Shadows of Uprising (Guardian of the Vale Book 2) Page 16

  He motioned a young man on the right forward. “Eryc Connel. Mr. Connel is a student of outstanding academic prowess. He comes here with the highest grades, and we'll be expecting a lot of him this semester. He's an extremely talented Earth-Mover.” Sprynge paused. “Where are some members of Clayborne's basketball teams?”

  About fifty hands went up, interspersed throughout the common room.

  “Mr. Connel is captain of his basketball team at Andova, and has been given national recognition for his talent in the game.” Sprynge smiled and shoved his notebook under his arm, bringing his hands together into applause. A smattering of applause rippled across the room.

  Alayne nudged Kyle. “The boy looks embarrassed.”

  “Wouldn't you be, with an introduction like that?”

  Alayne stifled a giggle.

  Sprynge worked his way down the line, ending with Rachyl Copen. Alayne was struck by her huge dark eyes. Her chestnut hair looked like a living creature; it danced around her shoulders all the way down her back to her knees. “Wow. She's really pretty.”

  “Is she?” Kyle glanced at her. “I hadn't noticed.”

  Alayne blushed as she felt his fingers twine through her own. She forced herself to keep still and not tug her hand away. He squeezed her hand. “You're getting better at not pulling away, Layne.”

  Marysa leaned over. “Did you hear that?”

  “Hear what?” Alayne jerked her attention to her friend.

  “She's Leader Blankenship's niece. You know, Layne, if you're really serious about figuring out all this political nuisance with Elemental Alliance and the Last Order, she might be one of the people we should try to make friends with.”

  * * *

  Applied Elements was the first class of the semester. Alayne watched Marysa jog down the walk to the river where she hopped the boat to Grenton. Marysa had been successful in getting her apprenticeship with Top-Notch Systems and had talked almost non-stop about her plans for the last week in a row.

  Alayne had timidly approached Professor Manders only yesterday. “I know this is really last minute, Professor, but I couldn't think of anyone else I'd rather apprentice with than you.”

  A shadow of a smile had appeared on Manders's face. “So you want to be a dry and dusty history professor, do you?”

  Alayne had blushed. “No, not—I mean, it's not a bad job. You—you're a Water-Wielder, and if it weren't for the Vale, I think that would be my first element, and since you're a Water-Wielder...” She stopped helplessly.

  Manders chuckled. “I'd be glad to apprentice you, Alayne. Let's call it a work in progress, shall we? I don't have specific plans laid out for an apprenticeship, but I think I might be able to find a few things to teach you.” His eyes had twinkled as he set up a meeting place the next day.

  Now, Alayne watched Marysa's boat disappear around the bend in the river, and she turned upstream, jogging to the place where she was to meet Manders. The sun failed to pierce the thick cold that blanketed the landscape, and Alayne wrapped a sheath of warmth around herself as she moved up the path.

  She found the professor sitting against a tree on the edge of the riverbank. A line of fish hung on a string from a nearby branch. Alayne was about to greet the professor when a large fish launched from the water, directly into a bag that Manders held open, waiting. With a deft twist, he hooked the fish to the string before glancing at Alayne.

  “Gathering dinner tonight for the commissary,” he explained, motioning to the ground beside him. “Have a seat.”

  As soon as Alayne was settled, he passed her a bag. “Load up. We have lots of students to feed.”

  Alayne glanced at him and then turned her attention to the water, measuring its consistency. Manders had already caught most of the fish in the immediate area. She turned her attention downstream, and bent the current, pushing more fish toward them.

  “Alayne, I feel like I should apologize for the Christmas dance.”

  Alayne lost her grip on the elements in her surprise. “Apologize? For what, sir?”

  “I know you had more to say to your parents, and I didn't allow you the time you needed to talk to them. I should have found a better time, one that wasn't so rushed.”

  Alayne shrugged. “You found the best time that worked, sir, and you kept us safe as well as my parents. I don't think you need to apologize at all. It was just what I needed—to be able to see them and talk to them, even if it was just for a few minutes.”

