Page 140 of Caelum

Over six hundred people, four hundred of them kids, roamed these halls, and it was easy to mistake it for anything other than what it was—a training camp.

The shutters had long since been pulled from my eyes. Caelum was a haven for our kind, sure, but it was a haven that came with a double-edged sword.

You lived here, you became a part of their cause. I didn’t have a problem with that, but at times like these? Yeah, a bit of softness would have been nice.

The only way they’d let you stay in the sickbay for longer than a day or two was if you were unconscious. The second you were awake, you were out of there.

Eve pushed me down the foyer and toward the staircase that led to the building where my quarters were housed. As we moved, I noticed the looks we were receiving, and though at first I thought it was because I was in a wheelchair, that the students were flickering through the gossip over what had gone down in Aboh, I soon realized it wasn’t.

They were aimed at Eve.

What was that about?

The looks were nervy, edgy. Like she was a loose cannon and they were terrified they’d be caught in the backlash…

But the question was, what backlash?

Christ, I’d been in the sickbay for two days, not two months. I hated being kept out of the damn loop.

Though I inwardly grumbled, I took note of each kid, older and younger than me, that shot Eve a look from the corner of their eye before scurrying along. It made the journey go faster than anticipated, which meant the dreaded stairs drew nearer.

The prospect of being stuck in my quarters for a few days didn’t please me either, to be honest. Not unlike Eren, I didn’t spend much time there. The pair of us didn’t sleep that well, and when we did, it was usually anywhere but our rooms. Eren had a habit of falling asleep in the common room we’d staked out as ours many moons ago. Me? I usually camped out on Dre’s sofa. It was comfortable as hell.

For however long it took me to get back on my feet, though, I’d be in my bedroom and that? Fuck, it scared me more than I wanted to admit.

As we bypassed the foyer with its intimidatingly high walls, which were loaded down with creatures who’d made Caelum proud over its relatively short lifespan, I had to admit to feeling crowded.

Expectations were high here at the Academy, and the fact we were the only people in the world who were capable of defending against Ghoul attacks was something we all had to wrestle with from a young age.

Fighting the good fight, as it were, was an ageless and thankless battle. Nobody except for our Pack cared if we lived or died, and that was hard. Very hard.

As we paused in the foyer to let a long phalanx of fourteen-year-oldshead toward the gym, Eve patted me on the shoulder. I wasn’t sure what made me do it, but I reached up and grabbed her hand, entwining her fingers with mine. The second our palms connected, I released a soft sigh. Relief swirled inside me, and the connection of being grounded was close to overpowering.

I was almost disappointed when the kids finally made it out of the way, each one having shot Eve a furtive glance that bounced off our connected hands, and we could head on toward the staircase that led to my part of the building.

Unsurprised to see my brothers waiting for me there, I nonetheless cocked a brow at the sight of Frazer, Reed, and Samuel hovering too.

Still, I wasn’t about to say anything when Frazer had been the one to save my ass.

Thinking that now was the best time to get it over with, I shot Frazer a tight smile. “Thank you. I owe you a life debt.”

Frazer’s smile was equally as tight, equally as uneasy. “Not necessary. At least, not anymore.” He shot Eve a look, one that had the tension in her soaring until she cleared her throat and shuffled around so she could peer down at me.

“Nestor? How are we going to get you upstairs?”

I winced. “With great difficulty.”

“It would be a lot easier if you were a girl. I’m sure one of them,” she stuck out her thumb and motioned over her shoulder at the gathering of six, “would carry you up the stairs.”

My lips curved. “I’m sure life in general would be a lot easier too.”

Her nose crinkled. “I think it’s easier peeing standing up than sitting down, Nestor,” she told me, her tone earnest, and behind her, the guys all started snickering. “What?” she demanded, glowering at them. “It’s true! I’ve always thought that.” A shudder washed over her. “Back at the compound, the outhouses were vile. The men never used them save for…” Another clearing of her throat. “How did we get onto this topic again?”

“All you,” I assured her with a small laugh, but my smile was genuine this time. How did she always know what to say to make me feel better?

Even if it wasn’t with words, it was with tone.

She held out her hands and planted her feet. “Come on, let’s get you upright.”

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