Taming the Serpent

Chapter 15

The week leading up to the Halloween Ball would have been torturous for Ominis. Sebastian was short with him when he returned to the dorm following his fight with Claire, remaining moody for three days straight, and Claire wasn't speaking to him at all. He would have been completely alone, left to fret over the tension between them, worrying that he'd upset Anne as well, were it not for Silver.

With a rare stroke of luck, Ominis strode for the music room a few days after Feldcroft, still seething at Claire's words, and there she was. Silver had barely greeted him before Ominis went off on a rant, striding up and down and gesticulating wildly.

"It's outrageous," he snapped. "She's been nothing but vile about you this whole time, and you've never warranted it! She's not even made an effort to see past whatever prejudices she has! She had to take every opportunity to snipe, when Sebastian just wanted to spend time with his twin, and I wanted to see my friend! She picks fights about you constantly! She ruined the day, and now Sebastian's angry with me because I wouldn't apologise and he got it in the neck! Why the hell should I? I did nothing wrong!"

Silver listened patiently as he stamped up and down, working himself into a temper. It was only when Ominis came to a halt, his fury spent, that he realised that hearing about someone being cruel about her probably wasn't what she needed to hear.

"I apologise," he said, with a low sigh. "I simply don't like the way she speaks about you. It's unfair and untrue."

She chuckled softly.

"Ominis, in order for her words to have any kind of impact, she'd need to mean something to me." He heard her rise, her elegant, light footsteps approaching. Her fingers curled around his palm. "She means nothing to me, so why would I care what she thinks? I've heard far worse from much better people." She stepped closer and rested her head on his shoulder, her arms rising to wrap around his back. "I appreciate you standing up for me. That does mean something."

Ominis closed his eyes, savouring the feel of her arms around him, his hands resting lightly against her back. "Surely it's nothing new? People must leap to your defence all the time."

"Mmh..." she pressed her face into his shoulder, her words muffled. "It doesn't mean anything from them, you know they just see me as something to possess. It means something from you because you actually care."

"I do," Ominis admitted, surprising himself. He tensed, waiting for a rebuke, a rebuff, or worse, scorn, but it didn't come. His throat bobbed, and he slid his arms around her properly. "I really do."

They stood a long while like that, the music room warmed by the last of the sun, the scent of wood polish and pine heavy in the air. Ominis bit his lip, and drew a breath to speak before his nerve failed him.

"Silver... what are we?"

She tilted her head, her cheek resting on his shoulder, the tip of her nose against his neck. "What do you mean?"

"I..." he hesitated, unsure if what he wanted to ask would frighten her away, but he'd opened the box, and there was no way she'd let it drop. "I know we're friends, and I'm not well acquainted with the usual practices of friendship as I have so few, but..."

"But?" her head rose from his shoulder, though her arms were still around him. Ominis gulped and turned his head away, looking down and a little to the right, as was his custom. He could feel the intensity of her gaze, and it sent pleasant prickles running over his body.

"Ignore me," he said. "Forget I said anything. I know you're sick of people mooning after you all the time, always wanting a piece of you, I don't want to add to that. I value our friendship, Silver, and everything you've done for me, despite my behaviour. Believe me, I regret that I can't do more, or be more the man you would deserve, but-"