Gloria Oliver (30 page)

Kel blocked her path. “Are you sure that’s all it was?” His bright eyes searched her face for an answer.

Talia looked away. “Sure. What else could it be?” She risked a glance at him and saw his expression fill with doubt, but he said nothing. She suddenly wondered if he was aware there were people who disliked him. She decided to leave before she was tempted to ask. “I’ll see you later.”

He didn’t try to stop her this time.

She was extremely late for class, having stopped by her room to change before returning to the kitchen, but Helyn made no comment. When the class was released to go work on Nertak’s cave, however, she was immediately surrounded by several of her classmates on the way there.

“What happened to you this morning?” Sonsan asked eagerly. “We all saw you going back to the kitchen covered in goo.”

“You weren’t hurt, were you?” Daltan’s quiet voice whispered to her from the back.

Talia felt some of her previous anger returning, but tried hard to do her best to hold it back. “I had an accident. That’s all. It was quite embarrassing and I’d really rather not talk about it.”

“Yes, but someone told us this wasn’t the first time.”

She normally liked Sonsan well enough, but at the moment she wished she’d just shut up. “It’s not easy carrying a heavy tray with people in your way.” She walked a little faster.

The questions came at her again though as Mandee and Yllin joined her at the cave. She repeated her excuses. She saw Mandee frown, her face less cheerful than usual. When they split off into groups, Mandee made sure to steer theirs far to the back.

“Talia, it’s going around this is the second time this has happened to you in less than a week.” Yllin said this softly as if afraid someone else might still overhear them.

“Does this have something to do with the guy on the stairs?” Mandee stared at her worriedly.

Talia bit the inside of her cheek, not having expected them to put the incidents together. “It—it doesn’t matter. Don’t worry about me, please.”

“But this is serious!” Mandee insisted.

She shook her head. “No, it’s just embarrassing and annoying. They’ll figure out sooner or later they’re not going to win.”

“Either that, or they’ll come up with something more drastic,” Yllin added.

Talia shuddered. She couldn’t afford to think that way. “I’ll be fine.”

Mandee grabbed her arm. “Look, if anything worse happens, promise me you’ll tell us. Promise me you’ll let someone help.” Her eyes implored her to do it.

She shuddered again. “I—I promise.” Though what anyone could do if things got worse, she didn’t know.

She was still worrying about it, turning it in her mind, when she took Clarence his midday meal.

Ah, there you are.

“Hi, Clarence.” She gave him a small smile as she set the barrel before his stall.

Is all well with you?
He asked as he reached for his lunch.

“Sure.” She frowned, wondering what prompted him to ask.

Clarence’s askew eyes stared at her where she stood.
It would seem Kel is concerned about your
welfare. And since he brought it up, it does seem rather strange to me you’ve scented yourself with
food twice in a week’s time
.

She looked away. “I-I told him it was nothing. I tripped, that’s all.”

I see.

Talia got the feeling maybe he did and it worried her. “I’d better go get the rest of your meal.”

The dragon’s mouth pulled back with a look of distaste.
If you must
.

She was grateful when Clarence didn’t bring the subject back up on her return.

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THE FOLLOWING MORNING, Talia stepped into the kitchen to pick up Kel’s tray as usual. She chose a way to leave the dining hall at random and walked very slowly past the tables, looking for unfriendly faces in the crowd. Most of all, she kept her eyes on the floor, and kept an eye on people’s feet as she went past.

On the last table, on her left, she spotted an older student sitting amidst a group of younger ones. She saw him turn to look in her direction and then quickly glance away. She slowed. She could turn back and choose to go another way, but it might bring up unwanted questions later. She’d go on ahead, and if he were stupid enough to try for her, he would be the one wearing Kel’s breakfast this morning, not her.

She started forward, moving to keep as far away from him as possible, when a watcher showed up beside the boy. “I believe you forgot to eat some of this.” The short man dumped a large serving of hotcakes on the startled student’s plate.

