“Excuse me?”
Frei met my eyes. “It’s German for likewise.”
I rested my head on the counter. “Don’t push me away, please?” My
voice sounded a lot smaller than I’d expected it to.
“I won’t,” she said, meeting my eyes, hers open and warm. “I
promise.”
RENEE POURED THE ice cold water over her head and pushed her hair
out of her face. She glanced at her watch. She’d run the track around the
academy, twice. She was getting fitter, she was faster. The weights she had in
her villa were no problem at all anymore and none of it helped.
A shot of rage through her system made her growl. She turned to
see a group of Sawyer’s boys heading around the corner. They weren’t his oldest
group, maybe fourteen, fifteen but they looked as hooked on anger as he was.
They spotted her and the next blast of feeling was not welcome.
She glared at them until they hurried off. Then she bent over at
the waist. Side effects. She was starting to realize just what Nan had meant.
Renee walked off the extra infusion of hormones. She’d been trying
to use the things Aeron had in Serenity. At least what she knew. If it was some
kind of empathy like Aeron, then her techniques to block it out should work . .
.
Only, it wasn’t helping at all. She was just a fitter
thirty-five-year-old teenager and she’d hated being a teenager.
She found herself outside Aeron and Frei’s villa. Sadness washed
over her. She missed them. She had gone to them to ask what was wrong. She’d
gone to ask for help with . . . this. Bumping into Owens had filled her with
all kinds of unwanted feelings, bumping into Jed had fueled it and then seeing
Aeron and Frei hugging had ignited the embers.
Renee stared at the villa. She’d not meant a word. It had just
come out. She’d never say such things. She’d never
think
such things.
She’d wanted to ask Frei if she was okay. If she’d been hurt. She was worried,
knowing how much Frei cared about people.
Instead she’d accused her of still being a thief. Where had that
come from? Why had it come out? She’d have rammed herself up against a post
too. They weren’t her feelings. They weren’t her thoughts.
And Aeron, Renee felt tears sting her eyes at the thought.
Never
would she dream of thinking that. The horror of the words coming out of her
mouth. The pain in Aeron’s eyes. She couldn’t stop it. She couldn’t take it
back.
All she’d wanted to do was congratulate Aeron how she had got her
whole class through the exams, how proud she was of her. She wanted to tell her
all the weird things, the dreams, the thoughts, the feelings. She wanted to ask
for help.
“You’re just jealous . . . unavailable,” Renee muttered the words
to herself and looked up at the villa. “I don’t think that. I swear I don’t.”
She didn’t know how to approach them. She wasn’t sure she wanted
to. Every time she tried, other words spilled from her mouth. They got hurt.
No, no it was better she stay away. At least until they were out
of here. This place, something was wrong with it. There was some odd mist
hanging over it. Aeron had mentioned how fear looked to her. Renee glanced up
at the mist. This was deep rooted, whatever it was. It soaked everything,
permeated through to the hearts of everyone below.
She held the necklace Aeron had given her. She wished she had
Aeron to tell her what it was, how to stop it. She wished she could explain to
them both.
Renee felt a pulse of fear and turned to see one of the younger
children fleeing from something or someone. She hurried over in time for
Sawyer’s boys to round the corner.
“Unless you want to fail a year early, go.”
Her words hit hard. The boys scrambled away from her like she’d
shot bullets. Something was very wrong with that reaction.
“Are you okay?” she asked the girl. She could only have been about
eight. “Did they hurt you?”
The girl shook her head.
“What’s your name?”
“Franny.”
Renee smiled. She knelt down beside her. “Do they bother you a
lot?”
“Not when Jed is around.” Franny chewed on her bottom lip. She had
a cuteness about her that made Renee want to hug her.
“Jed takes care of you?” From what she’d seen of him, he was a
troublemaker.
“He’s my big brother.” She beamed, pride in her family connections
on show.
Renee glanced back at where Sawyer’s boys had run. They didn’t
have the guts to take Jed on, so they picked on his sister.
“What group are you in?” Renee was sure she’d never seen her.
“Wood. I want to be like Jed.”
