The news about what had happened at the feast reached him by shardtrade.
The disciplinary advisor who was monitoring his detention wouldn’t let him leave the room though. He was confined to the same place where he and old Minyel usually did their lessons.
He thought about using Icevein to subdue his jailer so he could get out, but he was pretty sure that that was bordering on illegal. So he sat there and fumed, silently. The MoonLunarFire tugged at his arm and chest.
It was all too similar to what had happened between him and Flek. The memory of lying there, helpless, covered in his own piss... and now Shay... there was no way it was a coincidence. No way. He was going to kill them.
But first he was going to deal with Affsol.
As it turned out, his so-called friend had made it easy. When his detention was period was up, he stormed back to the boreway and found Affsol there waiting for him, just like when they let him out of the Headmentor’s Chambers.
As Rek approached, Affsol said: “Dude! Hey, she’s okay, I think. I mean not-a hurt, but man, this is–ACH!”
Rek’s fist caught Affsol right in the teeth. It felt both odd and satisfying using hand-to-hand. Affsol was too good with Bodyanchor to be caught off-guard any other way.
Affsol stumbled backwards and nearly went toppling down the stairs. His wards came up and some instinctive Distanceska jabbed out at Rek, but he easily Sluicestepped around it, and brought up his own Bodyanchor.
“Massus on high dude, what was that, I say?” Affsol said, pressing a hand to his mouth. It came away bloody.
“You think this is funny don’t you?” said Rek, wondering how easy it would be and how much trouble he’d get in if he sent Affsol crashing down the stairs.
“Funny? What are-a you talkin’ about dude? You frigging chipped my tooth, you asshole.”
“I read the shards, what in Massus were you doing, asking Faevock to the Dance? I was supposed to do that. Me. And now Shay’s paying for it, you stupid... you stupid, stupid...” he couldn’t think of a good insult, so he fired a blast of Distanceska at Affsol instead.
Affsol twisted it away, and took a big step back. “Hey now, hey! They-a both asked me to do it, wasn’t-a my idea dude. You weren’t going to ask Fae anyway-a, I thought!”
“I would have been able to protect her if you hadn’t gone and gotten involved!” He went for Affsol again, trying both some hand-to-hand and some offensive probes. His friend ducked a swing, and deflected another with Distanceska, but one of the probes got through and made him stumble. Rek used the opportunity to shove him into the wall of the boreway.
Affsol groaned and slid down. Rek towered over him. Now that he’d won, he wasn’t sure what he was going to do. He supposed he couldn’t render Affsol too harshly, or else he’d send a shard to the Fistshields or advisors or something. Plus, there was energy to be saved for Flekjoe.
“I-I’m sorry dude. I didn’t-a know, I swear. Ella told me plans had changed and t-that-a they were figuring new couples!”
He didn’t have time for Affsol’s babbling. “Where is he now?”
“Who?”
“Flekjoe, idiot.”
“I don’t know man. I came here right away after-a I checked to make sure Shay was okay.”
“He wasn’t near Shay?”
“No, her friend and some advisors took her back to her room. She fainted and fell but Zak grabbed her, the big Zak, he was with them when they left, carrying her–”
“Zaksar?” said Rek. Why was he touching her? Something Monarec had said was starting to come back to him.
Before he could complete the thought, there came a deep, muffled thudding sound from somewhere outside the academy.
“What was that?” Affsol said.
It didn’t matter. Where there was Zaksar, there was usually Flekjoe. Rek jogged down and left Affsol there, figuring he’d finish with him later. The kid was calling something out, but Rek ignored it.
The feast had only been over for about an hour, so the pupils he saw on the boreway were still mostly all dressed up. A lot of them were actually heading up. From what he could tell from their conversations and the shardtrade, there was some sort of commotion or wonderment that could be seen from the roof. All for the better – he wasn’t sure he wanted a crowd around when he found Flek.
Shay’s room would be on the top floor of the west wing, since she was in the graduating year.
He found his way to her hall, and focused some Wayfaring, careful to keep the eager MoonLunarFire out of it. His Artwork showed lots of recent foot traffic, shining as a confusing river of lines along the floor. When he concentrated on Shay he saw a slightly brighter path among the glowing trails, and in the distance, a door that glowed.
He approached it, and pressed an ear. There were no sounds from within, maybe they had taken Shay elsewhere. Then he thought he heard a voice. A male voice.
He tried the door handle, but it was warded shut.
He had no time for that. He let just a little bit of the MoonLunarFire brewing in him swirl with a burst of Distanceska, and pressed it into the latch. The ward held, but the latch did not. There was a pop as it broke, and he pushed the door open and looked inside.
Shay was on her side on her bed, wrapped in some blankets, facing the wall. She didn’t seem to notice him.
Zaksar was getting up from Shay’s desk chair, definitely noticing.
“What are you doing?” Rek said to Zak. The MoonLunarFire tugged dangerously.
“She won’t say anything,” Zak said, as if that was an answer. “You heard what they did, huh?”
“What are you doing?” Rek took a step forward.
“Just sitting here man, chill out.” Sitting there, yeah right.
“Where’s Flek?”
“I don’t know, boffing Fae somewhere, probably. Or maybe on the roof, there’s some crazy shit happening up there. When I find him though, I– hey, whoah, Rek.”
Rekness had heard enough. Flekjoe would have to wait for another day; Zaksar would do for now. He wondered what would happen if he did his Icevein, Distanceska and MoonLunarFire all at the same time. He felt them all coming together inside of him quite naturally. Rek picked a spot on the taller boy’s chest and pointed, his eyes beginning to glow feverishly.
“Hey, hey, hey, listen!” Zak held up his hands.
Rek felt Bodyanchor cycling up across the room. He didn’t think it was going to do much good.
“Get out.”
They both looked down towards the bed.
“Now,” she said, still facing the wall.
“Yeah, good idea,” Zak said. He edged past Rek like the coward he was and was out the door before Rek could decide to fry him or not. He downcycled his Artwork.
“Shay,” he said, “why was he in here?”
“I said get out.”
“Zak’s gone though. He left.”
“Get. Out!”
Is she deaf or something? Rek wondered. He supposed after what they did to her she might still be a little shaken up. He came over to the bed and put a hand on her shoulder.
She inhaled, and shrieked, “Nooow!”
Rek recoiled and covered his ears. Then she started sobbing.
“It wasn’t my fault! I was locked up in detention you know!”
She hurled a pillow at him. He dodged it easily. “What’s the matter with you?”
“What did you say about Ella? Who did you tell?!” she screamed at him.
“I don’t know!”
“You never know anything! You never think about anything! You’re a– you’re a dullard and a shitty boyfriend and I want you out I want you out I want you out now!”
She got up, planted her hands on his chest and actually tried to shove him out the door. She was weak, but Rek was too confused to resist much, and walked backwards with her leaning into him. She was screaming.
“Shay, what...”
She grabbed the door and swung it shut. It rebounded a bit where the broken latch failed to catch, and he thought about opening it again to try and see if he could make her feel better, but some girls had entered the hallway at the far end and were moving in his direction.
He walked away. He realized his mistake then. He had screwed up. Shay didn’t need him to come pat her head and try to make her feel better. He was no good with crying and screaming anyway. She was a tough girl who stood on the edge of wall and let the wind rush through her hair. She didn’t want a boy to cuddle; she needed a hero.
I’ll make them pay, Shay. You’ll see, he resolved. They ruined your Frostcycle, wait’ll you see what I do to their Dance.