Gloria Oliver (41 page)

”
Stop
.” Talia rushed between them, not daring to think about what she was doing. She wasn’t sure she would live through it. “You’ve got to stop. This is going too far.
Please
.”

Clarence came to a skidding halt, his hot breath mere inches from her face. She stared at him, her eyes pleading with him to listen to reason, even as she quivered inside at the type of damage her friend could do to both her and Kel if he so wished.

Clarence’s crossed eyes focused first on her and then on the squire. They came to rest on her again, his teeth bared.
As you wish
. With a last flare of smoke from his nostrils, Clarence backed away and turned around before snaking out onto the landing strip and launching up into the air.

Talia’s knees suddenly gave out on her and she fell to the ground, her breath quivering in relief.

“Are you all right?” Kel’s worried query reached her as he rushed forward to kneel before her. “He wouldn’t have hurt you.”

Talia nodded, not looking at him, not sharing his confidence at all.

“Do you need anything? Is there something I can do?” He sounded more concerned than before.

She shook her head emphatically and then tried to get back on her feet. Kel reached out to help her, but she pulled her arm away before he could take it. “I’m all right!”

“Talia…” Kel hesitated as she continued to keep her gaze averted from his own.

“Curfew will be here soon. I’ve got to go. Excuse me.” She took off at a run. Her eyes stung as she left the squire behind as quickly as her legs would take her.

Reaching the deep shadows of the school’s buttresses, she finally slowed. She wiped at her face, trying to catch her breath, and looked back the way she came. Other than for the darkened line of trees, she couldn’t see much of anything.

They were such idiots—both of them! Why did she even care? Brushing her sleeve again over her eyes, she turned away and made her way inside.

THE NEXT MORNING, Talia spotted Kel as he came into the dining hall for breakfast. Seeing her, he waved shyly in her direction. She didn’t return it. She still hadn’t made up her mind as to exactly how she felt about what happened the night before. Clarence was childish in trying to punish Kel as he did; yet Kel had also been reckless. If she hadn’t intervened, who knew how far the dragon would have gone in his anger. Without his armor, Kel would have been totally at the dragon’s mercy and in no way able to stop Clarence from doing something he might later regret. It was a good thing she was there, though she was also aware that if not for her original arrival with the water, things might not have gone where they did.

Kel returned from the kitchen with his meal and sat down looking somewhat more subdued than normal.

Yet it wasn’t until he got up to leave that she realized something wasn’t right. Instead of hanging on to his usual bounty of fruit, his hands were empty as he exited the room. Worse, he did so through the door other people used to come in rather than through the kitchen or the garden.

Talia frowned at this even as she tried telling herself she didn’t care.

By lunchtime, the fact Clarence had crashed and been pinned between some trees made the rounds, and so did the fact while three of the trees were cut, two others were broken close to the base and one of those was burned. Whispers full of speculation flowed back and forth.

She said nothing about any of it, and gladly saw Yllin and Mandee do the same with what they knew.

She tried to listen to as little of the conjecture as she could get away with.

Later, she found herself out on her balcony. After some time, she realized Kel and Clarence wouldn’t be practicing. A dull sadness reached for her at the realization, but she squelched it, telling herself the two of them were probably just being fools again. After a month of being locked away from each other, one would have thought they’d have treated one another better. Obviously this wasn’t going to be the case.

The following morning, she found herself anxiously waiting for Kel to show. When he did, she waited for him to look over and wave, not entirely sure if she’d allow herself to return it. Instead, he kept his eyes on the floor and not once even glanced in her direction. She tried to tell herself this was only payback for her ignoring him the previous day, but as she watched him walk by, deep down, she didn’t really think that was it. Kel looked drained, his hair was half mussed, his clothes untidy. His expression was blank and hidden. Surely he didn’t take her rebuff as more than it meant, did he? Why was it he and Clarence seemed able to live only for extremes?

Again Kel carried no fruit and left the hall through its main entryway.

