Chenn stood in the hallway, head in hands as he leaned on a wall. Things weren’t like he’d thought they were. It had been a week since he’d promised Nari that he would always be there for her. So much wasn’t what he’d thought it was. How could he have made such a wrong decision? Joining with Amory? What had he been thinking?
Footsteps echoed down the hall, and Chenn heard Amory’s voice rising. Quickly he ensconced himself in a small, empty room just off the hallway. Why was Amory mad now? Something wasn’t level, and Chenn wanted to know what it was.
Amory stopped in front of the doorway Chenn had hidden next to. His boots were muddy from being outside, and Chenn saw that Amory’s best friend, Bjorn, was the person Amory was speaking to.
“We have to get rid of that Covalenti kid, Amory.” Bjorn gesticulated with wild motions, voice rising.
“You think I don’t know that?” Amory waved a hand, annoyed.
“No.” Bjorn's voice took on a sullen note.
“Do you know who he is?” Amory hissed.
“Well, I’m assuming he’s who he says he is. Are you saying he’s a spy?” Bjorn laughed.
“No. Not at all!” Amory laughed, his voice harsh. “He’s the kid we tried to kill back in that alley years ago.”
“Huh?” Bjorn's voice was soft, and Chenn could hear him shuffling around a bit.
“Well, not us literally, you moron. I sent those two thugs after him. Remember? We were both angry with him because he turned us down on that whole thing at school. He acted like he was better than us, the jerk. Thought that being an orphan made him tougher.” Amory spat.
Chenn felt his heart pounding. Wait? Amory and Bjorn sent the thugs? Something jiggled in the back of his mind when he heard Amory mention school and Chenn's refusal to go along with something then.
He frowned. Then it struck him what it was. Amory had looked a lot different then and he had been far younger, but he was the same bully as he'd been back during the days when he and Chenn went to school together. Now he wondered how he had missed it. Why hadn't he recognized Amory before now?
“Oh, yeah! He’s the one that went to jail ‘cause one of the thugs accidently shot that girl, and he… Right.” Bjorn laughed.
“Exactly. And now he’s causing more trouble. Like usual.” Amory's voice was hard and Chenn could picture the glint in his dark eyes.
“Does that shock you?” Bjorn leaned against a wall close to where Chenn was hidden.
“No. But we need to get rid of him.” Amory hissed.
Chenn’s heart thudded in his chest. They were responsible for Hanna’s death. He’d always known he wasn’t the one who’d shot Hanna, but of course he’d blamed himself. How could he not?
But he hadn’t known who’d framed him or why he was being attacked at the time. Now he regretted ever coming with Amory. No one who killed innocent girls could be good. Good people didn’t send thugs after fifteen year olds who wouldn’t play to their tune. In fact, not only was that something good people didn't do, it was something no sane person did. Wonderful. Not only is Amory evil, he's still out to get me, and he's not sane. Chenn wanted moan. This would happen to him. Of course it would. He had the worst of luck.
He stayed stock still, palms sweating, throat constricting. Glancing around the tiny room, he looked for an escape.
There was none. The room he'd ducked into was a storage closet, as grey as everything else, with various shelves of cleaning supplies and racks of cleaning tools lining the walls. He shifted just a few inches, then froze, remembering to keep silent. But now that he'd moved, a broom handle was digging its knobby top into his back. He winced, but he didn't dare shift.
If Amory found him, Chenn knew he would die. No one else was around, and he couldn't be alone with Amory or Bjorn ever. It was too much of a risk. Amory would wait to kill him until a concealed, convenient time presented itself so long as Chenn stayed out of the way, but if he were seen now, Amory would kill him without hesitation.
Amory and Bjorn began moving again, and Chenn’s heart rate began to steady out.
As soon as they were out of sight, Chenn bolted for his room. He had to get out of East Base. He couldn't stay here. Not if Amory and Bjorn were planning to kill him. And he was sure they were now. After what he'd just heard, he'd be a fool to doubt it.
He began packing his stuff up, but then he stopped. Fear was making him careless. If he packed up all his stuff, Amory was sure to get wind of it, and come after him. Not only that, Chenn had to get Nari out. She was much stronger than she had been a week ago, but Chenn didn’t know if she could handle it yet.
He’d have to wait. Meanwhile, plans to escape alive and with the Book, Wand, and Scepter needed to be laid, and Chenn wasn’t waiting to begin those. They were essential to his and Nari’s survival.
It was then that he noticed a small white slip of paper on his bed. It had writing in Amory's neat, scrunched script.
You are to take the girl to a storage room. A guard will be waiting for you at the infirmary. Meet him there at 0500 tomorrow and don't be late. If you fail to do as I say, you will be branded a traitor and locked away. I don't anticipate that this will be a problem for you though.