Ah, one of Aeron’s. An idea formed in her head. “Will you take a
message to Miss Samson?”
Franny nodded. “She’s the best.”
Renee needed to start a fan club. They could have t-shirts and
help sessions. “Tell her about those boys first.”
Franny hung her head. “She’ll think I’m a loser.”
“Trust me, she won’t. She doesn’t like bullies.” Renee glanced at
Aeron’s villa. “Tell her that dimwit has a freaky problem, she needs help.”
Franny cocked her head.
“Don’t ask.” She smiled at the girl. “Repeat that for me?”
“Dimwit has a freaky problem and needs help.” She contorted her
face in concentration as she said it. “And bullies suck.”
“You got it.” Renee glanced up at the mist above and got to her
feet. “Come on, I’ll walk you to class.”
Franny didn’t argue but stuck close. Renee fiddled with her
necklace again. Fear cloud, that’s what Aeron called it. Renee needed an expert
to get rid of it . . . that’s if that expert would ever talk to her again.
Chapter 29
THE CALENDAR ON our refrigerator had “Gala Night” circled in red.
That was when the buyers would come into the school and the students would be
sold to the highest bidder.
Buyers visited and the students got their heads filled with lies
and false promises. A side effect of the visits was that kids often turned on
each other in the fight for the best places. Little did they realize the truth.
The day had started off on a weird note. I’d found one of the
mini-people in my office asleep in my chair.
“Hey, kid, you got some place to be?” I asked, gently shaking her.
I was worried she’d passed out or was hurt or something until she fluttered
open her eyelids.
“Miss Samson?” She frowned. “Bullies suck.”
I glanced around me. “Er . . . yeah.”
“I’m Franny.” She yawned. “Jed scares bullies.”
Jed . . . I cocked my head. I could see the family resemblance. No
doubt he was up to something. “And what else did Jed tell you to say?”
She scowled. “Nothing. Professor Worthington said you’d listen.”
She did? “Right. Well, I am . . . listening.”
“Bullies. Sawyer’s class. They’re mean when Jed can’t look after
me.”
Ah. Now we were getting somewhere, I hoped.
“They hurt you?”
“Only when they catch me.”
Sounded like my childhood. “If you ever need to hide in here, you
just go ahead okay.”
Franny scowled. “They want to hurt people.”
I nodded. “There are mean folks around but they ain’t gonna get
anywhere.”
“You don’t think I’m a loser?”
Aw. This kid was cute. “No, I think you’re brave for telling me
about it. I’ll keep an eye out for you.”
Franny jumped off my seat with a smile. “She knew you’d
understand. She’s nice.”
When she wanted to be.
“She had a message . . .” Franny groaned as she screwed up her
little face. “Um . . .”
I watched her, trying not to chuckle. She had spirit like her
brother.
“She said you’re a freaking dimwit and you need help.” She nodded
as if that was right and hurried off.
I stared after her. Renee was sending kids to insult me now? What
was that about? I needed help?
“Freaking dimwit . . . nice, Renee, real nice.”
The day went steadily downhill from there. One of the younger kids
broke her leg in an attempt to escape Sawyer’s little hunting party. I’d gone
hunting myself then but conveniently they’d scattered.
I marched over to Sawyer’s building and slammed open his office
door. “Keep your runts under control or I’ll assume it’s personal.”
Sawyer was smaller than me. Nasty looking but as far as he was
concerned, I was like Jäger and the rest and he was a slave.
“You understand me?”
Sawyer kept his eyes on the floor. His fists balled like he wanted
to punch my lights out.
“I’m speaking to you.” I walked into his personal space and he
cowered away from me. His reaction stunned me.
“Yes, Samson,” he said, his voice full of fear. “It won’t happen
again.”
Part of me wanted to reassure him that I wasn’t going to hurt him.
That it wasn’t his fault he’d been scarred but somehow I knew it would fall on
deaf ears. No one had ever cared for him. Why would he believe I was different?
“That extends to Locks,” I shot his way, heading out of his
office.
“Yes, Samson,” he said again like a robot.
I closed the door only to walk into Jäger.
