Gloria Oliver (25 page)

“It’s you!” His eyes grew wide as he stared at her. Then as he seemed to realize he’d spoken, his cheeks turned crimson. They both looked simultaneously away, even as she felt heat rising to cover her own cheeks.

“I’ve got to go,” she mumbled. “I’m going to be late for class.” Without looking at him, realizing he’d know she’d just told him a boldfaced lie, she turned around and hurried out the way she came, closing the door firmly behind her.

Her insides in even bigger knots than before, she quickly made her way down the stairs and headed back to her room. She closed the door and barred it, though she couldn’t quite explain to herself why.

Talia knew her friends would soon be looking for her, but she didn’t think she could face them just then.

Instead, she made herself clean her room and worked on some of the class’s future reading assignments.

She also made the dreaded rounds with her buckets to replace the water in her tub. Her arms protested the abuse quite loudly.

Eventually though, she left to go down to dinner. She soon found herself surrounded by her classmates and bombarded with questions about Kel. It seemed obvious the news of her new chores had made the rounds. She’d ended up attracting attention to herself, whether she wanted it or not.

As deftly as she could, she avoided their questions or made as little comment as possible as they herded her along to the dining hall. The group of them were just about to give up, when she joined her other friends at the table and the questions started all over again.

“I’m telling you, there’s nothing to tell.” Talia felt her frustrations trying to get the better of her.

“You can’t just keep this kind of thing to yourself. At least tell us if he was surrounded by guards, or was chained to the wall, or anything!” Sonsan’s eyes were twinkling hungrily.

Talia sighed. “He’s just in his room. Where he’s supposed to be. He’s alone, by himself”

“Yes, yes, but was he fuming?” Sonsan insisted. “Was he vowing revenge? Did he try to kill you when you came in?”

A number of those around her leaned forward eager to hear the answer.

“No, of course not! Why would you think such a thing?” She felt her anger rising. “He’s never hurt anyone before.”

“Come on, all of you, leave her alone.” Mandee, to her amazement, suddenly rose to her defense. “It’s not as if she asked to do this job.” Talia never saw her friend so serious before.

Those around them mumbled in displeasure but backed off. Talia felt her anger fade to guilt, grateful for her friend’s interference. After eating her dinner quickly, she got up to go. As she made her way toward the kitchen, she couldn’t help but notice how many of the students at a number of the other tables seemed to turn to follow her with their eyes. Did the whole school know? Why did they care? She found herself walking a little faster. She sighed with relief once she was hidden on the other side of the kitchen door.

Trying to ignore the heat washing over her, she made her way quietly through the busy kitchen to its back door and the barrels she knew would be there waiting for her.

“Talia, hold up a moment.”

Her hand stopped on the door, as she looked back over her shoulder and spotted Tula quickly converging on her location.

“Before you go, take a few of these. Just shove them down in the oats so no one will see them,” she said. “I know how the old grouch hates oats.” Tula handed her a small sack. “Let’s just keep this between us, okay? Most of us agree Clarence deserves a little something for bringing the old windbag’s ego down a notch or two.” She winked.

Talia stared at her, surprised.

The chief cook noticed the look and smiled. “At no time was he in any real danger, you know. The old windbag is a cautious one, and Kel knew about his amulet. So though the boy went a might overboard in showing his displeasure, deep down he knew he wouldn’t kill him.”

Talia nodded, trying to absorb this new information, and took the bag with her outside. Making sure no one else was around, she opened it. Inside, she found seven ripe apples. Quickly, she took them out one by one and shoved them deep into the oat-filled barrel. Putting the small empty sack by the door, she grabbed the dolly and hooked it to the corn barrel.

Struggling with her load, she dragged her burden to the dormitory. She found Clarence in his stall, curled up much the same as how she found him hours earlier. “Good evening,” she said softly. “I’ve brought your dinner.” She set the barrel in front of the stall door and pried the dolly out from beneath it.

Clarence said nothing, reacting in no way other than to give a light snort, which sent a small trail of smoke rising into the air.

