D.C. was the first to reap the consequences when she failed to answer a question correctly in Medical Science. Professor Luranda ended up giving her a detention when her reply was, “Sorry, Professor. I was so bored that I zoned out for a moment there. Can you repeat the question?”
By the time Friday arrived, Alex was definitely feeling the effects of her barely-awake consciousness. Finn had nearly killed her that morning in PE, and she had nearly killed her entire class in Chemistry. Equestrian Skills had also royally sucked because she’d been so out of it during their forest ride that she’d ended up being coat-hangered by a tree. The impact had sent her flying off her horse and onto the ground, resulting in Tayla ordering her to go straight to the Medical Ward where Fletcher had thankfully treated her bruised ribs without comment.
If Alex thought things couldn’t get any worse after that, she was soon proven wrong. While Fletcher had been fixing her up with pain meds and a Regenevator to increase the healing speed of her injury, the heavens had opened up, bringing a downpour of rain across the entire academy.
“Perfect,” Alex groaned as soon as she stepped outside Gen-Sec and saw the liquid bucketing from the sky. Knowing she was going to end up soaked no matter what, she stepped out into the rain and began to jog over to the Arena for her Combat class. While she ran, her thoughts grumbled about the lack of roofing over the amphitheatre. Sure, she’d had to take the class out in the elements before—rain, hail, snow, shine, everything—but she wasn’t in the mood to deal with the added inconvenience after the week she’d had.
Such was her luck that when the class actually started, the rain began falling even harder. Fabulous.
She made it halfway through the lesson before finally losing it.
“Fun, hey?” Brendan called over the violent sound of the downpour.
Alex could barely see him through the barrier of water. She could hardly see anything. But since they were supposed to be attacking each other, her lack of vision presented a serious problem.
“So much fun,” she returned sarcastically.
The truth was, Alex’s tolerance had reached its limit. But she continued to get the stuffing knocked out of her, knowing the class surely had to end soon. She was wet and miserable, and all she wanted was a long, hot shower and a good night’s sleep. Was that too much to ask?
Fifteen minutes later, Brendan again yelled to her over the tumultuous noise. “I take it back—this isn’t fun anymore!”
Alex grunted in agreement and kicked out at him. They were practising unarmed fighting techniques, so at least they didn’t have the added danger of slipping on the muddy ground and impaling themselves on their blades. That was a positive, if noth “I’ll tell you what,” Brendan shouted. “Why don’t you just let me win and we’ll be allowed to finish?”
Ten minutes earlier, Karter had told the different pairs to move out of a practising stance and into an attacking mind frame. As soon as one person managed to overcome the other, the pairs could finish class for the day. It was an uncharacteristic offer from Karter, but his leniency was likely a result of him being unable see his students.
“Me?” Alex yelled back, ducking his fist. “Why do I have to lose? Why can’t you let me win?”
She heard his faint snort over the cacophony of the rainstorm.
“Why is that funny?” she demanded, swiping her leg out towards where she thought he was. The rain was so blinding that she missed him by about three feet, and she heard him laugh even harder at her failed attempt.
“We both know you’re not going to beat me, Alex, and no one would believe us if we acted like you did,” he said. “Sure, you’re heaps better than you were, but I’ve been in Epsilon Combat for years longer than you. And I’m an apprentice, while you’re just a fourth year. You’re good, but you’re not that good.”
Normally Alex could handle the banter of the Combat boys, knowing they used taunts to throw off their opponents. But Brendan’s mockery just fuelled the fire that sparked from Alex’s exhausted state of mind.
She closed her eyes and took a deep breath to still her rising irritation, and her newly determined peace brought a sense of quiet that she’d only experienced once before. Alex suddenly felt everything around her. When she opened her eyes, she could see everything so much clearer than before. She watched in amazement as single raindrops fell from the sky in slow motion. She could see the other boys in her Combat class who were spread around the Arena and fighting awkwardly due to their limited vision. It was like switching from a static video to high definition; the added detail was startling. And when she threw her hand out towards Brendan—whom she could now see with phenomenal clarity—he wasn’t fast enough to block her blow.
Another punch, an elbow to his stomach, a sideswipe of her foot, and a final roundhouse kick to his torso landed him on his backside with her standing like an avenging angel over his winded body.
“How—How—?” he stuttered, looking up at her in awe as the rain fell onto his mud-splattered face.
“Cat got your tongue, Labinsky?” she said, holding out a hand to help him to his feet.
As if knowing their fight was over, the rain began to ease slightly. Of course.
“How did you move so fast?” he asked when he was standing again.
She brushed a wet lock of hair behind her ear. “What are you talking about?”
“You were like a blur,” Brendan said, lowering his voice to a more normal level as the rain continued to lessen. “I barely even saw you move.”
“That’s because it was raining,” Alex said. “The water was so thick I couldn’t see you either.”
But despite her words, she couldn’t ignore the fear that prickled up her spine. At the end of their fight, she definitely had seen him. And she knew how.
“No,” he said, shaking his head adamantly. “I mean, yeah, the rain was thick and it made seeing you difficult, but I’m talking about the speed of your attacks. You were insanely fast.”
Alex felt her breath catch with his admission but she forced herself to remain calm, even when her memory flashed an image of the cuts and nicks she’d given Roka in their fight a week ago. Had she somehow managed to tap into not only the increased sight, but also the Meyarin attribute of speed during her fight with Brendan? That was definitely a dangerous path to tread. She would have to be very careful in the future.
“I don’t know what you’re talking about,” Alex told him, faking indifference. “You said it yourself; I’m still not that great a fighter. I think the rain distorted what you think you saw and I just got a few lucky hits in.”
Brendan seemed to think about that as they walked to where Karter was waiting. Kaiden and Declan were already standing with him, but Nick and Sebastian had yet to finish their match.
“Yeah, I guess you’re right,” Brendan accepted before they reached the others. “Maybe you did just get lucky.”
Alex tried not to look too relieved.
“Labinsky, Jennings, you’re done?” Karter asked gruffly, wiping the rain off his face. It was now only drizzling lightly and Alex had to force herself to not scowl up at the sky.
“Yes, sir,” Brendan answered.