Soulbound (31 page)

They were talking about a Graplar that had apparently made camp just outside the school walls. Not on the Outer Rim, but here, here where we were supposed to be relatively safe. My heart rattled inside my chest, and I couldn’t help but wonder whether it was around now, maybe watching us from the treetops, maybe hungering to rip the meat from our bones.

I tilted my head back, scanning the trees, but saw nothing lurking above us. By the time I’d brought my attention back to my immediate surroundings, Darius was crouched and looking furtively over some markings in the soil. In a moment of alarm, he jerked his head up and looked back past the creek, in the direction we’d come from. A moment later, a sound filled my ears. A horrible screeching that I knew all too well.

As if they were one body, the group of Barrons darted over the creek and back up the hill. They moved quickly, their footfalls silent on the forest floor. My thighs burned as I tried to keep up, but I fell behind, my lungs aching, sweat pouring down my brow. When I finally caught up to them, the scene before me made my heart seize momentarily inside my chest.

A large group of Graplars were facing off with several Barrons at the north gate, metal slicing through air, then flesh. Teeth biting, chewing. It was horrendous to see, but two Graplars were doing the unthinkable. They threw their bodies against the gate, and when the metal refused to break under the pound of their scaly flesh, they’d back up and do it again. The beast on the left had hit the door so hard that the skin on top of its skull had split open. Blood poured from the wound, but it backed up and flung itself forward once again. The sound of flesh against metal resounded through the forest. Only a scream tore my attention away. A Graplar to my left had sunk its teeth into a Barron’s shoulder and
was thrashing its head back and forth, refusing to free its prey. Instinctively, I reached back, freeing my katana and ran to assist.

The voice at the back of my mind told me to keep running, to get the hell out of here and let someone who was more qualified handle this, that I couldn’t possibly help this Barron anyway, but I told it to shut up and ran at the Graplar with my sword at the ready. I’d asked for this. I’d begged Darius to let me come along. And now I was going to kill the monster. I was going to save that Barron. If I had to die to do it. And fear wasn’t going to stop me.

Slashing through the air, I brought my katana down hard, cutting straight through the beast’s right eye. The thing let out an angry howl, opening its jaws wide. The rows and rows of teeth parted, releasing the trapped Barron at last. He stumbled, then fell on the ground, clutching his wounded shoulder. Blood poured from the bite. His face flushed, and I thought for sure he was going to pass out cold right there, but to my shock, he remained standing.

The Graplar shook its massive head and, recovering from my blow, it narrowed its black, soulless eyes at me. I had thought, prior to that moment, that Graplars were incapable of emotion, that they were simply mindless, heartless killing machines, bent on chewing people to bits for the sheer pleasure of it. But at that moment, staring into the dark abyss of its gaze, I learned that
Graplars were absolutely capable of feeling emotion, and that this one was incredibly terked off. At me.

Without thinking—because if I took even a second to do that, I might have screamed—I raised my blade as fast as I could and brought it down again, but this time, the Graplar ducked my advances and charged forward, knocking me on my back. My lungs clenched closed as the wind was knocked out of me. My chest was frozen in a state of panic. I couldn’t breathe, couldn’t move. And I couldn’t see the Graplar.

Scrambling to my feet, I tried to catch my breath, but before I could, I was hit in the side by the creature’s massive bulk. My back hit the ground again, and the Graplar gnashed its teeth forward. Thinking fast, I brought up my blade just in time. It bit down on the metal just inches from my face. I thought that it might back off then, because the katana was cutting into the corners of its mouth, blood dribbling down the blade, down my arm and onto my chest. But the beast narrowed its eyes even more and pushed toward me, forcing the blade deeper into its own flesh. It didn’t care. It only cared that its actions would bring its hungry jaws closer to me.

My heart was racing. What more could I do to stop the beast? What more could I do to save my own life?

I pushed hard with the katana, sinking the edge of the blade in deeper still, hoping to lop off its head, but I couldn’t get enough leverage on the blade, and drool
was dripping from its jaws in anticipation of its next meal. Then, over the Graplar’s shoulder, I spied the Barron who I had saved. The tip of the katana’s sharp blade was sticking out of the side of its hungry mouth, and with precision, the Barron grabbed the tip with his hand. The metal sliced slowly into his flesh and blood poured out of him. He barely winced, and I was reminded of my parents and their enormous resistance to pain. He pulled the blade back, deeper into the beast’s mouth. The katana cut through the Graplar’s head cleanly, and with a gurgle, its giant body stumbled to the left before collapsing lifeless on the ground.