“What? But I—”

Talia slipped on past. She couldn’t believe her luck. Happily, she hurried out the door and continued on her way.

When two watchers just happened to be strolling by her side as she walked past a suspicious table the next morning, however, she got the idea something more than luck was at work. Even while she ate her own meals, she noticed the watchers seemed to be concentrating around certain individuals and making them eat more than was their wont.

When these seeming incongruities repeated themselves on the third morning, she was sure it was deliberate. But she didn’t understand it. Did Mandee and Yllin tell someone she was in trouble? Surely they would have told her if they did, wouldn’t they? The only other people she thought even suspected something were Clarence, Tula, and Kel. The dragon and his rider were in isolation, so it couldn’t have been them. This only left the head cook. Did she put the watchers up to this? The thought was disturbing though at the same time somewhat reassuring. Lareen previously told her Tula possessed many skills.

Talia found her spirits lightening for the rest of the day.

Oh, yes. If you’d be so kind
. Clarence flicked his tail and popped the stall door open.

She stepped inside. “Which oil did you want this time?”

The dragon raised a claw and tapped his nose thoughtfully as he considered the matter.
Oh, let’s do the
evergreen one today. It’s the large jug there at the end
.

Nodding, she retrieved the thick bottle he’d chosen as well as the other things she’d need.

Clarence stretched out in his stall in delighted anticipation. As she started her work on his left side, he let out a contented sigh. Talia found a small grin tugging at the side of her mouth as he wallowed in the sensations. She could really get to enjoy doing this for him.

Almost two hours later, she had worked her way up on to his back. His pleased thrumming waxed and waned as he breathed. She had just reached the high ridge on his back when Clarence’s whole body shifted abruptly. With a yelp, she grabbed hold of the nearest set of scales as she felt herself slipping. The dragon’s head snapped up and was staring off in the direction of the main building.

“Clarence, wha—?” She saw the dragon’s eyes narrow to mere slits while several puffs of smoke cleared his nostrils in annoyance.

The damn fool!
He puffed smoke one last time, then settled back down.

She scrambled down off his back, totally confused by the outburst. “What happened? Did I hurt you?”

Clarence opened up one dark eye to look at her.
No. You’ve done nothing
. He suddenly flinched. It made no sense to her.
It’s the idiotic human I was a fool ever to agree to partner myself with
.

“You mean Kel?” She felt her heart grow cold with a strong feeling of dread. “Is something wrong?”

He winced.
Oh, yes, though you wouldn’t think so from his tone
. The dragon sighed with disgust.
I
volunteered to come to his aid and he refused me. Tells me I would be breaking the ruling set by
the tribunal if I were to come to him. He insists the consequences would be direr than the beating
if I did. He’s a fool and I am twice that for listening to him
. Clarence flinched again.

“Kel’s being beaten?” The satisfaction she felt earlier at having thwarted the older students turned to bile in her throat. “You might not be able to leave, but I can.” She threw the soaked glove on the floor and reached for her knife. Yllin was right; since they were thwarted, the bullies had gone on to worse things.

This was all her fault.

No!
Clarence’s tail moved to block her path.
You mustn’t.

“But—” She turned around to stare at him, not understanding how he could just sit there and let Kel be hurt when he was quite capable of trying to do something about it.

No. If you thought he overreacted at what Nertak did, what do you think he will do if one of
those incompetents hurts you when you come to try and rescue him
?

His words gave her pause. “Surely, surely he, he wouldn’t—” But she wasn’t sure what he would do.

Even now, she still didn’t entirely understand Kel’s previous actions. Yet if she did nothing … “Then you have to go. Help him, please!”

I will not
. He looked away.
Let him learn from his own foolishness, from his stubborn pride
.

She stared at the dragon, not sure she heard him right. Clarence was refusing to help him? Only because Kel asked him not to and now he was angry with him for it? They were both insane. She turned away, leapt over Clarence’s tail, and rushed for the stall door.

Faster than she thought possible, Clarence twisted in the stall and grabbed her with one of his massive claws.
You mustn’t
. He lifted her off the ground.

