Chapter 25

The nurse let me leave the infirmary a few hours after my call with Victoria. She made me promise not to spare for the rest of the week. Given that it was Wednesday, that meant I was only missing one session of Basics. She gave me a note, some advil and sent me on my way.

I got my first glimpse at myself since the fight as I passed a mirror when I was leaving. My entire right side of my face was covered in mottled, purple-blue bruises. My right eye was swollen and puffy. My hair was a tangled mop on my head, far from the sleek twist I’d put in it before the fight. My clothes were covered in blood, Kairos’s and mine. There were a few points in my lip that were split. Same with my head. My wrist had been reset but was in an air-cast.

I looked a mess.

I left the infirmary after the sun had set. It was easy to dart across campus in the shadows, without being noticed. I slunk all the way up to my dorm room without running into anyone.

When I turned around, I noticed Loren was standing next to her bed. Her eyes were red rimmed as if she had been crying. She slowly reached for a hug then shrunk back in on herself as she surveyed me.

“A mess, aren’t I?” I half-laughed, trying to break the tension.

“Oh Gods,” Loren cried. “I knew it was bad but this is worse than I imagined.”

“Don’t ever spar with Kairos,” I joked. I waved my air-cast. “Might break a wrist.”

Loren said nothing but tenderly wrapped me in a hug. It was the gentlest anyone had ever hugged me. Tears welled in my eyes. I was so frustrated and this was what I needed, someone to just care. I rested my head on top of Loren’s and let the tears stream down my cheeks in sobs.

The whole time I cried, Loren gently rubbed circles in the middle of my back. When my tears had dried, she sent me to the bathroom to shower. I came back in one of her fluffy pink towels to find she’d dug through my closet and laid out some of my old, human clothes.

“I figured they’d be comfiest,” she said softly.

I nodded at her and slunk them off. I didn’t dare look in the mirror as the rest of my body, scared it’d be worse than the bruising on my face. When I turned around to face Loren, she confirmed it was with her face. I got into my bed with minimal wincing and Loren climbed in next to me. She rested her head on my shoulder, hip to hip with me.We sat in silence for a while before Loren snorted in laughter.

“What?” I asked through a laugh.

“Just thinking about the look on Bella’s face when Professor Lunerly picked you up and carried you to the infirmary,” she chuckled again. “Utterly priceless.”

“I wish I’d seen it,” I laughed.

“Yeah,” Loren said sadly. “Me too.”

I turned slightly to look down at her. “Thank you for being a good friend,” I said gently.

Loren smiled. “Thanks for being a person worth being a good friend to,” she replied.

I returned the smile back then let myself get comfy on my pillow. It only took a few minutes but then both Loren and I were dead asleep in my bed, covered by my old quilt.

The next morning, my bruising had gone down significantly. I could feel my fingers on the hand that Kairos broke. My split lip had only one medium sized welt in it instead of two large ones. I showered before morning Basics and Loren helped me cover some of the bruising with make up.

The two of us grabbed some fruit from the near empty cafeteria in the basement of our dorm before we headed to Basics. We got about half way before I started to notice the people whispering.

“That’s her,” one girl said. “The idiot who challenged Kairos.”

The man who she was speaking to snorted. “She looks about twelve pounds, soaking wet. She should’ve known he’d kick her ass.”

Loren pulled me back to look at her. She shook her head. “Don’t listen to them,” she said under her breath. “You did great.”

I slowly looked around and noticed that everyone else around us was whispering as well. I was surprised my hearing picked up on it but horrified by what they were saying.

“I can’t believe she lost.”

“I can, she has no wolf. She should’ve known.”

“Well I heard she didn’t know she was a wolf until some strange lady told her she wasn’t.”

“I heard she isn’t even a wolf. Just a human spy.”

“—weak—”

“—pathetic—”

“—fool—”

“she lost—”

“—lost—”

“—lost!—”

“—LOST!—”

I slammed my hands over my ears and whimpered. All of their voices were so loud in my head, crumbling me down to a shell of a human. I felt someone tug at my good hand. I aimlessly followed them, head ducked down, eyes slammed shut.

The pulling stopped and I slammed into someone’s back. I crushed my eyes shut and whimpered again, this time out of the pain throbbing in my brain. Hands gently grabbed my forearms and pulled my hands from my ears. I slowly opened my eyes and was greeted with deep honey-colored eyes.

Maximus was gingerly holding my arms and pulling them away from my face. My ears were still ringing from everyone else’s voices roaring behind me. I winced slightly and Maximus dropped my arms. His hands went up to cup my face. He gentle pulled me to look at him.

Our eyes met and I realized this is the closest I’d ever been to him. I could make out freckle just under his right eye. It was faint enough that you had to be this close to see it.

“You have to force them to the back of your mind,” he said. He sounded like he was underwater. I tried to nod but cringed again as the voices came back.

“—miserable bitch—”

“—honestly, who is she—”

“—she looks ridiculous—”

I slammed my eyes shut again. Maximus’s hands cupped my face harder. He shook me slightly and my eyes flew open.

“Focus, Zora!” he shouted, still under water. “Use your mind to push them back. Make them a background thrum instead of the front of your mind.”

I pinched my eyes shut and tried. I envisioned my mental-self shoving the voices back with my hands. I kept pushing and eventually, the quieted down. I gave them another few pushes and then, they were barely a thrum.

I gently pried my eyes open. Maximus was still holding my face, near inches from me. He slowly let go. I blinked a few times, expecting the voices to come back. But they were gone, pressed back into my brain away from me. I tested letting them come forward a bit but then cringed at how loud it was. I pushed them back again. Then, it was silent save for the whistle of the wind down the alley I was standing in.

“What the fuck was that?” I whispered.

“Seems as though your wolf has decided to start to wake up,” Maximus replied. His hands were back at his sides. I missed their warmth on my face. “Your hearing kicked in. You just heard every conversation in the mile radius of the school.”

Holy shit.

Maximus gave a half laugh. I hadn’t realized I said that out loud. “Yeah, not fun,” he said. “Mine came in when I was eight. Wound up being the exact time my stepmum was in bed with my dad.” He shuddered.

“Is that how you knew to control it?” I asked, voice still low in fear of making the ringing in my ears return.

Maximus nodded. “Most parents teach their kids when they’re young,” he said. “We all know how to control it.”

“Oh,” I said. Maximus twisted his face in a way that told me he forgot where I came from. He rubbed at the back of his neck.

“I just saw you panicking and knew immediately,” he said. “I’m sure Moonbeam could’ve helped you but – I don’t know. I just pulled you hear so you’d be away from all of it when you came out of it.”

I blinked a few times at him. Didn’t he just watch me get my shit rocked yesterday? Who was this man and where was Maximus Wolfham.

“Thanks,” I said, dully.

“Yeah,” Max replied, nodding his head. His hand went back to rub at his neck. “Look, I need to ask you something.”

My face fell. I was not prepared to handle whatever he was about to throw my way. I pointed over my shoulder. “Basics is starting soon, ya know?” I said. “Can’t miss it! Clearly I need more training.”

I cringed. Maximus’s lips set themselves in a thin line. He licked the front of his teeth then pointed his chin at my wrapped wrist.

“You can’t even spar,” he said. “You can be a few minutes late.”

I frowned. He had me there. I stared at him, waiting for him to speak. He looked up at the sky and blew out a breath. Then he looked back at me. My hazel eyes met his shiny gold ones and for a moment time stopped.

“The Mateball,” he said. “I’d like you to go with me.”