Before I could thank the Barron, he was gone.

I hurried to stand, flinging the Graplar’s blood from my blade before I turned to survey the battlefield. My heart was racing inside my chest, a steady stream of beats, pumping blood through my body. The thud of that blood rushing through me pounded in my ears, but not enough to drown out the sounds of fighting as they fell flat all around me. Most of the Graplars were dead, but the ones that weren’t had run off to parts unknown. Surveying the Barrons around the battlefield, it didn’t look like any lives were lost. Just a few scrapes and cuts, maybe a bite or two. All in all, we were wildly successful in our efforts. Pride filled me, replacing the adrenaline. I allowed myself a small smile as I looked around. We did this—the Barrons and I—we stopped the Graplars from getting inside the wall.

A hand closed over my face mask and ripped it away, flinging it onto the ground. I spun from whoever had grabbed it, but his other hand closed over my arm, as if to tell me that I wouldn’t be going anywhere. I shoved at him then, and only then did I notice that he’d removed his mask as well. Trayton’s eyes burned with a betrayal that shot straight through me. My jaw fell open, but no words would come. A low whisper made its way through the group, one that I tried desperately to ignore. And the entire time, Trayton’s eyes, now moist with anger, were on me, refusing to look away.

T
he waiting area outside the headmaster’s office was completely silent, apart from the sound of my heart drumming in my ears. Maddox was standing just to my left, fidgeting like she was dying to blurt out something inappropriate, but was managing not to do so, for my sake. Trayton sat to my right, sharing the bench I was seated on, but we couldn’t have been further apart. My mouth was stubbornly closed, the tension in the air so thick, and I refused to utter even a single word to him after he’d reported me to Headmaster Quill. He was a traitor, and I wanted nothing to do with him.

By the look on his face, the feeling was mutual. He stared ahead, miles away from me, and even further away from the kisses we’d shared. Across from me sat Darius, who was leaning forward, his elbows resting on his knees, his eyes cast downward. The air grew increasingly heavy with tension as the seconds crawled by. At
long last, the door to the headmaster’s office opened and he stuck his pudgy head out the door. “Maddox. Inside. Now.”

She glanced at me first and my heart followed her through that door. When it closed behind her, all I could do was bring my legs up and hug my knees to my chest in worry. What would happen to Maddox? Would she be sent away? I’d do anything to keep her here, but what could I do? It was Trayton’s fault that she was here. One word from him to Headmaster Quill that I’d broken Protocol in a big way, and my guard had been called in for punishment as well.

The shouting began just a moment after the door had closed behind her. Raised voices—both Maddox’s and Headmaster Quill’s—shook the walls, but very little of what they were shouting could be deciphered from the side of the door that I was on. Not long after the argument ceased, the door whipped open and Maddox exited, her face flushed red with fury, her eyes piercing. She moved in front of me and I put my legs down, searching her face for any sign that everything would be all right. “I’ve been replaced as your guard, and he’s forbidden me from speaking to you ever again, but if he thinks the powers that be are going to tear me away from my best friend, he’s got another think coming, Kaya. Oh…and I’ve been permanently reassigned…to guard the north gate.”

At this, even Darius straightened in alarm.

“But, Maddox…” I whispered, my heart heavy. “You aren’t trained. And the north gate is the one most attacked by Graplars.”

Maddox nodded, her anger giving way to tears. “I’ll stop by tonight after your classes to see how your meeting went, okay?”

The door swung open again, and before the headmaster could wedge his pudgy head out the door, Maddox turned and disappeared down the hall and out of sight. “Darius. You’re next.”

Darius stood and entered the door with no sign of emotion at all. If anything, he moved with an air of confidence that I didn’t understand. I also didn’t understand why he’d stepped forward on the battlefield and admitted to Trayton that it was his fault I was there at all. I hadn’t agreed with him—it was Darius who had trained me, but it was my choice to fight—but no one was listening to me.

