His Hand In The Shadows

Chapter 13: On Guard

After class hours during the day, students could roam about the grounds. Ayla leaned against the wall of the second-floor balcony which gave a view of the main gate. Orhem guards stood at the gate in brown uniforms with unique weapons. Students left the campus by carriages in their formal attires to embark on their classy events. Some students still walked the campus in their uniforms as they left their classes. They traveled in packs. Reyes and Phina passed below her in uniform. Reyes looked up at her blowing her kisses. Phina yanked his arm and dragged him across the lawn to the thin, stony building across from them.

"It seems you have all the nobles running to you."

Ayla turned to see a student standing next to her. He was large. Third, maybe fourth year.

"I hear you offer your services to those you tutor. I believe you can teach me quite a lot."

"I already have a student."

He pulled a small sack from his pocket. "How much is the charge?" He pulled coins from the sack, one at a time. "If you were able to reel in great nobility, imagine how much royalty will do you in your business. I can offer you the world." He emptied the coins back into the sack and dangled it before her. "Say 'thank you'."

"You can't afford me. My apologies."

"Oh, I have more. They await you in my chambers."

"Oh. You should have said so." She took the sack from him and dropped it over the balcony. "How light. It slipped from my fingers. I expected heavier from royalty."

She moved to leave and walked right into him. He pushed her back against the railing, locking her between his arms as he gripped the rails tightly. She held the rail behind her and looked down at his arms, they were definitely large. He could have been twice her weight in muscle, but the professor said when throwing, it didn't matter. She looked him up the length of his body. If she could move fast enough and get her head under his arm, she could do it. But experienced himself, he could grab her before then. She would need speed.

"Consider what you tossed, an installment," he said.

She cloaked her hands in darkness. Turning her head over her shoulder, she studied the height of the balcony. 'Would he die if I threw him? He could grip the railings, if quick enough. But if I threw him hard enough—'

He pulled her chin and turned her to face him. "You have the darkest, greenest eyes..."

"I see you dropped your lunch here, Sir!" Reyes shouted from the ground. "What is it you are doing there?"

He took his hand from her face and gave off a huff. "It seems I dropped it."

"Come get it then," Reyes called.

He removed his arms and touched her cheeks as he passed her. She slapped his hand away and he looked back at her but continued to the stairs.

"Are you well up there?" Reyes asked Ayla.

She shot him a death glare, unhappy with his interruption. Phina yanked Reyes by the neck of his tunic. He dropped the sack and she dragged him into the building, hissing at him.

~

Eris lunged at a scowling Ayla and grabbed her arm as she was entering the hallway. Eris' curls were hot pink on one half of her head and neon blue on the other. She had ditched the purple tunic of her uniform and wore only the white undershirt with her grey trousers and boots. "How's it feel for a spar?"

Ayla hooked her arm around Eris' shoulders; her frown long faded to dust, leaving behind a mischievous glare. "Quite up for it. Perhaps I could throw you?"