Venture made another run for it, and that’s when he saw Jade, running straight into Border’s path. Jade swept her foot out, catching Border’s boot just at the end of his stride and reaping it out from underneath him in a flurry of feet and snow. Her timing was perfect. His fall was exquisite. And when his head popped up from the snow, where he lay on his back, and Jade bashed him right back down with a straight punch to the nose, Venture laughed out loud.
“Go ahead,” Jade said, backing away a couple of paces, keeping her hands up and ready, “get up.”
“I see how it is, Delving,” Colt said. “You’d rather get a girl to do your fighting for you.”
Venture shrugged. “Apparently with him that’s all it takes. No offense, Miss Fieldstone.”
Border scrambled back up, his face red hot with contempt and with the power of Jade’s punch. “It doesn’t matter,” Border sneered through the stream of blood pouring from his nose and over his mouth. “Just wait ’til Beamer sees my face. Wait ’til I tell him it was your doing, Delving.”
“But I’ll be there to tell him the truth.” Jade peeled the fine leather glove off her right hand, the hand she’d popped Border with. The glove was stained with Border’s blood.
“No, you won’t. Delving won’t let you. He knows what people will think if you do.”
Venture tensed. His mouth went dry. Jade’s cheeks were soft and pink under her dancing green eyes. Out from under a pure white hat of cloud-like Northern Quarter wool, and onto the hood of her bright red cloak, her hair flowed, long and blond, releasing the faint, summery scent of rose water into the winter air. She was a young lady of Society, and somehow he’d gotten her here, at Beamer’s, longing to learn more about how to fight, spending entirely too much time around Flora, the bladesmith’s daughter, and now, brawling with boys. What could possibly ruin her prospects and humiliate Grant more than this?
As soon as Venture had asked himself that question, he knew the answer. She’d violated the rules of her class in defense of the servant boy she was rumored to have been much too familiar with in her youth. It was inevitable that one of the gossips would draw the worst of conclusions, if Border didn’t think to make the accusation outright himself. And when they did, what if Venture couldn’t keep his own face from betraying a trace of truth?
But Jade looked too indignant to be rattled by Border’s threat. She put her hands on her hips. “He doesn’t have to
let
me. Or have you forgotten who I am?”
Border leaned right into Jade’s face. “Oh, no. I haven’t forgotten that he’s a servant in your father’s house. Silly me. I thought
you
had.”
She had her arm drawn back to give Border another taste of her knuckles, but Venture pushed him back and got in his face himself.
“Hey!” came a shout, along with feet crunching through the snow. Lance. He lunged between Border and Venture.
“Say good-bye to your friend, Lance.” Border’s nose was bright red, still pouring blood, and judging by his stuffed-up voice, swelling even faster on the inside than it was on the outside. “He’s out for good this time.”
Lance shoved Border, and Border took a swing at him, but Border’s eyes were swelling shut and he swung too wide. “Get out of here, Vent,” Lance said.
There was a real crowd gathering now, as word made it to the dormitory and boys spilled out. Colt glanced at them, then at the center, and ran for it. To pretend he’d never met Border, or to tell Beamer Border’s fictional version of events?
Venture ignored the questions a few of the boys were calling at him and hurried toward the center. Border got by Lance, and he darted past Venture, after Colt.
Venture didn’t try to stop him, or to catch up with them. What would be the point? He watched them go and he kicked angrily at a hard clump of snow. There was no hiding Border’s face, and there was no way those two were going to tell Beamer the truth, and if they were going to lie, they were certainly not going to miss the opportunity to blame him.
“Vent.” To his irritation, Jade was following close behind him.
“What are you doing here anyway?” he grumbled, without looking at her. Jade was rarely even up this early, let alone out and about. And she shouldn’t be, especially by herself.
“I was coming to watch Flora.”
A good enough excuse; Flora had switched to early mornings, so she could be there to help her family at their bladesmithing business in the busier hours. Still, he was suspicious.
“But now I’m going to talk to Beamer,” Jade finished.
Venture spun around. “Don’t you understand anything?” he whispered fiercely. “Didn’t you hear what Border said?”
“He’s a pompous little—”
“He’s right, that’s what he is. And if you wanted me to agree with you, then you shouldn’t have pulled rank on me. Not in front of them. Not like that.”