  She turned her attention back to the water, searching for more fish. She pulled in two more from downstream just as Manders snagged three small ones from upstream. “Those are almost too small to keep.” He eyed them regretfully. “Still.” He shrugged as he twisted them onto the string and then asked, “Alayne, are you absolutely certain you can trust Mr. Pence?”

  His words so closely echoed those of his nephew that Alayne's lungs emptied. She nearly lost both of her fish in her surprise. “E—excuse me?”

  Manders hastily shook his head. “I'm sorry to throw that at you, Alayne. I've been watching you lately with him. It concerns me, that's all; you make quite a pairing when you are who you are, the possessor of the Vale, and he is who he is.”

  “Is who—he's a Pence, yes, sir, but he's different. He would never betray me—us.” Manders was a Guardian. If Alayne were betrayed, Manders would be as well, and Daymon, and all the rest of the family that wore the Mark of Four and claimed Guardianship of the Vale. He would be suspicious. She searched the opposite riverbank as she struggled to explain. “He—he—really likes me a lot, sir.” She blushed, mortified, but desperately needed to explain Kyle's innocence.

  Manders turned his head, his gray eyes holding hers in a level gaze. At last, he spoke. “I see. And what are your feelings regarding him, Alayne?”

  For some reason, the question irritated Alayne. “I—I mean, it's complicated, because of—you know, I mean, Jayme, and all that. I—he's a good friend, and while I—may not be where he is, I know he needs me...” She came to a confused halt as Manders nodded once.

  “I only ask, Alayne, because the day may come when Mr. Pence will have to choose between his feelings for you and his desperate wish for his own parents' love and approval, and what a powerful siren call that can be. I just want you to be aware.”

  Alayne stared at him, anger at his insinuation warring with appreciation for the sympathy she read in his eyes.

  “Why don't you head back?” He flipped another fish into his bag. “I'll stay here for a bit until I get a few more fish.”

  “But—I only got two so far, and—”

  “You need some time to yourself, Alayne. I think that's fairly obvious. Go on. Take a run. Daymon'll follow you.”

  Alayne glanced over her shoulder. Sure enough, Daymon leaned against a tree near the path, his eyes on some faraway point downstream, his arms folded across his chest.

  After a moment's hesitation, she pushed herself to her feet and stalked back to the path. “Don't you ever have anything else to do?” she muttered on her way past Daymon.

  His jaw tightened, although he said nothing.

  Alayne reached the path and turned away from the spire, breaking into an easy jog. A glance over her shoulder showed Daymon jogging as well, about a hundred yards behind her. It was a familiar sight by now, his consistent presence, and Alayne pushed away her irritation, which she knew stemmed from Professor Manders's accusation of Kyle.

  He wasn't accusing, Layne. He was just asking you to be careful. She could do that. That wasn't too harsh of a request.

  * * *

  In Professor Pence's Throw-Casting class, Alayne intercepted Rachyl Copen on her way down the steps to her seat. The new girl looked around the room, her eyes wide and a little lost. A stab of pity squeezed Alayne's insides. She wondered if Rachyl's exchange program had been voluntary. Jordyn's hadn't, thanks to Sprynge.

  Alayne drew even with the girl. “Hey, you want to come sit with us? We sit near the front, but there's an empty se
at at our table.”

  Relief flitted through Rachyl's dark eyes. “Sure.” She hugged her books to her chest and walked next to Alayne down to the front. Sliding the books on the table, she held out her hand. “I'm Rachyl.”

  “Alayne. Alayne Worth.” Alayne grasped Rachyl's hand as she watched the other girl's eyes widen.

  “You're the Quadriweave. My uncle's talked about you.”

  Alayne shrugged uncomfortably. “Oh? What does he say?”

  Now it was Rachyl's turn to give a stilted shrug. She dropped her gaze to the floor. “Nothing important. I mean, nothing that bears repeating.” She cleared her throat and looked around. “Is this one of the better classes? I enjoyed my Throw-Casting class at Andova, but a lot of that was thanks to the prof. How is Professor Pence?”

  Kyle peeked his head around Alayne's shoulder. “You probably don't want to know Layne's opinion on my mom. What?” he asked as Alayne glared at him. “Just saying.”

