CHAPTER FOUR
Conner just looked at me for a moment, and I looked back. After a second he got up and sighed furiously, annoyed that I could be so casual about everything. He glared at me.
"So let me get this straight," he began, ticking things off on his fingers as he went. "So far, you've managed to pull me out of one of the most important meetings of the centaury to come and find you, irritate the strongest body within a hundred mile radius until he actually hit you, barge in on another meeting because of something you knew was coming anyway, confuse everyone who's meant to be watching you beyond belief just by ignoring their orders, disobey the very person you are ignoring and force his hand when he tried to confront you, make enemies with everyone you could even vaguely consider friends because they're trying to convince you of something that everyone else has attempted to tell you for years, annoy the prince of everything dark and mysterious to the point where he's literally fuming and refuses to see anyone in case he can't control his powers, and get yourself put in lockdown so strict that even I almost wasn't allowed to see you!"
"Yeah, and all before nightfall."
"Ashlyn!" he shouted. I cringed. "I cannot believe you! I still haven't had the chance to find out what I actually missed yesterday, and now I have Calix riding me because I'm reluctant to go somewhere - I cannot deal with you as well!"
"Go where?" I asked, struck by that one detail.
He turned around, away from me, throwing up his hands in exasperation. "I don't even know! That's part of the reason yesterday was so important - even Jacob knows more about what I'm doing than I do. Ashlyn - do you ever think of anyone other than yourself?"
Ok, that stung.
Conner never shouted, and especially not at me. He only very rarely raised his voice and even then I could usually blow it over and make him laugh. It didn't look like that would work now though. I mean, I knew this was serious; but Conner was meant to be the one who stayed calm; stressed enough to make sure we fixed it, but calm. I just blew everything off because I knew it would sort itself out, but I couldn't be so sure about that now; not when he was this worried.
And Calix wasn't seeing anyone.
I knew I'd pushed him far today - I'd seen that all day, and felt it towards the end; but that was just the way I acted. I wasn't going to let him push me around, it was the type of person I was; and if he couldn't put up with that, he ought to face the simple truth and admit that it would be easier if I wasn't here. I knew he could do a lot - the royals could, it was just a part of being them; but I'd never suspected that he could do as much as I'd seen today. Even then I'd pushed him further, but only because I knew he wouldn't keep that up. If he had to keep doing that, he would - but as long as there was another option, he'd hold back on the powers. Obviously, there was another option; and apparently, this was it.
So now I was locked in here. I could have said it was just like my room upstairs, and it was, on the inside. There was a bed, as I expected; but there wasn't anything else. The only way out of this room was the firm door with its steel lock that I'd already tried to get through - and failed surprisingly. I'd been up here a good hour before Conner came in, and although I would have expected his presence to raise my spirits, his attitude was doing anything but that. I had a sneaking suspicion I would be down here for quite a while at this rate, and with no windows or views of any sort, I wasn't sure how much of an overstatement it would be to say I might go mad.
I was not selfish. I knew that when I left it caused trouble for other people; but that didn't mean I was completely self-centred. I didn't know that that meeting was yesterday, and besides, I saw it as an opportunity. I might not be utterly selfless, but I wasn't absolutely selfish either.