“Wrong turn?” he asked with curiosity in his eyes.
“I’m protective of my runts,” I told him as if I wasn’t terrified
he was between me and the exit. The guy creeped me out. “I don’t appreciate
them being put out of action.”
Jäger smiled. “So you took it upon yourself to put Sawyer back in
line?”
Maybe there was protocol, I didn’t know. I had switched off half
way through the monthly staff meeting. There were things I wasn’t built for and
staff meetings were one of them.
“I didn’t want to bother you with a petty problem.” I smiled at
him as if I was attempting to charm him. “You’re a very busy man.”
Jäger raised his chin like he was basking in me sucking up. I was
about ready to tape my mouth shut.
“I like a woman with initiative.”
The bell rang. Escape route.
“Got to go. Kids to smack into shape.” I thumbed at the door,
hurried past, and out into the sizzling heat. I shuddered at the look that had
been in his eyes. Walking a dangerous line sprang to mind.
I HID IN my office until after lunch, just in case Jäger was on
the prowl. The sound of caterwauling made me hurry out to look for who was
being abducted. The noise was coming from the gym so I headed inside. My class
was all ready for their afternoon session but two of the girls, Leigh-Anne and
Jane, had decided they were gonna try and scratch each other’s eyes out.
I sighed. The wonders of teaching.
I hoisted them both a couple of inches off the floor by the
scruff. They were still trying to swipe for each other as I held them there.
“New weight training regime, Miss Samson?” Jed asked. He found
everything one big joke.
The catfight descended into a wailing competition.
Wonderful.
Their hysterics were enough to make me put them back down. They
scurried off down the corridor toward the locker rooms, me staring after them.
Teenagers and their hormones.
“They’re crazy, Miss Samson. Crazy, dumb girls.” He sniggered and
the boys next to him joined in.
“You got an idea what that was about?” I looked at Jessie. She
might give me some sense.
She shook her head.
“I do.” Jed again. Great.
“Spill it then.” I put my hands on my hips and gave him my best
motherly glower. It would have made Nan proud, I was sure of it.
“Both got a crush on Miroslav.” He sniggered. Jessie rolled her
eyes. “Wanted the bike next to his.”
Jessie was on the bike next to Miroslav’s empty one.
I stared up at the ceiling, half-trying not to chuckle because
Miroslav was now a little super-stud and half-wondering how I ended up in
teenage hormone central.
Then I frowned. “
Where
is Miroslav?”
He was never late. Lunch had finished fifteen minutes ago.
“He was in the dining hall,” Jed’s buddy Ryan said louder than
necessary. He yelled every time he talked. I had no idea why but either he had
hearing problems or thought I did.
“Did he pass out?” Jed asked Ryan who shrugged.
I glanced around at the others. Next to Jed and Ryan were Ty and
Ian. Ian had a big problem with the way he moved while Ty was . . . well . . .
unique.
I wasn’t quite sure where Ty sat on the gender spectrum and I was
pretty sure Ty didn’t either.
“You seen him, Jessie?” I hoped she would help. She was my go to
helper when Miroslav wasn’t about.
She shook her head. “He said that he’d meet me outside.”
My shoulders tensed up. Miroslav was vulnerable. He was on the
road to recovering a lot of his health but he still had a long way to go.
After Franny this morning and the girl breaking her leg, I was on
high alert. With his intelligence, it made sense he could be a target.
Jessie had been coming in with bruises. If she thought I’d missed
them, she was wrong. Both she and Miroslav helped kids out a lot of the time.
Somebody may have a problem with that. Most likely Sawyer.
“Listen to me. I don’t know whether you get that this ain’t the
safest place to study.” I needed truth to help them understand. “Others will
climb all over you to get to their goal.”
“Like Catalina?” Jessie asked.
“Who?”
“She
fell
in Locks’s class,” Ty piped up. It was a shock to
hear Ty’s voice. I didn’t think I’d ever heard it before. “Everyone knows she
didn’t.”