When she saw they didn’t practice yet again that night, she started to worry. How long were the two of them planning on letting this go on? The longer they waited to resolve it, the worse it would be.

The next morning, she fidgeted in her seat as she waited for Kel to show before her friends did. When she finally spotted him, she stood up, but again he didn’t look her way.

“Kel!” She yelled across the room to get his attention.

The squire glanced over in surprise, dark circles standing prominently beneath his eyes.

She waved enthusiastically.

He only stared, stunned for a moment, and then his features softened and a soft smile tugged suddenly at the side of his mouth. He waved back at her tentatively, before going on his way to the kitchen with a lighter step.

Talia sat back down, watching him go with some satisfaction, and deep down a touch of fear. Kel’s reaction only proved she’d been right in her original guess. Still, how was it she could have such an effect on him? The two of them didn’t really know each other. Kel shouldn’t really have cared very much about how she felt about him one way or the other. Aside from Clarence, though, could she be the closest thing he had to a friend? And if she had only two and both of them were unhappy with her, wouldn’t it make her feel terrible? The questions passed back and forth in her mind for the rest of the day.

When they were released from lunch, she slowed as she made her way out of the garden when she spotted Kel and the Administrator standing together outside of the dragon dormitory. Kel was staring at the ground, his face blank as Lareen spoke to him with a grave expression.

Talia’s brow furrowed as she wondered if Lareen had also noticed the squire and the dragon’s strange behavior. She hoped whatever she was saying to him would help bring their strange quarrel to an end, but didn’t hold much trust it would.

That night, Kel didn’t show up for dinner and Lareen looked far from her usual jovial mood. Whisperings filled the hall as even more speculation made the rounds.

“You won’t believe this!” A third year student who occasionally played swapball with some of their group on freeday slipped over to their table from the one across the way. He shoved his wiry body between Dyl and Jarel, his face excited. Several of those seated there, especially Sonsan, looked over at him expectantly.

“The Administrator gave the squire an errand to run this morning and he wouldn’t do it. They’re saying he and Clarence had a falling out since the dragon got stuck in those trees a few days ago.”

Talia looked up, interested in what he was saying despite herself. It seemed to fit with what she saw earlier.

“Well, the Administrator insisted they go anyway. Clarence wasn’t happy. Some guys saw them when they came back and said the dragon was flying ten times worse than normal, doing flips and twirls and all sorts of other stomach-turning acrobatics.” The student glanced at his audience, obviously happy to be spreading the news. “And to add insult to injury, Clarence slipped sideways when he landed and buried the squire beneath him, dragging him halfway down the field. When they finally came to a stop, Clarence took his sweet time getting off him, too.”

Talia frowned even as those around her started speculating at the odd news.

WHEN SHE SAW Kel and Clarence weren’t going to practice again, Talia closed the book she was reading with a slam and left her room.

Enough was enough. If the two of them weren’t going to do something about this, maybe she’d have to.

With a determined look on her face, she stomped downstairs to make her way to the dragon habitat.

Once she got there, she slowed and slipped quietly inside, not entirely sure how she was going to go about this. When she reached Clarence’s stall, she stood before it silently for a moment and then, trying to sound more cheerful than she felt, she made her presence known. “Good evening, Clarence.”

The dragon looked up at her from where he was leisurely batting a large crystal ball back and forth between his huge claws.
Good evening
. He looked away.

She waited to see if he’d say anything else, but he didn’t. She was sure he wasn’t going to make this easy. “I haven’t seen you for a few days. I’ve missed that.”

The dragon said nothing, still gently batting the ball across the hay-strewn floor.

“I’ve noticed you and Kel haven’t been practicing. Rumor has it the two of you are still mad at one another,” she said.

Clarence humphed lightly, sending a thin trail of smoke rising into the air.

She steeled herself and said what she came to ask. “How long do you plan on staying mad at him?

Wasn’t a month long enough?”

The dragon continued playing as if she hadn’t spoken.

