Consuming Shadows

Chapter 21

Claire paced back and forth the length of their room with all the grace of an agitated lioness. Her stunning features were twisted into a small frown as she, yet again, made her way passed where Raina was lounging on her bed.

The dark haired girl did not even bother glancing up as her friend made another lap, content to simply read through her charms textbook. Claire had been in this state since Hadrian had awoken yesterday for mere moments, pensive and constantly murmuring to herself.

Raina knew better than to intrude on the other's thoughts when she was like this. She was happy to wait until Claire was ready to talk about whatever was clearly bothering her.

Raina's eyes ran over the passage she had been reading for the last three minutes, minorly frustrated that her mind was so preoccupied that she had not even taken anything in. It was just so difficult to do something as mundane as study, when her thoughts were never far from the hospital wing.

Or rather, the boy lying prone on one of the sterile beds there.

The past week had been agonising, waiting listlessly for any sign of Hadrian waking up. Each day that had ended without change had been disheartening, as they all felt his absence keenly.

Everything was...dull and uninteresting without Hadrian prancing around. At least to her things were. She had not even realised how quickly she had grown to enjoy the new rapport between the two of them until he was gone.

So seeing that smallest flash of green eyes yesterday had been like a balm on her fraying nerves. It was enough to loosen the stone in her stomach and let her truly breathe.

The knowledge that Hadrian would be up and about soon was the only thing that kept her from joining her friend in her pacing.

Claire passed her once again.

Raina refrained from sighing. Any second now.

"How can you be so calm?" the part-veela said, spinning to stare down at her with her arms crossed.

Raina flipped her textbook closed and rolled to face the other. "I see no point in working myself up over something I have no power to change. Hadrian is recovering, what more can I ask for?"

"But you don't find it at all suspicious?"

"Find what suspicious, Claire?"

The incredulous expression on her friend's face quickly morphed into something scornful. "You cannot be that daft, Raina."

"Excuse you?" she sat up, eyebrow arched and eyes daring the insult to be repeated. Claire pursed her lips and wisely carried on.

"I merely meant that no one but me seems to find the fact that he was in a coma for a week – with no justifiable reasons – strange."

It was Raina's turn to stare at Claire. "'No justifiable reasons'? Claire – he's lucky to be alive!" Raina's hands came up, but they hung pointlessly in the air, "His side was torn open, his skull was fractured, his magic exhausted...it's a miracle they managed to put him back together at all."

"I know that," Claire snapped, "that's not – I meant-" she stopped forcibly. "With the amount of treatment Hadrian got, a week-long coma is just...it's wrong. A day or two would be understandable, he was injured severely. But he should not have been unconscious for that long."

The blonde turned and moved to her desk, plucking a cream folder from its place and flicking it open. "Hadrian is in peak physical condition, and there is nothing from his family history that would indicate any problems medical-wise."