What's at Stake

Chapter Seventeen

"What would have been good was you five remaining at the dorm and not putting yourselves at risk."

I grimaced. Point made.

"However, I suppose no one could have predicted the Leecher knowing your precise location, or even attempting to hunt you down with so many of your peers around. You four may remain together in your suspension. Guards will watch over the door. While I trust you to serve your suspension without issue, some of the others are more... devious."

San whistled low to himself.

"How is your pain, Prince Claude? Do you need any more pain medication?" the nurse asked, turning to Claude as she finished wrapping my neck back up.

"From the way he was talking, I think he's already had enough," Kaz said with a slight smile.

"Yeah, he was being civil," San added. "He must be high on the meds."

Claude scowled at the pair of them. "I may be injured, but that doesn't mean I can't put you two in hospital beds, too."

San pressed his lips to the side. "Maybe he does need more."

The nurse admonished San before shuffling away with an order to buzz her if Claude's pain became too much. I hadn't actually heard everything that happened to him. Was he really in that much pain? To need heavy pain meds? Kaz had said his back had been sliced open. How deep? And why had he been sleeping on it if it hurt so much?

"I'll be in contact with you about the hearing," Evander said before he left the room.

"Is Evander going too?" I asked.

Kaz nodded. "Yeah. Not for the hearing, but because he wants to discuss the other assailant that went after Claude on campus with the members of the court."

"Prince," Claude corrected again but sounded resigned.

"Pick your battles," San told him.

"How come you're not going to the hearing, San?"

He turned to me. "Oh, my mom is part of the royal court. It would be against the code of conduct if I went since she'll be holding the hearing."

"Your mom is on the court?"

"One of the regent's most trusted," San said proudly. "How else do you think I've survived this long without Claude killing me? I have immunity from him."

So that was how San fit into such a peculiar group. His mom being on the royal court made everything fit. They were all sons and daughters of influential people. Almost all of them. Adora's mother was secretary-general of human relations, but what about Kaz? How did he fit in? I'd never thought too much about it. I just assumed Kaz was Claude's friend, but maybe there was something else. He had said my family had done something to his, but not what, or if they were even still alive.

Even though I was around Kaz so much, I barely knew him. I needed to work on that.

"Don't worry, Cleo. My mom wouldn't let anything happen to Adora," San said, misinterpreting my silence. "She'll be back by the end of the week."

"When is the hearing?"

"On Wednesday."

"She can't come back then?"

"Since she's already off academy grounds, she's visiting her parents for the week," San explained.

"Is that close by?" I tried to remember what the map of the vampire territory looked like. The academy was settled in the middle of the forest, I knew that. It had taken me about five hours from my house to reach the gates, two hours of it through dense woods. The biggest city in their territory looked to be about the same distance away as my town was if I remembered correctly.