The Knowledge of the Hidden

Chapter 17

I manage to avoid everyone until the dinner bell rings, at which point I am the first one in line, grabbing my stuff and moving to a spot on my own. Unsurprisingly, Josh finds me and sits down. I don't invite him, but I don't push him away either.

What is surprising, however, is who shows up next: Xavier, Maddie, Danielle, and Drew. Maddie leads the way, plopping herself down beside me with a wide grin.

"I think I may have misjudged you," she says sincerely, throwing a smirk in Drew's direction. "You've got fight in you. I like that."

"Yeah, it was pretty kickass how you stood up to Drew earlier," Xavier says, nudging Drew good-naturedly. "Just about had him running scared."

"Oh, ha ha," Drew says, giving a forced smile at the group. The others pay him no mind, continuing their jesting, but I catch a glimpse of something else in his expression when their backs are turned. Anger? Embarrassment? I can't be sure, because he's recovered his stage face in a moment, grinning with the rest of them.

"Your girl is tough," Xavier says to Josh, who looks very lost. I roll my eyes.

"I'm not his girl."

No one acknowledges this.

"You should have seen it," Xavier continues, nudging Josh like he's about to let him in on some kind of secret.

"Seen what?" Josh asks.

"Only Lilly exploding on Drew for suggesting she couldn't handle herself," Maddie says, her eyes sparkling with gossip. "It was quite a sight. Didn't know she was capable of that kind of passion."

"Doesn't have a bad arm either," Xavier notes.

"Wait," Josh says. "You punched him?"

Xavier and Maddie laugh. I bite my lip to keep from smiling.

"No," I say.

"She threw a dagger," Maddie says.

"At him?"

More laughter. I roll my eyes, smirking at Josh as I grab a bite of fish with my bare hands.

"At a tree," Xavier explains for me.

"But I'm glad you have so much faith in me," I tease, punching Josh lightly in the arm.

"It was great," Xavier says, grinning at me.

"Are you kidding?" I raise my eyebrows. "I was nowhere near the target. And it didn't even stick."

He shrugs. "All you need is a little training, is all."

"Oh yeah, and where am I going to get that?"

"I can teach you," Xavier says.

"You know how to throw a spear?" I ask, unbelieving. "What for? Don't you just magic it into the tree with your wind power or something?"

Xavier laughs. "It's always good to know how to do things without help from anything, even from your powers. You never know when there might be a situation where you'll need to know."

"What kind of situation would you have a spear, but not your powers?" Danielle pipes up. "Seems pretty useless to me."

"Well, seeing as I currently have neither, I'd love to learn," I say.

"Great," Xavier says. "Meet me in the practice area tomorrow after chores."

I meet Xavier by the bullseye tree the next day, watching him throw stone daggers like he's been doing it for years. I bet he could even do it with his eyes closed. I wonder how one gets so comfortable handling weaponry in Eximius.