  Beatrice Pence entered the classroom from the stage door on the left and marched to the podium. Alayne hurried to her seat, scraping her chair out and sitting as Kyle, Marysa, and Rachyl followed her lead. Daymon slipped into his chair quietly on the far end of the table, not glancing at any of them.

  Pence began her lesson for the day, and Alayne breathed a sigh of relief. Generally, she started out each lesson with a sharp remark to or about Alayne, but she seemed to have bypassed the practice this morning.

  “This morning, class, we'll begin with a scenario, and I want you to act out how you would behave if such a scenario happened to you.” She paused and scanned the seats. “As Elementals, you should be familiar with the extra power your skills will give you throughout your life. On the opposite side, class, you should also be familiar with the fact that there will always be threats to your well-being. One of those threats that has gradually strengthened over the course of time is one that will take you by surprise, but you must be aware of its existence. Can anyone tell me what threat I'm talking about?”

  The class sat, silent and still. Alayne's mind flashed over thoughts of the Elemental Alliance, of which she knew Pence was a member. A premonition began to sink into her mind, and anger stirred inside of her.

  “No points for participation today, I see.” A frown covered Pence's face. “Humans, class. One of the greatest threats to Elemental society today is the Natural Human.” She walked around to the side of the podium and leaned one elbow on it. “And why is that? Cornelia, can you tell me?”

  Alayne glanced over her shoulder at Cornelia, the husky, pierced girl who had plagued her life most of the previous year. This year, Cornelia had mostly left Alayne alone. Perhaps she had decided Alayne wasn't worth her time.

  Cornelia smiled. “Because Natural Humans weaken our power, Professor.”

  “Exactly. Precisely. Just imagine, class, if humans began copulating with penguins, say. I assure you, this is anatomically impossible, but for the purposes of discussion, let's say that a half-human, half-penguin race begins to fill CommonEarth. After a few generations of half-breeds procreate with other half-breeds, and so on and so forth, would there be much of a human race left?” She scanned the seats. “Not at all. Humanity would be lost in the penguins.” She returned to the back of the podium and leaned on it. “The same goes for Elementals. Elementals have been cross-breeding with Natural Humans for generations, and now, pure Elemental life is threatened, because the waters have been muddied, so to speak.”

  Alayne's thoughts tumbled as she realized the direction Pence was taking. She glanced over at Kyle. He'd dropped his gaze to the floor, a muscle jumping in his jaw. A wave of red rose on his neck. And I thought my mom was bad, Alayne thought. At least Wynn had never explained a total DNA fail to a class of teenage Elementals.

  Pence touched the MIU on her desk, and a holographic image shot upward from it.

  Alayne gasped, and a tense silence rippled across her table. Kyle muttered an oath under his breath.

  Alayne's parents hovered in the air, a still-shot of them at an event in Skyden taken two years ago. Bryan's dimple peeped out as his arm circled Wynn's waist. Wynn's head rested on his shoulder. Both of them smiled out at the class.

  Pence's eyes rested on Alayne, her expression contemptuous. “This, class, is an example of the abomination that weakens our ranks. She is Elemental.” Her nose wrinkled in disgust. “He is Natural.”

  Pence walked around her podium to the front. “Incidentally, class, this couple is wanted by General Shane Beckyr for questioning. They've been missing for a few months now. If anyone has seen them or knows any information about them, it is your responsibility as an Elemental to report it to Professor Sprynge or me. Fifty thousand gold pieces are available for a reward.”

  Alayne felt her breakfast churning in her stomach. It rushed for her throat. She sprang from her seat, scrambled behind Kyle's chair for the aisle, and took the stairs three at a time out of the classroom.

  Chapter 14

  Daymon found Alayne where she'd hidden in the back corner of the common room, her feet resting on a coffee table in front of her, her back to the expansive room. Students dotted the couches here and there, but most were still in class.

  Daymon sat in a chair opposite Alayne, facing the common room. He stayed silent, and for that, Alayne was grateful. She swiped her wet cheek, clearing the moisture into the air. She clasped her hands and laid them across her stomach, watching her thumbs circle each other.