Not wanting to push him, Talia left to go retrieve the other barrel. By the time she made it back, she was breathing hard and her arms hurt. She set the barrel down next to the first, and then rubbed her arms fervently trying to get some blood back into them.

Unobtrusively, Clarence’s claw reached over the stall door and grabbed the barrel full of oats. The other was already empty.

She fitted the dolly to the empty barrel, not at all relishing the task of having to take it back, when Clarence’s surprised exclamation filtered through her mind.
What’s this
?

Talia looked up, and saw the dragon’s green snout peering into the partially empty barrel with bright eyes. His long tongue moved around inside it, until it came back out wrapped about its prize.

Apples!
His skewed eyes turned to look at her.
Is this your doing?

She quickly shook her head. “They’re a present from Tula.”

Ah, a wise, mysterious, and wonderful woman
.

Talia smiled at his evident pleasure and then left to take the first barrel back. When she returned, she found the second barrel already empty and waiting for her. Clarence was sitting back, rolling the last of the apples around in his mouth with his long tongue.

She set the barrel on the dolly and turned to go back out. “Good night.”

Good night
, he replied.
And by the way, he also did it because he likes you. I think I might like you
as well
.

Talia glanced back, startled by his words, but Clarence had turned away. Not knowing what to say, she said nothing and went on her way, her thoughts heavy. She barely remembered her aching arms as she reached the kitchen’s outside wall and set the barrel down.

She found herself suddenly tense about seeing Kel again. There were too many things she honestly didn’t understand. Yet he’d go hungry if she didn’t meet with him, and she still wasn’t so sure she was blameless in all of this. With a deep sigh, she rubbed absently at her arms again and then opened the door leading into the kitchen.

Trying not to pay heed to the radiating heat, she made her way to the front of the kitchen to pick up Kel’s tray. The dishes on it were covered, but something about the meaty scent wafting lightly from it made her think Clarence wasn’t the only one being thanked for his actions. She wondered suddenly what it was the kitchen staff held against the old man. Looked like a lot more than just Yllin held a dislike of him.

Gearing herself up to the inevitable, she took command of the tray and left the kitchen. The dining hall was almost empty, so she had no trouble making her way across to the exit on the other side. She followed the stairs to the fourth floor, ignoring the stares from those who’d already made their way around the garden and come back inside. They only made her feel more nervous than she already was.

The sun lay low in the far horizon as she reached the roof. Talia watched the spreading streaks of orange and gray, her steps slowing. It was a dazzling sight. The mountains of green and brown made a startling contrast with the fading light. Forcing herself to relax, she let the serene view wash over her.

As she’d done earlier in the day, she used her foot to knock on the door. Startled, she almost dropped the tray when the moment she did so the door was yanked open before her.

“Hi!” Kel’s bright eyes met hers for a moment and then quickly looked away. “Please come in.” He moved out of the way, holding the door open for her.

Talia felt her heart race inside her, but wasn’t totally sure of the reason. She stepped inside.

She heard the door close behind her and felt her shoulders grow a little tighter. Kel’s chains rattled as he followed after her.

“I’m sorry if I was rude to you earlier.” His tone sounded hesitant and unsure.

She tried not to think about it. “You have nothing to apologize for. I-I wouldn’t be too happy, either, about having to stay in my room for four weeks, especially wearing those.” She dared to glance over her shoulder at him as she set his tray down.

Kel shrugged. “It’s not so bad. Really. At least now I’ve got plenty of time to study.” He gave her a shy grin.

She frowned. “I thought you already graduated. And it was why you were able to put your name in the lottery.”

Kel sat down on one of the cushions and scratched gently at where one of the chains was chafing his right ankle. “There’s other things to learn. And Lareen thinks it helps keep me out of trouble.” He smiled brightly. “Though I guess maybe it hasn’t worked too well so far.”

The smile lightened his face and Talia found it almost contagious. A grin tugged at her own lips. “She really worries a lot about you.” The words were out of her mouth before she realized she was going to say them.

