Chương 6: Chapter 6

Cas and I had known each other since Entry Level. We'd been classmates then, but we hadn't actually become friends until Second Level, when we had the same instructor for sparring. Our instructor had pitted us against each other, and gradually we'd learned one another's moves and become able to counter them without thinking. Our other classmates looked on and cheered whenever we sparred. We sat with the same group of people in the cafeteria.

In Third Level, we'd called one another friends. We still sparred on the lawns after classes finished. We met Shiri and Elen and Tristan, and Kalle tagged along with us too, because she and I were already close. The six of us all hoped to get into the Academy for Fourth-Level Programming and Operation.

And, eventually, the day of the Pairings had come, two weeks before the exam. They'd sent me a letter through the Mail System announcing the choice, and I'd stared at it for several minutes without comprehending.

Cas and me? Paired together?

Though neither of us had felt negatively toward the System's decision, things hadn't been the same between us since.

Cas held his sword at his side, hesitating before stepping forward and raising it to guard his chest. I reacted, reaching out to strike, but he managed to block the attack, and I stumbled. He caught me on the arm, and the brief pain reminded me of my goal. I focused on his movements, trying to remember the telegraphs that told me where he would choose to strike next. Great Triad above, had it really been that long? I couldn't see anything at all.

I stepped back. "We've come a long way since those duels of Second Level Academy."

"That's one way of putting it." He forced a smile.

I charged at him, unleashing a flurry of blows, and he struggled to guard against them. Only my last strike managed to penetrate his defenses, however, and even then he held his ground. He took my pause as an opportunity to hit me in the shin. I stumbled back at the sudden sting, but I regained my ground.

When I did, I saw Cas standing over me, his arms crossed and his blade in the grass.

"What are you doing?" I asked.

"You were already done," he teased me with a grin. "If this was a real fight, we would have been done a while ago."

"Shut up." I smacked his leg with the flat of my blade. Recalling our duels in Second Level, I added, "This isn't a real fight. Since when has it ever been a real fight?"

The smile left Cas's lips, and he stared at me, pale-faced. It took me a mere moment to understand what he was thinking.

"Miranda," he said, his voice softening. "What was that, this morning? Did you know him?"

"No, Cas, I swear to Regis. I've never seen him before." I looked him in the eye. Any suspicion at all from Cas was the last thing I needed.

"Then why . . . ?" Cas shook his head, trailing off.

"I don't know." I finally allowed myself to break eye contact, but my voice made an involuntary break as well. "I wish they'd get rid of him. I don't want to think about it anymore."

"Shh." Cas pulled me to him, dropping his sword in the grass. I refused to let go of mine, but I let him put his arms around me. "Don't worry about it, Miranda. The System doesn't let things like this go. They'll fix it."

"I hope you're right," I said into the dark blue fabric of his uniform shirt. He gave my shoulder a reassuring squeeze.

"Worry about the test," Cas said, pulling back and smiling slightly. "If you're going to worry about anything."

"I don't need to worry about the test, Cas," I murmured, returning the smile. "And neither do you, by the way."

"You want to bet?" he asked.

After a short silence, I said, "It's getting kind of dark. I should probably go home." I looked toward the cityscape behind him, where the sun had long begun to disappear and throw the buildings into shadow.

"Do you want me to walk you there?" Cas offered, shrinking his sword back to its storage size and placing it in his shapeless school bag.

"No," I said. "I'm okay. It's not far."

"Okay." Cas slid the bag over one shoulder and moved toward me again. His hand slipped into mine, his fingers threading over mine. "Good night."

His lips found my cheek. The kiss was short and soft, and though it wasn't something we hadn't done before, I still had to make an effort not to stiffen.

"Good night, Cas."

He departed for his residential division, and I for mine. Within a few minutes I had crossed back through the meadows and into our housing area, where the familiar, custom houses surrounded twisting roads. There was still just enough light to travel by without the solar lamps that ran up and down almost every street.

As I walked up the steps to my family's residence, I looked over my shoulder one last time. Despite Cas's words, I still had the relentless, insistent feeling that I was being watched.

bình luận bình luận của 0

Bình chọn

GỬI QUÀ TẶNG

Load failed, please RETRY