Chapter 96 CHAPTER 96
The academy was brutal and didn't care that I'd managed to convince a large number of people that I was indeed attacked by a leech.
Kassandra helped me tell her classmates and I made sure to speak really loudly about it in the cafeteria, anything to stop them from staring at me like… that.
It did stop, but the schoolwork was amplified.
Why?
The Trial was approaching and every Instructor was putting our ass on fire to be our best to deserve a dragon.
I wasn't one of them anymore but I couldn't blurt that out now, can I?
But I wish I could though, to let them hear the frustration in my voice followed by my rejection of the headaches this training academy was.
To let them know I accept their rejection, I didn't belong here and would happily take my ass out of their faces.
But no, I went through the makeshift swimming class that was for the one we missed on Monday and then I had to sit through Dragon Theory.
It used to be my favourite part of the day but now, all I wanted was to sleep.
So the second it was over, I was out of my seat and packed my bags.
“Where are you going?” Erin asked and I frowned.
“Back to the hostel, what do you think?”
“You're not coming to the pool party?”
“I don't know how you guys have the energy for anything else but I'm going home.”
“Or you're going to be with your lover,” Akua grinned, winking at me.
I blossomed red.
“I'm going to sleep, have you forgotten I'm still recovering?”
“Well, you have the whole weekend to do it. Hopefully you'll feel better by Monday..I heard they're going to dial shit up again,” Mira added, taking off her school clothes like everyone else in the class.
They wore swimming apparel inside it.
“Didn't you guys have enough water during the swim class?” I asked as I zipped my bag.
“That was class, this is a party,” Akua replied, “hot, risky clothes are not allowed back at the hostel so everyone is going from here. I wish you can toughen up and come with us. Or is your partner jealous?”
“Keep guessing Akua, one day you'll guess right but that day's not today so I'll leave you guys to have fun. Tell me about it tomorrow Erin?”
She smiled at me before looking back into her bag, a wave of sadness passing through her. I don't know what it was but I felt guilty for not caring about her life earlier and I wasn't going to allow that to happen again.
So I did something stupid.
I pulled her into a hug.
Akua and Mira pulled us apart instantly.
“Do you want to kill yourself?”
“Come on guys don't be dramatic, she's clearly bothered about something and I want to help.”
“And I wouldn't have a problem with that if you didn't just nearly get killed by a leech. Go home before I bite your ears off, we'll take care of Erin.”
The impact of the hug was already visible as I walked away, but I didn't mind, I was going to sleep for two days or more.
I just needed to get to that bed, I'll explain my absence to Zade later. Today wound me out.
The path from the class building to the hostel was usually busy but tonight, with the pool party pulling everyone to the other side of the academy, it was just me and the sound of my tired feet on gravel.
A shiver ran through my spine and I quickened my steps, the hostel wasn't so far off anymore.
"Where's your cavalry, baby?" A voice, a familiar, smirking one called in the middle of the night.
My feet stopped before my brain caught up. It was Kovar, I didn't need to turn to know it was him, my body's reaction was enough. I'd suffered at his hand long enough to recognise his scent, and his moods.
He was in a terrible one this time and I still haven't figured out why he hated me so much.
But I didn't turn, dared not. Just started walking faster.
"Penny."
It was just one word but the impact was disastrous. The hand came from nowhere, grabbing the back of my neck and slamming me down across the rocky path I was walking on.
My knees hit the gravel first, then my palms, then Penny's knee drove into my spine and I was flat on the ground, face pressed into the dirt.
My bag skidded somewhere I couldn't see.
A scream ripped out from my throat and for once, they didn't try to stop me.
They knew nobody was coming to save me. I tried to reach for Styx's calling stone but hands grabbed both of my hands and locked them behind me, they'd figured out how I got help the last time.
My screams died down while they did this, leaving me with sobs and tear-stained cheeks.
Then Kovar's boots appeared in front of my face. He crouched down slowly, tilting my chin up with his finger.
"I've missed you baby, it's been a while since we had a chat."
"Get off me," I hissed at Penny but the knee pressed harder.
"Shh," Kovar wiped a tear off my cheek with his thumb, "I just want to talk. You never let me talk to you and when I send people to remind you that I own you, they don't do the job properly."
“I don't belong to you, you psychotic asshole!” I snarled.
His hand moved to my neck, tracing the collar of my gown, searching for the marks underneath.
"Such a pretty mouth saying horrible things. But then, I'll deal with that some other time. Show me those new scales of yours, I need to be sure I wasn't imagining it.”
“I don't know what you're talking about,” I growled, “and even if I did, your goons have a tight hold on my arm idiot!”
"They're making sure you don't invite more people to our lovely party. Besides, I saw your arm this morning. You've bonded with someone and I need to know exactly who it is you've dragged into your messy life.”
"You don't know anything about me Kovar."
He laughed. Short, hollow, no humour in it at all.
"That's where you're wrong baby girl. I know more about you than you know about yourself. I've known about you since you fell from the sky, and about your family way before that. My father made sure of that."
My blood ran cold, he knows about the Zhar family.
He knows something no one is supposed to know about me.