"What was it he wanted?" Silas asks, his back against my door. His voice cuts into my thoughts and I'm brought back to the present. Even so, I can't help but feel the heat from Kai's jacket still lingering on my almost exposed skin.
"Were you waiting for me?" I respond in an attempt to redirect his line of questioning. I don't think I should be telling him of what I was told and asked, at least not yet.
"How can you blame me? After not coming back yesterday I'm entitled to the slightest bit of worry." Does that mean he was waiting for me yesterday as well? I shake the thought from my mind, tired of dealing with people for the day. I'm not entirely fond of them.
"Don't worry, I'm back now." He moves away from the door as I punch in the code to the door. It whirls open and I step inside, leaving him to be alone in the empty hallway.
"What? Aren't you going to invite me in?" he asks, standing outside the doorway. He has a bit of a childish hope in his eyes, twinged with boredom and pleading.
"Nope. I think you should go find company with Kent and Aria." Without hesitation, I close the door in front of him, ready to pass out onto my bed after the number of exhausting events I've been taken through these last few restless days. Sleep is the only medicine I need right now.
* * *
The battle of ages is yet to come
A helpless burden almost won
When epic's journey's underway
What side of 'loyal' will she save?
What side of 'loyal' will she save?
What side of 'loyal' will she save?
Who will you save, Castelle?
I wake up in a cold sweat, a young'girl's voice still repeating in my mind. My labored breaths try to slow down my heart rate, the silence burning into my ears. She sounded exactly like Aria, but with a more precocious tone. It was so surreal, like someone somehow spoke directly inside of my mind, so much so that I can't tell if it was a dream or not.
My uniform's on the ground beside my bed, an oversized t-shirt taking its place. It's long enough to cover me like a dress, the collar smelling of cheap cologne. It was lodged in the back of my dresser, one of the few things Shona didn't put in there for me.
The clock reads a quarter past eleven, meaning I couldn't have slept for more than a few hours since I got back. Despite that, I feel fully energized, enough for another eight hours of sleeping.
Before I can decipher the message further, a sound from my stomach catches my attention, making it impossible for me to lay back down under my sheets comfortably. That's right, I skipped dinner again. I slip my jacket over my shoulders, and pull my boots up with a begrudging effort. Maybe the Cafeteria's still open and, hopefully, empty.
It was.
A tray of leftovers are getting cold on the serving table, a half ripe apple sitting on the top. I'm kind of tired of the taste of grainy apples, but beggars can't be choosers. My fingers wrapped around the glossy peel of the fruit, and I find my regular seat in the back corner. I could just as well choose any seat in the empty room, but I find comfort in my corner. The soles of my boots slams atop the table, and my teeth sink into the sweet flesh of the apple with a quick crunch. My hair covers my face, falling in front of my eyes as I gnaw on the fruit in the amenity of silence.
I ranked last, though I don't believe my score. Jacoby's planning something. He's planning to overtake Trinity Central with the Karmas. I spent two years escaping them, stealing enough cantos to pay for my freedom. I was a slave to my own animosity, and now I'm brought back into the midst of their affairs.
YOU ARE READING
Cardinal Tower (Trinity Central Book #1)
Science Fiction"The way he stiffens stirs something in me. Guilt maybe? I still might not be aware of what I've done, but I do know I don't regret doing it. So how is this man making me feel guilty with just a glance? The past is the past, but right now he's the e...