So that had been her name. Catalina, the girl now recovering in
St. Louis, a drive from Oppidum but as close as my mother could get her. Clean
break, it had set without problems to her spinal cord. She couldn’t move her
right foot but considering, she was in great shape.
“You know Catalina?” I asked Ty. I could feel the sadness pouring
at me.
“Shared a room with her. She was really nice.” Ty bowed her head.
Jessie gave Ty a squeeze on the arm.
“All the more reason for you guys to stick together. Don’t go it
alone no more, any place.” I glanced in the direction of the lockers. “Jessie,
go get the girls. If Miroslav comes back let the boys know, okay?”
Jessie was up and dashing off before I said anything more.
“Jed, take Ryan and head to the dorms. Ask if anybody has seen him.”
Jed puffed himself up like a soldier and he and Ryan sprinted out.
“Ty, Ian, head to the canteen. See if he’s had a funny turn in
there.”
Ian sprang to his feet, jolted and grinned as Ty saluted. “Sure
thing, Miss Samson!”
They bounced off. I shook my head at them. You’d think I’d put
them through boot camp or something.
I strode out into the sun and locked the doors of my building so
only I could access it.
My group would be able to leave and return but only them. Frei had
installed it. The plus side was safety, the downside was that I got a shock
every time I touched the handle.
I rubbed my mitt and headed over to Renee’s block. I hadn’t seen
her since she fired her insults my way. I wasn’t sure what to make of the
insult by mini-messenger either.
If I was honest, I didn’t
want
to see her. I just wanted to
check the building and leave.
I snuck down the halls. Stealth was not my strong point but I
ducked under the windowed doors as I passed the classrooms. I checked the rest
rooms but they were clear. I checked closets, empty classrooms, and the
janitor’s office but nope, no Miroslav.
I eyed the air-conditioning ducts, knowing what my school days had
been like then thought better of it. Miroslav weren’t being pursued by mobs of
kids like I’d been. At least not yet. The way Sawyer was riling up his bullies
he could be.
On the second floor, I checked every workshop I could find but it
was clear. The third was the same and the fourth and fifth. Nothing. There was
no sign of him.
Now I was worried.
“
What
are you doing?”
Renee. Snappy, snippy Renee, wasn’t I lucky?
“You seen Miroslav?” I didn’t bother looking at her and I wasn’t
in the mood for a fight.
“Miroslav? Why would he be here?” Demanding, irritating, and
snarky.
I turned and glared at her. “Just answer the question.”
My tone rumbled back off the walls. It held every ounce of hurt
and anger I felt. Renee blinked a few times in response then shook her head.
“You got anyone missing?”
“Missing? What do you mean?”
“What do you think I mean?” My temper rose up faster than I’d
expected and I knew I looked more threatening than I meant.
“Please.” It wasn’t much nicer in tone but I didn’t hate her. I
just didn’t like her a whole lot right now.
“Kevin,” she said, her voice cracking. “He didn’t come back after
lunch.”
I scowled. So the fraud was getting desperate. “If you see him,
collar him. I want a word.”
“Samson, calm—”
“Don’t Samson me nothing. I ain’t got no class remember. I don’t
mean a thing. I’m unavailable.” I turned and stomped toward the stairs. “Better
hope you find the little runt first.”
“What?” Renee’s footfalls hurried behind as I stormed downstairs.
“Why are you talking like this?”
“If I find him, I’ll wring his scrawny neck.” I knew why Jessie
had all those bruises now.
Renee grabbed for my arm. I yanked it free. My sole focus was on
the exit.
“Will you listen to yourself?” She grabbed my arm again.
I pulled free again.
“You’re not being logical.”
“Logical?” Uh, oh. My voice rose in pitch. “You think I’m just
gonna stand there and let you throw everything I shared with you back in my
face?” I tapped my chest. “Things so deep in here.” I felt tears brimming. “You
think that’s a logical thing to do, professor?”
Renee flinched.
“You hurt me. You couldn’t give a crap about it neither. Thinking
I’m even gonna listen to you . . .” I ripped open the door. “That
ain’t
logic.”
I slammed the door behind me and winced as the glass cracked,
shattered, and crashed to the floor behind me.