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Kallos walks towards the infirmary door after a moment. “I will see you two in class tomorrow.” He leaves with that, and I’m left with terrible thoughts, fearing what all of this means for me.
“Come on, I’ll help you back to the Nova House.” Corvus helps me from the medical bed. Once standing, I shake Corvus off me. I’m still a little dizzy but I can manage just fine.
“I can go on my own,” I snap. I don’t need his kindness. It’s better to keep everyone as far as possible. I only need Terra and my friends from Za’Afiel.
Corvus gives me a sympathetic look. “You know, you don’t have to fight your demons alone.” He raises a hand to his chest. “We have all been mortally wounded inside. We can try to heal together. You don’t have to?—”
“Shut up!” I shout, teeth bared and hands tightly clenched at my sides. “I don’t need to fight my pain. I don’t need to heal. I don’t want to heal.” I face Corvus with rage burning inside me. “I want to make them pay for what they’ve done.”
Corvus’s jaw flexes but he doesn’t say anything as I turn away and leave without another word. My white cloak flutters in my wake as I walk down the dark halls back to the bridge over the lakeside, only swaying a few times from the dizziness that still tugs on my body. I make my way back into my entirely too-large, empty room and stare at myself in the mirror. At Sully.
It stands there behind me, observing me in silence with the same shattered eyes I have—turquoise lines that etch over my irises.
It’s quieter after Kallos placed that cast on me, but Sully still whispers all the same. Fuck. I was hoping it was gone.
One cast cannot get rid of me. In fact, let’s put it to the test, shall we? Sully says as it grins.
23
Terra
Raine leans against the wall around the corner of the Cosmos House. His body is taut, muscles beautifully stretched as he cranes to check if the coast is clear. The marbled walls are cold and keep the hallway’s air brisk. Raine levels me a sly smirk as I peek over his shoulder to see if Kai and Finn have shown up yet to let us in their homeroom.
I was able to cross Elias off the list pretty quickly as his room isn’t difficult for me to get into. I’m not sure who else we can trust here besides Arthur, so we’ve been cautious about comparing the notes to professors.
Raine cleared the lower House professors, Flik and Moss, off the list too, so it’s either Kallos, Nekane, or Arthur. After them, we need to find any other potential members of Elias’s original group that may still be alive. One pops into mind: Emerai. I mentally add him to the list.
“How are you feeling?” I ask, straightening beside Raine and lifting my hand to his cheek with affection. His skin is warm and he shuts his eyes, leaning his weary head into my palm and letting his hand slide up the back of my hand.
“Better now. I just needed some sleep.”
“Are you sure?” I ask, letting my brows pull together with concern.
He nods and smiles brightly. “Yeah, don’t worry about it, babe.”
I think about what Elias said about tutoring Raine. My chest warms that my assassin seems to be lightening up about him. “Have you been able to conjure your Shadow yet?” I ask, keeping my eyes on the Cosmos entrance. It’s not like we aren’t allowed in there or anything, but on the off chance that Kallos is still inside, I’d rather not risk him growing curious about us. I already have more than enough of his attention in sex ed.
Raine rubs the back of his head and stalls. “Uh, well, not exactly. No.”
I focus on him, drawing my brows tightly together. “Elias said he’s going to tutor you in preparation for the exam.” Raine rolls his eyes, which irks me. “He’s not so bad; I think he genuinely wants you to succeed. Even if he just wants you to be able to protect me in the exam.”
He lets out a short breath and mutters, “At least we have a common interest. I guess it won’t be so bad. I can’t argue with a man who wants me to be useful before I die.” He brushes my chin with the tip of his thumb and gives me that cruel grin of his.
“Raine, don’t say that.” The hurt is evident in my voice, but I’m okay with being vulnerable around Raine. “We’re going to find a way.”
He raises his shoulders and lets them drop dramatically. “We’ll see.”
I’m about to give him a lecture about being morbid, but I catch a flash of white hair in my peripheral.
“It’s Kai! Let’s go,” I whisper-shout and Raine follows close behind me as we slink down the hallway. The sun has long since set, which helps with our cover.
I’m not surprised to find the Cosmos House commons empty. It’s late and most of the students are out in the courtyard training or already in bed.
The Cosmos homeroom is much different than ours. The ceilings aren’t vaulted and the theme is pretty plain, cream-colored walls with dark blue furniture and an average-looking fireplace.
“This place is rather mundane,” I say, and Raine nods thoughtfully.
Kai laughs and holds up his hand; the back has a mark that looks like a cloud of stars. Cosmos.