“Clarence, let me go! Let me go!” Angry and worried, she pounded on his scales to no avail. Her hands tingled with pain as they slammed into the smooth, green surfaces. The large claw didn’t hold her too tightly, but she still wasn’t able to wiggle free.

Talia, I’m sorry. But I can’t let you. Please understand.

“I don’t!” She struggled in his grip until the rest of her strength was gone. Tears of frustration and fury rose hot in her eyes and she averted her face so he wouldn’t see them. They were mad, mad.

Many long minutes later, Clarence gently set her down.
They’re gone. You can go see him now. Help
him if he’ll let you. He’s in pain
. He didn’t look at her.

She didn’t look back, running from the stall with all the speed she could muster. She sprinted into the main building and headed up the closest set of stairs. Her side ached and her lungs felt on fire by the time she reached the roof. Barely pausing to catch her breath, she stumbled into the squire’s room.

“Kel?” Her voice rose in near panic as she saw the state of the place. Dishes, books, and clothes were strewn everywhere, not all of them intact. Her eyes scoured the room for him but she didn’t see him. She started across to go to the room in the back.

A soft moan whispered from the other side of the low table and she made for it instead. “Kel!”

The squire lay crumpled on the floor, his shirt torn and his face bloody. His body was bruised as well as his face, one eye already starting to swell shut. Wincing at the painful sight before her, Talia quickly knelt down beside him. “How could they do this?” A new flare of anger rose inside her but she tried to push it back. Kel needed her now. There’d be time for the other later.

She gently reached out to touch him, hoping he wasn’t even more hurt than he seemed. “Kel, can you hear me?” Gingerly, she turned him onto his back. His face grimaced in pain and his one good eye fluttered open.

“Ta—Talia?” His gaze looked glazed and unfocused.

“Yes, it’s me. Can you stay awake? I’ve got to go for some help.” She studied his face, not sure he understood her, and felt reluctant to leave him though she knew she’d have no choice.

“No.” He reached out for her as she moved to stand. “Please don’t.” He looked at her, his gaze pleading, even as his face shone with pain.

“You’re hurt. You could be bleeding inside.” She tried to stand again, but he kept his hold on her. She froze as the movement made him gasp. “Please, Kel, you need help!”

“No.”

“Clarence is right—you are a fool!”

Instead of making him angry, he gave her a small smile. It made his bruised face appear even more grisly than before.

She didn’t know whether to laugh or cry.

“Will you help me to the bed?” he asked her quietly.

Talia glanced up over to the rumpled bed and then back at Kel. “I could just leave you here and forget about you.” She was annoyed at him. It was stupid, but she was anyway. Why wouldn’t he let her fetch LaSeren? Why did he have to be so stubborn about everything?

He let her go. “If you want…”

She looked down at him and frowned, realizing he was serious. He was insane. He could die if she left him.

Cursing silently at mad squires and stubborn dragons, she got up and righted the mattress on the bed before coming back and carefully grabbing his arm and putting it around her neck. Slowly, she helped him stand.

Kel gasped in pain as she accidentally bumped his side. She glanced at his paled face, her worry back full force, but said nothing. The sound of his rattling chains echoed about them as she helped him shuffle over to the bed. She felt her anger rising again as she heard it, knowing it would have been a great disadvantage to him during the struggle.

Kel sighed with relief as she set him down on the soft mattress.

She didn’t like the ashen look on his face beneath the growing bruises. “Kel, I really should—”

“No!” His gaze darted to her, catching her where she stood. “Please. It would only make things worse.”

She could tell he was having a hard time breathing. “I’ll be all right.”

Talia studied him, not really believing him at all. How could things get worse? She was tempted to go get help whether he wanted it or not. Once Lareen found out about what’d been done to him, those idiots would be made to pay.

His eye focused on the set look on her face. “You can’t—tell anyone about this.”

“I have to. Those idiots can’t be allowed to get away with this!” She scowled down at him.