Veil of Shadow and Rain ✓ [TSC #1]

Chapter 8 - Oh-So Secret

'Do we run?' Jake yelled.

'We run!' Wren screamed.

'Where's Ladislaya?'

Out of nowhere, Ladislaya appeared behind Wren, panting. 'Call me Effiene. Middle name's my code name. Now let's get out of here.'

'Wait!' Duncan shouted after them.

But they didn't have to wait - for as they made it up the stairs, they bumped into a figure that was unmistakably Kai. Tall, muscular, broad shoulders - even anyone could recognise him just by seeing his shadow.

'What the -'

The three of them collided into him, falling onto the ground with Jake rolling down the stairs.

'What the hell's going on in there?' Kai's voice perked up.

'Kai!' Duncan shrieked from inside.

'Dun - hang on -'

Wren felt her head. A nasty bump was forming. She'd hit her head against the corner of the wall after colliding into Kai and now she felt like she was about to puke.

Ladislaya groaned beside her. Wren opened her eyes to see Kai and Duncan towering over them. Wren groaned and turned to her side.

'I feel like I ate a whole bag of Cheerios and my stomach just gave up on me,' she whimpered.

'You girls good?' Kai asked.

Wren turned to face him. 'Does it look like we're good? I just hit my head against the corner of the wall!'

'It'd be great if you learned how to solve your own problems,' Kai said, offering his hand. She grasped it as he pulled her up. 'Thanks, I guess,' she said, turning back to Ladislaya. 'Ladislaya, you okay?'

She whimpered. 'C'mon,' Wren gripped her hand, pulling her up.

'Okay, I've got questions,' Kai said, clearing his throat.

'We've got questions,' Wren said suddenly. Kai looked taken-aback.

'No we don't,' Ladislaya said quickly. 'Continue, Kai.'

'Wait, where's Jake?' Wren asked, interrupting the commotion.

'Oh, he rolled down the stairs earlier,' Duncan informed her. 'It was a figure, but I assumed it was Jake the way it was groaning.'

'He,' corrected Wren.

'Yup. He.'

'What were you three doing here?' Kai asked dubiously, looking from Wren to Ladislaya. Ladislaya to Wren. And then vice versa.

'Breathing,' Wren said, adjusting the hem of her shirt, trying to make her face look convincing. 'Oxygen,' she added on second thought.

Kai nodded slowly, raising his eyebrows. 'This is -'

'What were you doing here?' Wren asked, avoiding the question.

Kai winced. 'Why are you avoiding my question?'

'Political reasons. Tell me, Kai, do you wander around the library often at night or is it just a special occasion tonight?'

Kai looked at Duncan and did a double-take. 'It's a -'

'Why were you even here?'

'We were - we were having a boys' night out,' Kai said lamely.

Ladislaya raised an eyebrow.

'Whoop!' added Kai in an unconvincing cheer after an afterthought. 'Whew. We were gonna do our boy guy stuff y'know. Nothing girls will understand.'

'I've heard of girls' night out, but I never knew boys' night outs were a thing.'