The Angel of Olden Academy ✓

chapter six

The two weeks that followed were slow, uneventful. I couldn't untangle the dread in my stomach. Adam came to read to me every evening, and each time I was sure that Ethan would saunter in and see us, hurt him, and I wouldn't be able to stop it.

I had, in all honesty, forgotten about Leo when he reappeared in my alcove one morning. Adam was preparing the concoction and looked up, surprised.

"Spend a lot of time in here, don't you?" Leo smiled, but his voice was bitter.

"I'm busy, Leo." Adam stood and gave him a kiss on the cheek. My stomach turned over. "I'll find you later. I promise."

"No. I'm staying." He reached past the curtain and dragged in a stool of his own. "Eesha says you sit in here every morning, talking. Why can't I join?"

Adam had stopped working and was looking back and forth between us nervously. I kept my gaze steadily on Leo, my eyes violet and dark.

"Is he always like that," Leo asked, "or is it just for me?"

Adam didn't seem to want to answer that question. "He breathed fire at me when we met," he finally offered.

"Oh, come on," Leo said, disbelieving. "No one can really breathe fire."

A long plume of flame reached from my mouth towards his face. He let out a gargled scream and nearly fell off his stool. I saw Adam hide a smile; Leo noticed it, too.

"I got into the Honor Society," he blurted out, like we were having some competition to impress Adam. If we were, he won; Adam jumped up and hugged him.

"Leo, that's been your dream since year 10! When were you going to tell me?"

Leo smiled at me over Adam's shoulder. "You've been so busy. Maybe we could go celebrate at my place?"

"Oh, no, no, I can't." Adam pulled back, returning to his concoction. "I have so much to do."

Leo was silent for a moment. "Does he speak?"

Adam paused. "What?"

"The demon. He hasn't spoken once. Is that an honor he reserves for you?"

"No." Adam looked at me, but I had nothing to say. "He's just tired. The Impotentia, you know."

"I'm not an idiot," Leo snapped. "The real weakness only comes in flashes." He stood, glaring down at me. "Although I wouldn't be surprised if he were faking it anyway."

"That's enough," Adam said, standing as well.

Leo turned on him. "You know—I always figured that if I lost you, it would be because you found someone better. Someone more worthy of you. I never imagined it would be for a waste of life like him." He spat the last word, angry, and Adam stepped back. "Don't you ever wonder who randomly beat you up that night? I'd bet anything that it was him and his demon friends, that he's been playing you this entire time and you've been stupid enough to—"

He stammered to a stop when I stood, stepping towards him, placing myself in front of Adam.

"You're right about one thing," I said, smoke tumbling out of my mouth and making him cough. "You're not worthy of Adam."

"And you are?" he demanded.

"Get out."

He tried to push past me, reaching for Adam. "He's coming with me."

I caught Leo's wrist. "He can make his own decisions, I think."

I glanced back; Adam looked down. "Go, Leo."

Leo looked gutted. I gave him a smile and released his wrist. He stormed away.

The second he was gone, I took a ragged breath and sat down on the bed, pressing a hand to my chest.

"Are you alright?" Adam asked, kneeling before me and worriedly pressing two fingers to my neck. "Oh, Ehren," he breathed, and helped me lie down, reaching for the concoction. "Promise me you'll stay in bed from now on."

"I'll try."

He frowned, but let me drink. It was even more disgusting cold than hot, but I forced it down.

"Adam?" I asked when I was done.

"Yeah?"

"Maybe ... another apprentice should treat me."

He froze. "What?"

"I'm getting worse."

"No," he said, shaking his head.

I couldn't look at him. "They keep acting like they're close to a cure, but they never find one, and—time's running out."

"No," he said again, grabbing my face and making me look at him. "You can't give up, Ehren. Maybe—maybe if you'd stop breathing fire every other day, you wouldn't be so weak—"

"Adam. I don't want you to start caring about me only to see me die."

He closed his eyes. "I already care about you, idiot, and you're not dying."

"Look at me." I was weak. My voice, my breath, my hands pulling his from my face. He had to see it. "You think I haven't noticed that I sleep for sixteen hours? That I hardly have the strength to walk to the bathroom?"

"You're going to get better."

"And if I don't?"

He dropped his face to my chest, and my breath caught at the closeness, the sudden touch. He took uneven breaths, sniffling like he was trying not to cry; I cautiously brought my hands to his hair.

"No one else is treating you," he whispered. "You're not going anywhere. Okay?"

I swallowed hard but nodded. How could I refuse him? "Okay."

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