AllFreeNovel
Share Us
56
The two of us walk hand in hand to the dining hall, which does little to decrease the stares. In fact, it probably encourages more of them. But Luke insists, grasping my hand as we walk together into the lion’s den. The more steps we take into the hall, the louder the silence seems to grow, until all eyes are on us.
Unafraid, I take a good look at those gawking at us. There’s surprise and shock mainly, but also a soft sadness, a quiet respect. Arabella and Li edge glances at us while picking at their food, their heads tilting sidelong and looking faintly chastened.
Nobody says a word.
We sit with the chiefs. Finlay rubs heartily at Luke’s back and murmurs, “I’ve been scourin’ the papers and kept them aside for maist o’ the day, so naebody knows for sure. Rumors are fleein’ around like crazy.”
“Baxter hasn’t said anything?” I marvel, examining the packed staff table and being amazed at the audacity. She’s known for two days now and deliberately kept the news from the students.
Rory shakes his head. “Don’t know what gilded envelope she’s waiting for — a coroner’s report? Think she’s trying to brush it under the carpet. Don’t worry,” he adds, lifting his fork in Luke’s direction, “we have a plan. That’s if you want everyone to find out at once — we can make that happen.”
Luke shrugs, grabbing a bread roll. “I don’t care,” he says, holding the roll and doing nothing with it. Rory gazes at him in concern, and then at me. I shrug, helpless. Perhaps going downstairs, to become the draw of hundreds of eyeballs, really hadn’t been in Luke’s best interests. Even now, as I ladle soup into a bowl, I feel the heat of their gazes on us like molten daggers.
“Here, I can butter it,” Danny says gently, indicating the bread roll clasped inside Luke’s hand and leaning over to grab a butter dish.
“I’m fine.”
He’d been fine alone with me. But surrounded by so many others, it’s a different matter. I nudge his leg with mine, running my shin along his. His dark brown eyes soften slightly. “I’m sorry,” he says to the other chiefs. “You can tell the others. I’m fine. It’s fine.”
His voice sounds stilted as he passes his bread roll across to Danny. Danny accepts it, slicing it in half and buttering generously.
“You want us to make Baxter sing?” Rory asks, double-checking. “Because we can make her do that.”
Luke shrugs. “They’re all going to find out sooner or later. I’m astonished they haven’t already. I never thought I’d get this much privacy.” He stares down at the newly buttered roll. “Besides, the truth is better than stupid rumors.”
Rory nods, leaning back on the bench. He murmurs to Duncan on the opposite bench, who wears his usual tough expression like he means business.
As I look across to the table and the gremlins that surround Duncan, I note that Rory’s followers have been bulked out with a few new faces I recognize from the fight. Only they’d been on Callum’s side, not ours.
Rory catches me staring. “New cohort,” he says, sounding pleased with himself. “They came this afternoon.”
I blink. “They switched sides just like that?”
“I’ve been busy building bridges since the fight, trying to woo the strongest fighters and the ones with the most potential. It wasn’t difficult. I thought I’d have to give a ration of sweets and some lads’ mags for their trouble, but they came on their own accord.”
I almost choke on my soup. “Well, it’s good to know what loyalty to Luke is worth.”
But Rory looks serious. “We need as many supporters as we can get around the castle. A lot of the younger students are too scared of their parents to get behind Luke. So the fact that they came to us is a good sign.”
I nod. Rory’s good at that, gathering forces, persuading others. Funny, though, that they changed sides after the ritual… I shake my head. No. Can’t be going down that rabbit-hole again.
After a few minutes, Duncan sticks his hand in the air. Baxter acts like the best thing to do is ignore this, but Duncan doesn’t give up that easily.
“Is it true?” he asks loudly, his voice projecting toward the staff table. The hall is still quiet after our arrival so Duncan’s voice explodes like a firework throughout the large space.
Looking irritated, Baxter’s gaze narrows on him. “Iswhattrue, Mr. Gillespie?”
“The queen, miss. Only we’ve been hearing some… distressing rumors.” He turns the simpering act on full-blast. “And as Lochkelvin is a mandated safe space devoted to avoiding anything triggering, I’d be grateful if you could kindly share with us what’s been happening outside these walls. In a non-threatening, sanitized, and unproblematic way, of course.”
I raise an eyebrow in Rory’s direction. Sounds like some snarky script he would write.
Rory shoots me a small, innocent smile.
Baxter doesn’t respond, though Duncan has successfully removed all eyes from us and turned them onto Baxter instead. Luke, I notice, is blinking hard and appears faintly ill.
“Miss?” Duncan prods, and some of the staff at the head table begin to grow restless. “These rumors have been most concerning, and you know we wouldn’t want to be learning anything other than Lochkelvin-mandated facts from the highest authority.” Despite the sarcasm of his words and his borderline sickly tone, Duncan has a way about him that makes him seem genuine. Even I could be momentarily disarmed by him, forgetting the intimidating curl of his thin lips and the strange metallic pierce of his eyes. At that moment, like Rory’s smile, he is pure sunshine innocence.
