Morningstar

The eager look on Slier’s face makes Icarus a little uncomfortable. They are back in the library and she is standing by the table. She is looking down, searching in all of the opened books. East, on the other hand, is sitting near her with his arms crossed. He is waiting for her to finish what she is doing.

“Well?” Icarus asks.

“Give me a second,” she says.

Icarus looks away. He remembers what happened last night with Phoenix. Would he see Phoenix tonight? She left the room furious at him, and he did not follow her. He should have, shouldn’t he?

“Here,” Slier says. She slides the books towards Icarus. East leans in to see.

“Saint Seraphim,” Icarus reads, “of Fiery Rage.” He looks up. “Why are you showing me this?”

“We saw a witch last night,” Slier says. Icarus hates that term. “We do not know if the witch was a man or woman, but we felt the ma… the ability. It was fire, I am sure of it.”

“Around what time was this?” Icarus asks.

“Past curfew,” East answers.

Icarus doesn’t let his breath stop. He tries to act normally, but he knows who the blessed person was. It was Phoenix. Her fire is powered up by anger. She left Icarus’s room furious. She must have accidentally lighted up a flame. How dumb was of him letting her go? He should have stopped her.

“I want to hunt it,” Slier says. “I want that witch to be my first kill.”

“They hide well,” Icarus says. “They would be hard to track.”

“But there is a way, isn’t it?” she asks. “There is a way to detect them.”

“There is,” Icarus admits as he nods. “But they need to use their gift. If they do not use it, then there is not a single way to detect them.”

“Then teach me,” Slier says. Her eager expression has not faded. How eager is she for a kill? “Teach me everything that you know about this Seraphim and his ability. Teach me so that I can be ready when I sense that fire again.”

Icarus doesn’t want to agree. He doesn’t want Slier to go hunting for Phoenix. But he cannot say no. Morning told him to teach them. If he doesn’t, Morning will know that something is wrong with Icarus.

“Icarus, a word? Outside,” East says before he can answer.

“What?” Slier asks. “Can’t you talk about it with my presence?”

“It is women problems,” East says. “I want to ask some advice, but if you want, I can ask you.”

“No,” Slier says, shaking her head quickly. “Go on.”

Icarus stands up and follows East away from the tables. They walk for a while until they make sure that Slier is far enough to not hear anything. “You know them,” East says. “You know the fire user.”

“Is this a question?” Icarus asks.

“No,” East answers. “I saw on your face every time Slier called them a witch. You do not like that. Also, for a second, I saw something in your eyes, something similar to fear, when she mentioned that they used fire. You know this person and you don’t want them dead.”

“I am an assassin, East,” Icarus says. “My kill count is way too high, but all of these kills, I’ve had a reason to. They were either because I was ordered to, self-defense, or they were really bad people. This person blessed by Saint Seraphim has not done anything apart from surviving like you and Slier. Why does it deserve to die?”

“It doesn’t,” East says as he shakes his head. “Morning wants them dead, but why? He told us that they attacked our parents and we were rescued by him. How can I believe that without proof? How can I believe that he played the hero when this place is a living hell?”

“I cannot answer those questions,” Icarus answers. He is under Morning’s contract. He doesn’t share the same point of view as him, but he cannot say that. He has to continue making sure that Morning thinks that he is at least in his side.

“Whatever the answers are, I cannot go killing students without a reason,” East says. “But you still have to teach us, so I offer you this. Teach us everything and I will sabotage whatever kill Slier tries. Deal?” Icarus doesn’t answer. “Right. You cannot answer. Well, that’s what I’ll do.”

Icarus places a hand on East’s shoulder. Maybe that is more than enough to make him understand.

***

Norm is at Tilray’s room. Tilray has only one roommate now, Minerva, because the other two were killed at the trials. Minerva has left to someone’s room to spend the night so Tilray offered them to hang in her room.

Right now, Norm is sitting on the border of someone’s bed. Shin is lying on another bed as if it was his. Killam is sitting on Tilray’s bed while Ilya is lying on it and with her head on Killam’s lap.

“It doesn’t make sense,” Tilray says from the bathroom. “Why would she leave you? The only person that you weren’t an asshole to was to her.” Shin has told them that Ollie left him a week ago.

