing beside the professor's desk was a man in a dark formal suit.
Xenon. The High Regentess' personal aide.
Mahirah imdiately brightened.
Apollo rely nodded.
"Master Apollo." Xenon greeted. "Her Excellency wished to visit personally, but state matters require her attention."
He produced an elegant card.
"She asked that I deliver this instead."
Apollo accepted it.
"Your gifts have already been sent to your room." Xenon added.
"Thank you."
Xenon then turned to Mahirah. "And Her Excellency has prepared sothing for you as well, my lady."
Mahirah's eyes lit up.
"She did?"
Xenon nodded. "A separate package has been sent."
"Please, thank godmother on my behalf."
"I will."
***
Lessons were still ongoing.
The academy grounds were unusually quiet as Apollo and Mahirah walked back to class.
After a while, Mahirah glanced at the card in Apollo's hand.
"Aren't you going to read it?"
"No."
"Why?"
Apollo slipped it into his pocket.
"It is a ready-made card."
"You don't know that."
"I do."
Mahirah rolled her eyes. "Fine. Then tell what actually happened to your foot."
"I already did."
"You lied."
Apollo said nothing.
Mahirah studied him for a while, then her eyes narrowed.
"Does this have sothing to do with Olwen?"
The effect was imdiate.
Apollo stopped walking.
The warmth vanished from his face. When he spoke, his voice was calm. Far too calm.
"Be careful."
Mahirah blinked.
Apollo turned toward her.
"Olwen is my brother."
The casual ease he normally carried was gone.
"Whatever opinions people have of him, rember who he is."
Mahirah stared.
Apollo rarely spoke like this. Never to her.
A long silence followed.
Then Apollo resud walking.
"Co on," he said quietly. And left her standing there.
For the first ti all day, Mahirah wasn't sure what to say.
***
The academy library stood quiet beneath the night sky.
The last set of students had left long ago.
Two library workers erged from the main entrance carrying stacks of returned books.
One stopped halfway down the steps.
"Hold on. We forgot to turn off the lights."
The other looked back through the glass doors and laughed.
"No, we didn't."
"What?"
"You forgot who's still inside."
The first worker frowned slightly, then understanding dawned.
"Right. The Head Library Prefect."
"Exactly." He shook his head fondly. "That boy spends more ti in this building than so of the staff."
"I'm starting to think he moved in." Both n laughed.
The doors slid shut behind them.
***
In a secluded reading section on the upper floor, Olwen turned a page.
The library had beco even quieter.
He checked the ti.
7:30 PM. A little later than usual.
Olwen closed the book, neatly stacked the others beside it and returned them to their proper places.
Several minutes later, he descended into the dark lobby.
One by one, the lights went out. The vast library sank into the shadows.
Olwen made his way toward the exit.
Then he stopped.A shadow stood where there shouldn't have been one.
His eyes narrowed. He turned. A fist shot toward his face. Olwen jerked aside.
The punch grazed past him.
A figure dressed entirely in black rushed forward. Mask. Gloves. No identifying marks.
Olwen struck back imdiately.
The two exchanged blows in the darkness. Fast.
Precise.
Then the attacker thrust out a hand.
A violent blast of compressed air erupted forward.
Olwen's eyes widened.
The impact hit like a speeding vehicle.
His body left the ground.
He crashed backward onto the staircase.
The steps cracked beneath him.
Pain exploded through his back as he landed several steps above.
The masked figure didn't give him ti to recover.
And advanced.
User Comments
0 comments from readers