My eyes flickered over to Henri. He was still fast asleep. Byron looked over his shoulder at Henri.
"How much do you like him?" Byron's voice was tight and irritated. He met my eyes and he arched an eyebrow.
"Not as much as you" I admitted to him with a smile. Byron slowly started to smile. My stomach started doing backflips. "I like you a lot" I started to move closer to him. "Byron" My fingers were touching his lips lightly. He was staring into my eyes. "and I don't want to lose you."
"You won't" Byron took my fingers from his lips. "I'm always going to be around- around for you" his eyes searched mine. "Watching over you and protecting you no matter what."
I flexed the hand he was holding. I was going to try to not be difficult. We were having a good moment and I didn't want to ruin it by saying he was my instructor and I, a Guardian.
Instead, I pressed my lips against his one more time. His hand slid up my arm and he buried his hand into my hair. In return, my arm was around his neck so he was crushed against me.
There were footsteps and we pulled apart. My face started to burn as I busied myself with trying to slip into the bed.
"I thought you would be sleeping" Ezra asked behind me. Byron was climbing into his own bed which was beside mine.
"Can't sleep" I mumbled. I cleared my face and turned to the boys.
"Dr. Nan and Dr. Langston just briefed us" Thomas took a seat at the foot of the bed. Thomas searched my eyes and he turned to Henri.
"The both of you are in trouble"
Ezra shot Henri a nasty look.
"Wait until he wakes up" Ezra lifted his upper lip in dislike. "I can't believe he tricked us into letting you go off campus. He tricked me" Ezra sounded outraged. "I actually liked him for you" I heard Byron make an irritate sound but I didn't glance at him.
"Yeah" Thomas replied in a small voice. "I can't believe it either. Dr. Nan told us what you did to Charles"
"Yeah" Ezra threw his hands up in irritation. "You had the chance to kill his ass and you didn't" his eyes nearly popped out of his head.
My body sank into the bed. The pillows were soft and warm. I was tired and I could merely stare up at them.
"You only disarmed him" Ezra let out a harsh breath of air. "And you, where the hell were you?" Ezra turned on Byron. "Aren't you supposed to be watching over her? Why didn't you drag her back to school? Or at least kill Charles"
My eyes wandered to Byron who was laying on his side, facing us.
"She couldn't have killed him" Thomas replied gently. Thomas was sitting calmly while we watched Ezra pace from bed to bed. "She made a good choice"
"And this asshole" Ezra kicked Henri's bed. "It seems that all the guys that like you are trying to get you killed intentionally or unintentionally" Ezra sank next to me. Ezra seemed more irked that Henri managed to lie to him than anything else. I reached over and put my arm around him.
"Except for this one" Ezra tilted his head at Byron. " He might be the only good choice for you"
Byron shot Ezra a dirty look.
"I'm her instructor" he snapped lifting his head slightly.
"Yeah whatever" Thomas rolled his eyes. "What a working relationship"
Ezra started to laugh loudly.
"Yeah I can imagine your face when you saw Henri and Iris together. That would have been priceless- what went through your head, Byron?"
Byron threw a pillow at Ezra.
"Murder?" Ezra doubled over laughing. I pushed him off the bed. "Jealousy is not good Byron. It makes you do crazy things like - not get your girlfriend out of a dangerous situation."
"We aren't dating" Byron and I retorted at the same time. Ezra put his hands up and shrugged at us.
"Sooo..." Thomas cleared his throat. "What are you going to do about your Rank?"
It was hard to believe that Ranks were going to be in a couple of hours. We had been excused but it was the first Rank and I didn't want to miss it. We had gone off campus and I felt alright to participate in the Ranks.
"You will stay put" Nurse Gail glared at me. "If you leave this room, I will personally give you repetitions." She also turned to Henri who was trying to get out of bed. "Stay. In. Bed" she gave us dirty looks and disappeared into her office.
"So" Henri and I locked eyes. He looked fine, most the bruises and wounds were healed. "What are we going to do?"
Byron rolled his eyes but nodded.
"You guys should go to your Ranks." He leaned back into his bed. We had talked most of the night after the boys had left. Henri hadn't been up for very long.
"Aren't you coming?" I tugged at his leg. He shook his head closing his eyes. I wanted him to be present.
"I'm hurt and really tired" Byron opened one eye. "I would come back as soon as possible and you'd better win" he warned me but his lips twitched. Henri and I slipped out of the infirmary towards the locker rooms. I had ten minutes to get ready for my Rank.
Strangely enough, I wasn't worried about losing. The last couple of hours had been one of the worse moments I had endured.
I had been taken on a full-grown Guardian and it hadn't fazed me. In fact, I felt rather pumped to finish the Rank.
I just wanted to go back to the infirmary and sleep for awhile. My instructors weren't pleased that Henri and I had decided to participate in the Ranks. Their faces were shocked and displeased but it didn't matter.
My Swords Rank was fast and easy. I was pumped and ready to finish it. Once I was finished, I hurried to my first Knives competition. Henri and I were going to go at the same time so he wouldn't be able to watch mine.
I stepped up to the marked line. I had five bulls-eye targets that I had to hit precisely. There were five other participants going up against me. We were each standing in front of a target but we also had to aim for the other competitors targets without moving from our spot.