“For Jas,” Shin sighs.

“For him?” Ilya asks.

“He is kind of cute, though,” Tilray says. “But he is a jerk, more than Killam. Why would she choose him over you?”

Norm isn’t paying attention to them. His eyes are alternating between Ilya and the floor. Ilya’s brown hair is spread on Killam’s lap and he is brushing it with his fingers. Norm wants to be there. He wants to be the one brushing Ilya’s hair. He wants to be the one holding her head on his lap.

“Norm, are you in?” Tilray asks.

“What?” Norm asks, snapping awake.

“You weren’t hearing, were you?” Tilray asks. Norm shakes his head. “We are going to prank Jas.”

“What are you going to do?” Norm asks.

“You’ll see,” Killam says, smiling.

“If Killam is planning this, count me out,” Norm says.

“Come on, Norm,” Ilya says as she sits up. “This is for Shin. This is for our friend.”

“Fine,” he says. He would do anything that Ilya asks him to.

Killam smiles. “This is what we’ll do.”

In around fifteen minutes, Norm is on the hallway of the second floor at one of the boys’ dormitory. He is standing against the wall many meters away from Jas’s dorm and near the window at the end of the hallway. He looks at the window. Killam is standing outside.

His sight returns to the hallway. There are two people walking inside. He needs to wait until the hallway is empty. Tilray is one floor down, watching the entrance. If Jas arrives, she will distract him while Ilya comes to warn Norm. Shin is on top of the tree that looks towards the window to Jas’s room. If Killam is waiting for Norm’s signal, it means that Shin has already given the all clear.

Norm looks back at the hallway. The people are gone. He scratches his head by the window. Killam heads to the entrance. A couple of seconds later, he sees him coming up from the stairs. Killam opens the door to Jas’s dorm and enters. The students’ dorms have no way of locking themselves because they all share the same things except for their weapons. There’s nothing valuable to steal.

Norm moves from the window to stand next to the door of Jas’s room. A couple of minutes later, he spots Ilya coming up the stairs. She walks quickly past him. “Jas’s coming,” she says. She heads to the stairs at the other end of the hallway. Tilray must be entertaining him.

He knocks on the door twice and begins to walk away to the stairs. He finds Jas coming up then. He is tall, taller than Killam, but about the same as Shin. He has blond hair and brown eyes.

“Excuse me,” Norm interrupts Jas. He needs to give Killam time to leave the room. “Do you know where Tate’s room is?”

“I don’t know any Tate,” he says as he walks past him. Norm doesn’t know any Tate either.

“Are you sure?” Norm asks following him. “You might have seen him once or twice. He is tall, but not as much as you, and somehow he always looks tired.”

“I do not know any Tate,” Jas repeats, sounding almost hostile. He opens the door to his dorm. Norm catches a glimpse of the room. Killam is not there.

“I was only asking one question,” Norm says. “You do not have to be rude.” He turns around and leaves to the stairs. He hears the door close.

Norm hopes that Killam hasn’t done something too awful.

***

Killam jumps out of the window when he hears the door open. He smiles at himself when he lands on the ground. It is dark. Surely Jas would not see him if he looks out the window. Killam then turns and finds a pair of blue eyes looking at him. Agrion is staring back at him.

“Shit,” Killam whispers. He saw him. If someone hears about Jas’s prank, he might easily connect it to Killam. He needs to make sure that Agrion remains quiet.

When he is about to speak, Agrion just turns around and leaves. Killam follows him inside the dorms. He tries to walk faster, trying not to look too suspicious. Agrion disappears through the stairs but Killam catches glimpse of him in a second.

“Agrion,” he calls, but Agrion continues walking. Once they get to the third floor, Killam feels better about raising his voice. “Agrion, what did you see?”

Agrion opens a door to a dorm. “I saw nothing,” he answers. When he is about to close the door, Killam places his hand in the middle. He pushes it open. The dorm is empty. None of his roommates are there.

“Liar,” Killam says.

“Get out of my room,” Agrion says.

“No,” Killam answers as he closes the door. “What did you see?”

