A palpable tension hung in the large but mostly empty dining hall of the Academy where only one table was now occupied. Khai sat on one end of the table, his brawny arms crossed over his chest, staring Madge down with a glare so contemptuous that she felt herself grow shorter.
Ana sat on the opposite side of him, sandwiched between Madge and Meghan, her hazel eyes flashing with a fierce determination. Unlike Madge, she held her own against Khai, refusing to back down at the face of his aggression.
Beside Khai sat George, his presence calm and unassuming. He gazed out at the green lawns beyond the window, lost in thought as he absorbed the information he had just received.
Madge groaned, burying her face in her hands when she saw Elliot and Austin approaching from the corner of her eye.
"You couldn't last a day without running your mouth off?" Elliot jeered at the pink haired healer that now refused to meet anyone's gaze.