  At last, Alayne sighed. “What am I doing, Daymon? I mean, really? How did I get here? And don't tell me the story of the Vale, 'cause I know how I got here, but what in CommonEarth am I supposed to do to about everything? Malachi, the Elemental Alliance, the Last Order. Why do I feel like I'm being pulled in all directions?”

  “Maybe because you are.” A faint smile crossed Daymon's lips as he watched her grimace. “You have something that a lot of people want, and as a result, you're going to be the centerpiece on a lot of people's wish lists.”

  “Nobody asked me, though,” Alayne grumbled, determined to retain her sour mood. “Your mom just rips open a baby's side and sticks the thing in. Who does that? Who slices open a baby?”

  Daymon chuckled. “It's not quite the same as what you're saying. The Vale had healed you almost before you had time to cry about it.”

  “Still, she should have kept it.”

  “Then it would have been in Malachi's power before the night was over, and you know what he would have done to the world, Alayne.”

  “What would he have done? What's happening right now? Talks in the High Court that Natural Humans will be grouped together into 'Natural Re-Education Centers'? He didn't have to wait for the Vale to begin that.”

  “No, but he will need it to finish it.”

  “Why? What's to stop him?” Alayne swung her legs off the coffee-table, and leaned forward, propping her elbows on her knees.

  Daymon stood, obviously preparing to go. The noise of students entering the common room from the chute washed over them. His blue gaze was steady on Alayne's face. “You.” He nodded to someone behind Alayne. “Your boyfriend's here.” He ambled away from the couch, his hands sliding deep into his pockets.

  Kyle plopped onto the couch next to Alayne, reaching for her hand. His lips were pulled into a hard, straight line. “Alayne, I feel like I need to apologize for my mom, but I know that nothing I say—”

  “Don't be stupid. Your mom makes her own choices. You have no responsibility for the way she acts.”

  “I know.” Anger rippled through his tone. He dropped his gaze.

  Alayne was tired of thinking about it. She knew she'd receive a zero in Pence's class for today because of her early departure; she didn't want to add more fuel to the fire inside of her by dwelling on the professor's obvious hatred for her.

  Kyle's next sentence flattened her.

  “So, does Daymon have a thing for you?” He wasn't looking at her; his attention was wholly devoted to playing with her fingers.
<
br />   After a few stunned moments, Alayne finally found her voice. “Certainly not. Why do you ask?”

  A flush crept up Kyle's neck. “Well, the whole Guardian thing. I know he takes it seriously, and I'm all for that, because I want you safe as much as—well, more—than the average person. But ever since we made it official at the Christmas dance, he's been acting strange. He only hangs out with us when he feels like he has to; he's pretty well clammed up when we're all together even when he does hang out with us.” Kyle's face grew even more scarlet. “And I admit that sometimes I get a little jealous when I'm not the first one to come after you when something like what happened today in class occurs.”

  Alayne felt like a fish that had sat too long out of water. Her mouth gaped open. She shut it with a snap. “Kyle, it's—there's not—there's nothing like that between us. Daymon is...” She stumbled to a stop. What was Daymon, exactly? She hadn't really thought of him as a friend, but they had already been through a lot together. Her Guardian, certainly, but a stronger relationship existed between them now. Alayne wasn't sure how to term it. “Well, he's a friend,” she finished, feeling that the explanation was somehow inadequate.

  Kyle nodded, shooting her a sheepish grin. “Okay, thanks for telling me. Competing for your affections with someone who's already dead is one thing, but competing with a good-looking reformed bad-boy is something else.” His teasing smile dropped from his face when he saw her expression. “Layne, I'm sorry. That was—I didn't mean...”

  Alayne pulled her hand from Kyle's and stood. She rubbed the back of her neck and closed her eyes. “Kyle, I'm tired. I'm going to bed for a while. I know you didn't mean it, and I'm not going to hold it against you, but you know as well as I do that I still fight my memories every day.”

  Kyle started to get up, but Alayne stopped him. “I just want to be alone for a bit. I'll see you later.”