“You pushed Kel too far,” she said, trying hard to keep her voice level. “We both know it. You were being unreasonable and only got mad because he wouldn’t put up with it anymore.”

None of this concerns you
.

She felt a spark of anger flare inside her at the bored tone in his words. She scrounged for something to say—anything to make the dragon pay attention. “Would it be because I’m an annoying human or only because you’re enjoying this self-chosen path of destruction you’re on?”

Clarence glanced up at her, a brow raised high on his scaly face.
Path of destruction?

“What else would you call it? You know, if you wanted out of your contract with Kel so badly, there are probably easier and less hurtful ways to go about it.”

I’m doing no such thing
. Clarence reached out with his tail to retrieve his ball, which had gotten away from him.

She pushed on. “Aren’t you? Are you sure? Because the way you act, it looks as if you’d like nothing better. Didn’t you yourself imply you were tricked into this arrangement in the first place?” Even as she said it, she realized how true her words were. What did Clarence really want?

You are mistaken
. His tone didn’t hold the conviction behind it one might have expected.

“Then explain to me why you’re alienating him,” she demanded.

I’m doing no such thing. He’s the one who’s stopped coming to see me.

“So if I went to him right now and got him to come, you’d welcome him in? Or would you, through your partial bond, send him your anger and scorn so he’d stay away without your having to say anything?”

What she said was a gamble, a half-formed suspicion, but from the way the dragon suddenly looked away, she could see she guessed right. Kel’s anger might burn hot when finally driven to it, but it didn’t linger. Clarence’s on the other hand…

You are mistaken
. His tone held even less conviction than before.

She decided to press on. “You’re holding a grudge. How else can you explain the fact your flying has gotten worse or how you purposely landed on Kel today instead of trying to protect him and the cargo from the worst of it as you normally do?”

She saw the dragon flinch.

It wasn’t like that
.

“We both know Kel is very sorry for what he did a month ago, for the punishment he dragged you into.

Wasn’t he the one who asked you not to come help him as those bullies beat him up just so you wouldn’t get into any further trouble? Isn’t he the one who’s too proud to ask others for help yet he almost begged me to oil your skin in his stead so you wouldn’t suffer unduly?”

Clarence didn’t look at her.

Talia took a deep breath, having saved the worst for last. “Or could it be this started out as only annoyance and stubbornness but turned into something more when Kel forced your hand and set fire to the trees making you use your strength and hidden skills in magic? Are you so afraid of people finding out you’re not as weak and helpless as you seem? Should I go discuss these things with Lareen and others at the school?”

Clarence shifted and stared at her through veiled eyes. He said nothing for a long time.
You seem more
perceptive than I previously gave you credit for
.

She paid no attention to the barbed compliment. “I don’t know why you feel the way you do, and frankly I don’t care. Your secrets are safe. I won’t talk, so you have nothing to worry about. But please, stop punishing him and yourself. It’s getting you nowhere and it’s for no reason.”

Clarence stretched out, looking away from her as if getting ready for sleep. So softly as to be almost imperceptible, his voice rang inside her head.
I will consider what you’ve said
. He closed his eyes and didn’t look at her again.

Talia was sure she would get nothing more from him. She hoped this would be enough. “Thank you.”

Without saying anything else, she left him to his thoughts.

As she stepped out into the cool night, she did admit something to herself—she’d lied to Clarence about one thing. She did indeed care about the reasons the dragon felt he must hide his powers. Sure now he really was doing it, her curiosity ate at her as to why. What was the point? She knew though, if she’d let on, if she’d dared ask, he would have refused to speak to her entirely. She sighed. With any luck, things would work out for the best anyway.

A SMALL SMILE lighted on Talia’s face the next morning as she spotted Kel coming out from the kitchen. His face was clear, his steps light, and a basket of fruit hung from his arm as he made his way to his table. She waved at him as he spotted her and he returned the greeting with a bright smile. It seemed everything would be all right after all—for now.