“I was only reminding him—”
“You’re my mistress. I know that and so do they. So don’t come here and meddle in what doesn’t concern you and expect me to be grateful.”
She tipped her chin up defiantly. “You
were
grateful. I—”
“You interfered, and now Border has a broken nose to show to Beamer, and to his father, and to the Longlakes, and I’m not going to Champions. I would’ve been fine.”
“Fine? Beaten up because he knew you couldn’t strike back? That would’ve been fine?” Her voice began to waver and her eyes glistened. “Flora heard them planning this. They knew that they might have to hurt you pretty bad to get you to fight back, and they were willing to do it. One well-placed blow, and you wouldn’t have been able to change your mind. You would’ve been defenseless. I’ve seen you there before, Vent.”
“It wasn’t like that,” he said hoarsely.
“It was close enough, and it wasn’t fine with me, and I wasn’t going to run this time.”
The tears were running down her cheeks now. He took a step toward her, but she crossed her arms and stepped back.
He retreated. “You did the right thing, back then,” he whispered. “If you hadn’t run . . .” He couldn’t say it. It was unspeakable.
He just stood there and looked at her, and fought the memories he wished could just be washed away with those tears, and resisted the urge to hold her and to brush them away.
Jade took a shuddery breath, wiped her eyes, and looked up at him. “Please, let me talk to Beamer.”
“No. Absolutely not.”
First her eyes pleaded, then, seeing that there was no room for him to waver, her expression hardened, too. “Fine. I won’t pull rank on you. I only ever wanted to be your friend, Vent.”
She turned her back and hurried toward the center.
That’s not true!
he wanted to shout after her.
You wanted more
. But maybe it was true. Maybe he was the one who’d done all of that wanting. Maybe he’d only imagined hers. He was the one who’d screwed things up with his ridiculous wishful thinking.
Had she tricked him that night under the bridge? Tricked him into doing what she thought was best for him, just as much as Justice had been tricked? She was a clever girl, but he was a fool. Venture shook his head at himself. This was crazy. Nothing made sense anymore. But when had his life ever made sense? A bonded servant believing he could become Champion of All Richland didn’t make sense. Well, he was done with foolish dreaming now. He was going to get on the mat and see how many warm-ups he got through before Beamer kicked him out of this place.
Border and Colt were at the matside talking to Beamer in hushed voices when Venture came in. Worse, Earnest was handing a bundle of ice to Border’s trainer, who was busy examining Border’s face. Earnest saw Venture and shot him an anxious, questioning look. Venture ignored the look and joined the rest of the boys. Beamer motioned to one of the trainers to begin warm-ups without him. Venture’s stomach was in knots through all the stretches. He wanted to scream.
It seemed like forever before Beamer called, “Delving.”
Venture rose. “Yes, sir.”
“Come here.”
Earnest followed Venture over to the matside with Beamer, Colt, and Border.
“It seems there was a fight this morning.”
Venture said nothing.
“I told you no more brawling,” Beamer said in a low voice. “You know what this means, Delving. I’m a man of my word. I can’t vouch for you going to Champions Center, and I can’t keep you on here either.”
Venture couldn’t even bring himself to say
Yes, sir
again. The words were stuck. Stuck behind the tears that wanted to come out with them. He looked away from Beamer’s expression of utter disappointment, and he locked eyes with Lance, who’d stopped mid sit-up to listen in. Venture searched his face for a glint of satisfaction. He’d helped to knock Lance out of the running for Champions, but now he wasn’t going anywhere either.
“Coach.” Lance rose hesitantly. “Vent didn’t lay a hand on him.”
“You saw it?”
“I was at the other end of the field. I saw Colt and Border waiting for Vent. They didn’t know I was watching, but I saw everything. Vent tried to walk away. He—he ran.”
Venture burned at that. Beamer looked at him and his face got even hotter. Yes, he’d ran from Border. And apparently Lance had seen it.
“All of you, out here. Now.” Beamer led the way out of the training room, into the entry way. Earnest shut the door behind them all.
“Talk to me, Delving!”
“Yes, sir. You said no brawling. I did what I had to do.”