Kel glanced up at her. “Who does?”

She looked away, wondering what made her bring this up. “The Administrator. I-I got the impression she cares about you and Clarence very much.”

Now it was his turn to look away. He didn’t say anything.

She didn’t like the way the light went from his face. “She thinks she’s been pushing you too hard.”

Kel slowly shook his head from side to side. “She didn’t have anything to do with this.” His eyes locked with hers. “And neither did you.”

She stared at him, surprised. Did he somehow guess at her own feelings of guilt? She suddenly decided she didn’t want to know. “I—I’d better get going. I’ve got to take these back.” Without looking at him, she grabbed the emptied tray she brought to him earlier and then headed toward the door.

Once she got there, she hesitated a moment and glanced back. Kel was still where she’d left him, a troubled frown on his face. When he said nothing, she opened the door and left.

As unsure of how to feel about this meeting as she was about anything else, she took one quick look at the darkening sky and then headed for the narrow stairs.

She was half rushing down the steps when she realized someone was standing in her way about three quarters of the way down. She slowed, not recognizing the thin, older student, and wondered what he was doing there. From his confident bearing and the expression on his face when he spotted her, she was sure he was waiting for her.

Talia didn’t look at him as she drew near and tried to go past. “Excuse me.”

He sidestepped to block her path. “Hold up. I want to talk to you.” He didn’t really give her much choice.

She felt a kernel of fear bloom deep inside her. “Yes?” She tried hard not to let her trepidation show.

“You’re the one feeding the prisoner, right?”

Talia frowned. The fact she was the one should have been obvious. Who else would be using these stairs carrying a tray? “I am.”

“Good.” The student smiled, which widened his narrow face, but the action didn’t make her feel any better. He reached inside his vest and pulled out a small, filled bag. “How’d you like to earn these?” He opened the string on the bag and let her see the gems nestled inside.

“What do you want?” She was liking this less and less.

The student’s smile widened, his voice lowering to a bare whisper. “I’ll give them to you for a small favor.” He shook the bag so she could hear the gems rattle inside. “It’ll be worth your while.”

She opened her mouth, but he went on before she got a chance to say anything. “It’s no big thing. And no one need ever know. All I want is for you to forget to take the prisoner his food for a few days. No big deal.”

Talia stared at him with disbelief. He wanted her to do
what
? “I-I can’t do that.” She took a step back on the stairs. Lareen’s words when she’d originally offered her the job whispered to her again in the back of her mind.

The student stepped up, not willing to let her go so easily. “Sure you can. It would be real easy,” he purred. “All you have to do is empty the food out somewhere and then take the dishes back. No one would be the wiser.”

She stared hard into the thin face and dark eyes before her and saw he was really serious about this.

“Why? Why would you want me to do this?” She firmly kept the tray between them, not sure what he would do.

“The prisoner needs to be taught a lesson,” he told her reasonably. “Since he’s no longer the perfect pupil, it’s an excellent time.” The student sneered. “He thinks he’s too good for us. Only consorts with teachers if anyone at all. And that only because he’s got a dragon, as if his beast could be considered a dragon anyway. He’s a disgrace, is what he is.

“And now, he’s gone off and attacked Master Nertak and destroyed all our stores in the bargain. As if it was his place to determine how things should be done.” He snorted. “The misfit needs to be shown his place.”

“And you want to do it by starving him?” The words were out of her mouth before she could stop them.

The student’s grin turned cold. “It’s a start.”

“I’ll-I’ll have to think about it. Now please, I have things to do.” She tried to cut past him again and this time he let her.

“You do that. Think about it hard,” he said from behind her. Talia felt the hair on the back of her neck rise. “And I wouldn’t be telling anyone about this if I were you.”

She didn’t look back.

He called after her, amused laughter coating his voice. “I’ll be seeing you.”

By the time she reached the bottom of the stairs and turned into the hallway, her heart was hammering inside her. Was the boy mad? And was she as well? She’d resolved nothing, only put it off. What was she going to do? She had absolutely no idea.