“Nothing,” Agrion answers. He looks stiff as if he is ready to strike. Killam has to admit that he has never spoken with Agrion alone. They are both practically strangers.

“Then I am not leaving until you tell me,” Killam says, trying to lighten the mood. He moves around the room, watching each bed. “This must be your bed.” He sits down.

“Get off it,” Agrion answers.

“Aren’t you going to ask me how I know?”

“No,” he answers. Killam remains sitting on the bed, not saying anything else. Agrion sighs. “Fine. How?”

“It is the only bed made,” Killam says as he passes his hands through the sheets’ surface. “You seem like the kind of guy that will wake up every morning and do it.”

“There’s nothing wrong with doing my bed,” Agrion says.

“No, but it actually says a lot about you. You want consistency. You want structure. That’s why you make your bed. You want to be organized, and doing it makes you think that you have control over something.” He looks at Agrion. “Am I wrong?”

“Get out,” Agrion repeats.

Killam stands up. “What. Did. You. See?” He walks towards Agrion.

“Nothing!” Agrion takes a step back.

He is not going to speak, Killam knows it. He might need to use a better strategy, his favorite strategy. It is time to be rough. He pulls his fist back but ends up punching the wall past Agrion. “What did you see?”

Agrion only gulps, but his eyes do not back down. That is when Killam truly sees Agrion for the first time. His features are elegant and soft, somehow even sensible. His white skin seems that it could turn red easily. He has a bandage on his neck, probably from the practice of today. His small blue eyes have always appeared shy, but right now, they mean business. His brown hair gives the appearance of being soft too.

Then he catches a scent. He leans into Agrion. Agrion doesn’t move. Killam moves his head to his neck and sniffs.

“Coconut,” he says as he moves his head away. “You smell of coconut.” For a second, he imagines having Agrion closer, mixing the scent of coconut on his body. He imagines Agrion leaving traces of the smell on his skin.

Killam’s eyes fall to his lips. Are his thin lips softer than his skin? Could they taste the same way as the smell of his skin? He lifts a finger and lays it on top of Agrion’s bottom lip. It is soft. He pulls the finger away.

“Fine. Don’t talk,” Killam says. “But this isn’t over.” He opens the door and leaves the room.

***

Rin is smiling from ear to ear as she knocks on Phoenix’s door. Phoenix opens it after a while. She is dressed in her sleeping clothes.

“What are you doing here?” Phoenix asks. “And why are you smiling?”

“Oh, I was at Wraith with Padden, Shawn and a couple of other guys,” Rin says.

“Padden?”

“Yeah, the cute guy that I told you about. Anyway, can I come in?”

“No,” Phoenix answers. “First, you are wasted, and second, my roommates are sleeping.”

“Those whores do not deserve to sleep,” Rin says. “Wake them up.”

“Rin!” Phoenix warns.

“What?” Rin asks. “You have seen them fucking around. They go faster than the speed of light.”

Phoenix chuckles. She steps out of the room and closes the door. “What do you want to talk about?”

“Ah, I wanted to talk about…” She looks up, searching for the answer in the air. She wants to keep dancing instead of talking. “I had to tell you something, but I don’t remember… Oh, wait. I know. Icarus!”

Phoenix rolls her eyes. “What about him?”

“I saw him as I left Wraith. He asked me to tell you something. Anyway, I am going to sleep. See you tomorrow.”

“Rin,” Phoenix says. “What did he tell you?”

“What? Oh, right,” Rin says. She hits her head with her palm. “How dumb of me. He told me that he knew that you used your fire thingy and that someone saw it. He said that he needed to talk to you as soon as possible.”

“How concerned did he sound?”

“Girl, who can’t tell?” Rin asks. “I don’t even know what you see in him. You cannot even tell if he is constantly angry or if he even has a mouth.”

Phoenix sighs. “He can wait. If he wanted to talk to me, he would have come.” She looks at Rin. “Get to your room, Rin. Go get some sleep before you pass out in the hallway.”

“I won’t pass out,” Rin answers. “Bye.” She hums a song as she leaves to the stairs. She wishes that she could party more, but the night is almost over and she needs to sleep if she wants to survive the trials.