Night School

Stepping out from behind Sylvain, she nodded, feeling like an idiot. ‘I fell. And I could hear something moving in the woods.’


‘Must have been me. I took a shortcut. Or it could have been Ruth – I sent her back to get you.’ Turning to Sylvain he said, ‘We should get her back. Do you want me to take her?’

Sylvain considered this, then shook his head. ‘No, it’s fine. I’ll take her. You have work to do. Make sure there’s nothing out there.’

Allie could sense Carter’s reluctance, but then Sylvain pulled on her arm and she walked with him.

Her leg hurt much more now and walking was increasingly painful. She said nothing, but when a tear trickled down her cheek Sylvain noticed.

‘Is it your leg?’ he asked, brushing the tear away.

‘I’m sorry,’ she said. ‘I’m being a baby.’

‘Don’t be ridiculous,’ he said, and without another word he scooped her up off her feet and carried her down the path.

‘You can’t carry me – I’m too heavy,’ she protested.

‘You weigh only as much as a girl,’ he said. ‘Put your arms around my neck.’

She did as he said. Now that she was off her leg the pain had lessened. He’s strong, she thought, noticing that he wasn’t breathing heavily from the exertion. After a second, she rested her head on his shoulder and enjoyed the oddly weightless sensation of being carried for the first time since she was a child.

They had been closer to the building than she knew, so it was only a few minutes before he was climbing the stairs. Someone opened the door for them and she lifted her head to see Zelazny standing in the lighted entry hall.

‘What happened?’ he barked.

‘She fell in the dark,’ Sylvain answered for her.

‘Of course it was dark. It’s after curfew,’ Zelazny said pointedly.

‘She fell before curfew,’ Sylvain said protectively, and Allie tightened her arms on his neck.

‘Take her to the nurse,’ Zelazny said with obvious poor humour. ‘Somebody else fell earlier – she’s in the dining hall with them now. Join the queue.’

As he walked off she could hear him mutter, ‘Ruddy clumsiness if you ask me …’

‘I don’t need a nurse,’ Allie said, but Sylvain ignored her, taking her straight to the dining hall.

The nurse, who wore white scrubs with the Cimmeria logo, was wrapping the sprained wrist of a girl Allie didn’t recognise as Sylvain set Allie down in a chair. (‘Night tennis gone wrong,’ the girl sighed when she left, her arm in a splint.) Tutting at Allie’s knee, the nurse cleaned the wound with an antiseptic liquid that stung so much Allie tried to get up and leave (Sylvain wouldn’t let her), and then applied an ointment and bandages so gently she barely felt them at all.

Sylvain stood beside her the whole time, one hand resting on her shoulder.

‘Don’t run any marathons in the next few days, love,’ the nurse chirped as Allie and Sylvain walked out the door, ‘and you’ll be right as rain in a few days.’

Allie thought it must be well after curfew by now – the halls were quiet as Sylvain helped her up the stairs to the girls’ dorm.

‘Do you want me to walk you to your door?’ he asked when they reached the top, his sexy smile turning the helpful offer into something slightly more lascivious.

‘I think I can make it from here,’ Allie laughed. ‘But thanks for rescuing me. Again. This is getting to be a thing with us.’

As she turned to go, he grabbed her hand and pulled her back. Before she had time to react he leaned down and kissed her. It was a long, deep kiss. When it ended, Allie stared at him, breathing heavily.

‘You’re welcome,’ he whispered.

Surprised, Allie stepped backward too fast, stumbling over her own feet and colliding with the wall behind her. Colour flooded her cheeks as she righted herself.

‘I … so … thanks … Well, good night.’

She could see Sylvain was trying not to smile as she turned to limp down the hallway.





ELEVEN


‘So … what happened last night?’

It was Saturday morning. Allie sat in the quiet common room on the opposite end of a deep leather sofa from Jo. Each wore the same dark blue knee-length shorts and white, short-sleeved shirt, and each held a white mug of tea absentmindedly in her right hand.

They’d headed here together just after breakfast, where Gabe had not joined them.

Jo’s clear blue eyes evaded capture, flitting around the room anxiously before finally coming to rest on Allie. ‘Gabe can be a bit … controlling.’ On the last word her voice was so low Allie leaned in to hear it. After a pause, Jo’s left hand waved the thought away. ‘And I hate that. Sometimes.’

She paused and Allie waited.

‘So.’ Jo sighed. ‘Yesterday he was just acting a bit too much like my dad. Do this, don’t do that. Don’t question me. And if he thinks he can get away with that he’s wrong. And … well, now we’re not speaking. He was in the common room when Carter and I came in …’