Amory
Chenn crumpled the paper into a tiny ball and hurled it at the trash can. It missed, but he didn't notice. Collapsing on the bed, he buried his face in the pillow, wanting to cry, but no tears came.
It was just like Amory to do something like this.
Amory knew that Chenn felt guilty for what had happened to Nari the first time he'd left her, and now he was making Chenn put her into yet another confinement. Would the torture never end? How can I do this? How can I put her into yet another locked room where I know that she will be scared and alone? I already did that once, and she almost died. I can't do it again. And then another thing occured to him. Amory just gave me the thing I need to free her. I will know where she is being kept without having to sneak around or risk getting caught figuring it out. I should be thanking that two-faced jackal for his cruelty, not getting angry at him for forcing me to be the one to imprison her again.
***
Chenn walked into the infirmary at 0500 with a guard straight on his heels. He walked in silence, footing sure and soft, but it seemed that his footsteps rang and thudded like a gloomy funeral bell in the stillness of the infirmary.
Nurses sat at monitors reading books and watching the various screens to be sure that none of the patients went into a critical condition during the night. But none of them spoke, and a deathly silence seemed to hover over everything, oppressive and unending.
Chenn flicked a brief glance at them, but he didn't notice much about them before he became absorbed in his thoughts and the conflict raging within him once more.
Despite the knowledge that Amory had given him a large advantage with this most recent torture, it still stabbed at Chenn's heart to imprison Nari again. He hoped she would understand that he didn't have a choice, and that he would be coming back for her. He didn't want her to think he was abandoning her, but with a guard standing right there, he couldn't tell her that.
He stood beside Nari, who was sleeping. He hovered a moment before letting his finger tips settle on her shoulder.
Her eyes flew open, startled and frightened. There was a fatigue in them. She hadn’t slept well, once again. When would that stop? It had to or she’d never regain her strength to be able to move out.
"Nari, it’s me, Chenn.”
“Chenn?” She smiled, then yawned.
“Yeah. The guard and I, we have orders from Amory to move you to the storage room now.” Chenn whispered.
Her eyes widened, and she looked away. Her hands bunched and knotted the blanket, and her jaw was clenched. Her hands trembled on the blanket, and her voice shook when she replied. “Now?”
“You heard him, girl. Now.” The guard marched over, brisk and demanding, grabbing Nari’s arm.
She got a dazed look on her face as she whispered once more, “Now?”
Chenn pried the guard’s fingers off Nari’s arm. “Yeah, Nari. Now.”
He glared at the guard. The guard hissed and moved off.
Chenn took Nari’s hands, picking her up out of the bed. Her nightdress fluttered around her ankles gently. She wrapped her arms around his neck, clinging to him. Her auburn hair was splayed in gentle curls across his chest as she laid her head on his shoulder. It was like holding a little child who’d been frightened by the dark.
She shivered in the chill of the morning. He held her a little closer, and then cocked his head at the bed. “Would you hand me a blanket please, sir?”
The guard grumbled. “I’m not your slave, and I haven’t got any orders to be giving her any such thing.”
Chenn glared at the guard. “Give me the blanket. She’s cold.”
“Chenn…” Nari whimpered.
“Nari, you are going to have a blanket. You’re in no condition to argue, so be quiet.” Chenn murmured, voice brooking no arguments.
Nari just huddled closer to him, not protesting. She looked wide-eyed at the guard, arms locked around Chenn’s neck.
“Fine. I’ll get you the stupid blanket.” The guard whipped the blanket off the bed, and handed it to Chenn.
Nari loosened her grip on him long enough to take the blanket and put it around her shoulders. Then she put her arms back around his neck, laying her head back on his shoulder.
“Aren’t you two so cozy?” The guard sneered.
Chenn gave him an irritated look. “Shut up. Lead me to whatever storage room you want to lock her into, now.”
“Oh, whatever, you disrespectful brat. I should report you to Amory.” The guard spat on the floor.
“He gave me orders to put her in the storage room. Now move so I can do my part of the job.” Chenn hissed, fed up with the guard's rude behavior.
“Yeah, yeah. You young people. Always so impatient!”
Chenn didn’t respond. The guard glared at him, and then walked forward through the infirmary. Chenn followed, not talking to the guard. Nari didn’t say anything, but he could feel her trembling through the blanket, and a few tears leaked down her cheek onto his shoulder.
“It’s alright, Nari. You’ll be fine.” He whispered, rubbing her back.
She didn’t flinch away, but took a shuddering breath, and relaxed. Her shivering was still there, but it was lessened.
Chenn felt better knowing she was trusting him. It might not last for long. He had decided to tell her the truth about her sister’s death, and she’d probably hate him after he told her.