Hard Light (NaNoWriMo15)

Chapter 7 - The Ruins

Leah woke with a start as her door flew open.

"Let's move, Leah!" said Kieran's voice as he approached and pulled her blanket off. "We're leaving in five minutes whether you're dressed or not!"

Dumping her blanket on the ground and leaving her suddenly cold, Kieran exited the room, slamming the door behind him.

Leah didn't bother getting upset over it. Her eyes were still sore from last night. She rubbed her face and grabbed her clothes, pulling them on without bothering to check if they were straight.

At this point, she didn't care if she had them on backwards.

Her stomach growled as she picked up her smaller bag, shoving her drawing kit and two empty notebooks in with the map and other navigational and marking equipment already inside. Within three minutes of Kieran's wakeup call, she was outside in the foyer, arms folded, waiting for the others to leave their rooms.

Kieran exited a hall, headed for the door. Upon seeing her, he stopped.

"Next time, use your alarm," he said. "You won't get five minutes next time if I have to wake you up again. Understand?"

"Yep," muttered Leah.

That only deepened his scowl. "I don't know what you thought this was going to be, Leah, but I expect the same thing from everyone on my team. You aren't going to be waiting here on some cushy lounge while we bring you back information to document at your leisure. You'll be down in the ruins with us. Everyone pulls their weight, and that includes you."

Leah averted her eyes. She couldn't meet his stare. "Fine."

Yet still, Kieran wasn't done. "I lost a good documenter because of you. He was never late to a meeting, but because he's not a pureblood, he apparently wasn't good enough for Emrys. So far, you're a poor replacement, and I'll be sure to let him know that."

A harsh laugh made it way out of Leah's lips at that one.

"Something funny?" asked Kieran, daring her to reply.

Maybe it was the lack of sleep or the hunger cramping her stomach, but Leah snapped back.

"Yes, actually," she said. "I wasn't good enough for Emrys' cure team, so he put me in here. Wonder what that says about your little expedition team if all you get is his rejects?"

Kieran's mouth opened, but his words had dried up. She figured he hadn't been expecting her to bite back, and honestly, she hadn't been expecting it either, and nerves twisted in her stomach in the aftermath. His lips made a thin line as she stared back at him, waiting for him to reply.

"For a bunch of rejects, we get the job done," he said as he turned away, apparently done with her. "And if you think I'm about to let you ruin that, you're sorely mistaken."

With that, he was out the door, approaching the driver who waited outside.

Leah released her pent-up breath. The conversations in the bedrooms had fallen silent, but she was past the point of caring now. Let them hate her. She could handle three more days of silence before she was back at the League with the other Radiants. Maybe they'd be the push she needed to demand a spot on the research team from Emrys, because Kieran was certainly pushing her somewhere.

She pointedly ignored Sef's glances as he milled around the foyer before Kieran finally called them outside.

The hint of her shadow followed her outside. She probably should have recharged her heart yesterday, at least have opened the window or something, but she hadn't had the energy to move. At least she hadn't used Light since recharging it last, that she was only missing what had naturally decayed.