Once the door had closed behind Darius, I dared a glance at Trayton, who remained stone-faced beside me. What was he thinking? That I had lied to him, betrayed his trust? Maybe he wasn’t thinking about me at all. After a long silence, Trayton glanced my way, his eyes full of accusation. “Your shoulder? It wasn’t injured gardening, was it? It was you that day outside the wall.”

“If you’ll recall, I did ask you to teach me. You said no. So I found someone who would.”

“Yeah. My best friend.” The scowl on his face deepened.

I sank into my seat. There was no need to respond.

From within the headmaster’s office came muttered voices—not shouting as it had been with Maddox. After a moment, the door opened again. Surprisingly, Headmaster Quill peeked out from behind the heavy wood. “If you two would join us for a moment, I believe we can put this matter to rest.”

Without another glance at Trayton, I stood and moved toward the door. My footfalls sounded heavy on the marble floor, their echoes filling the formerly silent room. As I pulled the door open and moved over the threshold, the air changed from cold and empty of emotion to stifling hot and filled to the brim with annoyance and irritation. Headmaster Quill gestured to the two unoccupied chairs in front of his desk. Darius was seated in the third, staring straight ahead, devoid of any emotion. Apparently, he had taken a page from Trayton’s book.

After I sat down, Headmaster Quill took his seat behind the desk and eyed both Trayton and me wordlessly. Finally, he spoke. “There has been a complication, Kaya. A complication caused by your unforgivable actions and it demands a suitable punishment.”

He looked at me, pausing, as if waiting for me to agree with him. I wouldn’t. I wasn’t about to agree to anything.

He cleared his throat before continuing. “You convinced your guard Maddox to acquire the teaching services of Darius, knowing that Healers are not allowed
to train. It is your blatant disregard for the rules that has brought you here today. You should thank Trayton—he knows what’s good for you. He knows the difference between right and wrong. You could take a page out of his book.”

I sank deeper into my seat, fuming. Talking back would only get me into more trouble, and would likely only hurt Maddox more. So I said nothing, and waited for the chubby dictator to finish his rambling.

“Healers do not train to fight, Kaya. If I so much as glimpse you practicing whatever maneuvers that Darius has taught you, it will be your parents who are made to suffer for your insubordination. Am I making myself clear?” His threat shot through me and I sat motionless, the image of my parents’ faces locked in the forefront of my mind.

My word came out in a whisper. “Abundantly.”

“And Darius…” Headmaster Quill’s attention turned on him then, though his tone turned much kinder. “I think it would be a good idea if you were transferred to Darkmoon Academy. They have need of an advanced level instructor, and I think you may fit the bill. A move certainly is warranted and may in fact be necessary.”

“It’s not, Headmaster.” As Darius spoke, his voice cracked slightly. When he spoke again, his tone’s usual strength had returned. But I had already seen behind the curtain. “A move is not necessary. But I would like to request a month’s leave of absence in order to get my
head together and put this behind me. Behind all of us.”

The headmaster considered this briefly before nodding. “I think that would be wise. Consider your request granted. Trayton will cover your classes, with Raden’s assistance, while you’re away.”

Darius barely let him finish his reply before he interjected, “If it’s all right, I’d prefer to leave immediately.”

Headmaster Quill merely nodded. He scribbled a note on one of the papers on the desk in front of him before turning eyes back to our little group. “Kaya, you’ll serve extra duties for the next month.”

I shrugged, uncaring.

“You’re dismissed. All of you.”

As we exited, Darius remained behind with the headmaster. Trayton held open the door for me, but refused to meet my eyes. I passed by him so closely that I could feel the heat radiating from his skin, could see his Trace peeking out from behind his dark hair. The urge to apologize was immediate and intense, but passed as quickly as it had come. After all, I wasn’t in the wrong. I had merely wanted the ability to defend myself on the battlefield—nothing more. It wasn’t like I was merely sneaking away to spend time with another boy for no reason.

As I turned my head away, I was tempted to stop moving, stop walking past him and say something—anything—to acknowledge him in some small way, the way that he was ceasing to acknowledge me. But in the end, I did continue walking, and stepped out into
the hall, where a boy was standing. Sandy blond hair, caramel brown eyes, light freckles dusting his nose and cheeks. He looked nice enough, though he didn’t smile. “Pleased to meet you, Kaya. My name is Edmond. I’ll be your guard from here on out. Now if you’ll follow me, I’ll make sure you get some lunch before heading back to your room to study.”