Thomas and Ezra were watching from the side-lines. I glanced over my shoulder at Henri. He was getting ready for his match. He waved at me. He adjusted his stance and he nodded at me.
He was reminding me to adjust myself.
I took a deep breath and turned to the bulls-eyes. There were different sized knives next to me on a table.
My fingers flexed trying to pick one out for the first-target. They grew in size and shape for the different targets. I liked large-sized knives better than anything else. They reminded me of a sword and they were easier to grip.
The bell went off and I settled on the largest for the target in front of me. The smallest knife would be for the last target, which was the farthest. Henri had made me practice with different sized knives even though I had protested against it. I was grateful for it instantly.
There would be various knives being thrown at the same time. The competition would be a short one. The first and second target were easy.
I took a deep breath and stepped forward, throwing the knife at the third target. Without thinking I lifted the fourth knife.
I had to tilt my body slightly for the fight target. I swung my arm barely missing a knife that had been thrown at the same time.
Another knife thrower and I finished at the same time. Once we were all done, two official members overseeing the competition stepped forward to look at the knives.
I went to stand over with Ezra and Thomas.
"It looked good" Thomas rubbed my shoulders. I could only chew on the edge of my thumb. "You did awesome- you had nice form"
I stopped listening to him and focused on the men. They were writing notes. They went back to the table and leaned in close together. They wouldn't announce the winner since other competitors were still Ranking. They would lift up a number from one to five. I was number two.
One of the officials started to write and they lifted up a white piece of paper. I almost fell to the ground but I managed to clutch Thomas arm for support.
"Oh my god" I gulped.
It was a number Two. They smiled warmly at me. There was a huge grin on my face as I made my way to the other competitors to shake their hands. I also went to the officials and shook their hands.
"Congratulations, young lady" One grinned at me. "We will see you next Rank" he nodded at me once. They walked off together to look at the other knife Ranks that hadn't finished.
Henri came over as soon as he was done.
"So" he asked. His scores would be posted later after they finished the totals.
"I Ranked first" I threw my hands around his neck. He twirled me around.
"I knew it" he put me on my feet. "Lets' go before Nurse Gail sees we are missing"
Henri and I made it back to the infirmary before Nurse Gail noticed we were missing. I threw myself on the bed next to Byron.
"So" he turned to me slightly.
My muscles were going to be sore tomorrow. I lifted my hand and gave him a thumbs up.
"Good" he grinned at me. I couldn't help smiling back at him. "Nice job" he threw a blanket over himself and closed his eyes.
Henri groaned from the other side of the room.
"My entire body hurts" I lifted my head slightly. He was laying face down with his feet dangling from the bed.
"They should have knocked you out longer" Byron muttered loud enough for Henri to hear. I met Byron's green eyes and he smiled.
I rolled my eyes in response.
"Shut up Enden" Henri groaned from the other side. "I'm going to sleep for awhile."
"Well" Nurse Gail huffed. She was standing at the entrance of the infirmary with her hands at her hips. "You decided to participate in the Ranks when I explicitly told you not to" she glared at Henri and me.
The three of us were eating breakfast. Byron and I were being released later in the afternoon but Henri was staying.
"You all have repetitions for a week."
"Why me?" Byron protested.
"You let them out of your sight" Nurse Gail glowered at him. "They were supposed to stay in bed not using knives and swords in their current state"
My wounds were healing perfectly fine. I had felt good enough to participate.
"We Ranked first" I muttered in a low voice. Nurse Gail turned to me with a steely gaze and I lowered my eyes. "Sorry"
"Since you are more than capable of participating the Ranks with your current wounds. Not only that but you also Rank first, I am adding another week of repetitions. Two weeks- next time don't disobey me"
"I can only imagine Rima's punishment on Monday morning" I fell back into the pillow.
Even though I had Ranked first, Henri and I were not allowed off campus for the weekend. I didn't have to wait until Monday to hear about my punishment.
Rima was livid. She could barely yell at us. Her words were coming out in one large sentence.
"YOUWENTOFFCAMPUS" she yelled at us. She wasn't even breathing. "HOWDARE YOUPUTYOURSELFATRISK. WHATWEREYOUTWOTHINKING?" she was pacing around her room. "YOUALLHAVEREPETITIONSFORAMONTH. DETENTIONFORAMONTH" she shouted down at us. We cringed away from her. "NOMORETRIPSOFFCAMPUSEVENIFTHEYWILLBESUPERVISED."
We avoided looking at each other as she yelled our punishments at us. Byron was standing behind us. I could imagine the smirk that had to be on his face.
"NOW GET OUT OF MY OFFICE" Rima was finally breathing. "I DON'T WANT TO SEE YOU IN HERE AGAIN UNLESS YOU ARE DYING, HURT OR IN SOME KIND OF TROUBLE"
We scurried out of her office. Byron chuckled right behind us
"You have detention with me and repetitions with Dr. Nan" Byron crossed his arms. "Henri will be joining you all as well." he looked pleased by the punishment. Heck, a week with Dr. Nan had been bad enough. A month was going to be brutal.
"Don't look so happy Byron" I rolled my eyes. "You have a week of repetitions with us
remember. Nurse Gail punished us too"
"That got taken care of" Byron grinned at us. He looked really happy for a reason. "I won't get any repetitions." He walked off with a giant smile.
"What's his deal?" Thomas looked confused. We all looked at each other too. That had been weird.