“Then how’d he get a broken nose?” He jerked his head at Border, who was breathing heavily through his mouth.
Border’s eyes were hard to read, with the swelling, but he was shifting his feet nervously. Colt seemed to be trying to disappear into the wall.
Venture kept his mouth shut.
“Delving,” Beamer said warningly. But he refused to answer.
“So, you started to run, but when he followed, you turned around and you fought?” Earnest said.
Lance stepped forward. “Coach.”
Venture shot Lance a look.
Don’t you dare
, he said with his eyes.
Don’t bring her into this
.
But Lance gave him a look that dared him right back, dared him to try and stop him.
“What, Lance?” Beamer said.
“It was . . . it was Jade Fieldstone.”
“What are you talking about?”
“She broke his nose.”
Beamer’s eyebrows went up, then down into a frown.
Earnest said, “You’re serious.”
“Of course I’m serious. She’s here, watching Mrs. Hill’s class. Just ask her.”
“Earnest,” Beamer said, “Go to Mrs. Hill’s class and get Miss Fieldstone for me, will you?”
Venture wouldn’t look at Lance. Colt wouldn’t look anywhere but the floor. Border tried to say, “Coach, this is ridiculous.”
But Beamer said, “I’ll decide what’s ridiculous, and I’ll let you know when I want you to open that mouth again.”
Earnest came out with Jade, cloakless and bootless. Venture had a feeling she’d been doing more than watching Flora practice. But Rose and Grant finding out about that would be nothing compared to the story she was about to confirm.
Beamer didn’t ask her what happened. Instead he said, “Miss Fieldstone, may I see your hands, please? Forgive me, I assure you it’s important.”
Jade held out her hands, palms up.
“The other side, please.”
The redness across her knuckles was unmistakable. So was the fine spattering of blood that had found its way onto the cuff of her dress.
Beamer turned on Border. “A girl? You came whining to me because you got beat up by a girl?”
“A lady, Mr. Beamer,” Jade said politely. “I am a lady.”
Beamer met Jade’s eyes and smiled with a wry sort of respect. “Of course. Who could ever forget that?”
Jade gave him a little nod. “Those boys were trying to goad Venture into a fight, and he wasn’t having it, but they refused to take no for an answer. When Colt physically attacked a member of my father’s household—Venture being my father’s favorite, too—something had to be done.”
The rest of them thought she merely meant that he was Grant’s favorite servant, but Venture knew her better. Well enough to detect a trace of loneliness, a whisper of the girl who’d poured her heart out to him under the willow tree, who was increasingly left behind by Grant to find her place among the women of Society. It reminded him who she really was—a friend who’d never truly pulled rank on him since the day they’d first met. A friend who had, more often than not, delighted in being a partner in his boyhood schemes. A friend who didn’t know how not to be a part of his plans now. She wanted more for him than his place in Twin Rivers Town could offer him. Had he ever cared as much for her unhappiness with her position, for her dreams of something more, as she had for his?
“Venture is mortified, I’m sure, that I stepped in. But it was a terrible injustice. And my grandmother always says that a lady should never stand for injustice.”
It was a nice touch. In just a few lines Jade might just have stopped any questions about their relationship, any hints of impropriety, before they could fully form. She was brilliant. And she was willing to accept whatever consequences might come, because she was his friend. And he loved her. And he was still going to Champions Center—leaving, tomorrow.
“Delving, I assume you’re all ready to go tomorrow?”
“Yes, sir.”
“Good. Lance, you’d better go and talk to your parents and get your packing done. I’ll get a letter ready to send with you to Champions explaining the change. They won’t take Colt without my recommendation, and removing him leaves you next in line.”
“What!” said Colt.
“You lied to me.”
Colt pointed at Venture and stammered, “But he—all the times—all the chances—”
“He never lied to me. Not once. Liars are out, first offense.”
Colt stomped his feet. He slammed his fist back against the wall. “You can’t do this!”
Beamer turned his back on the tantrum and went back into the training room.
“Miss Fieldstone,” Earnest said. “You’ve got good hands. But it looks like you could use some ice.” He snatched the ice out of Border’s hands and pressed it gently to Jade’s. “Here you go,” he said. Then, to Border, “You heard Coach. Get out. Both of you.”