Page 83 of Shadow Caster
I winced up at Payne. “Sorry, and thanks for covering for me.”
“It was worth it.” Payne smiled, his eyes wrinkling kindly at the corners.
We parted ways, but it was only when I was climbing the stairs to the foyer that it hit me. Madam Mariana had said she’d gone to the library to pick up some books. Then why had she been empty-handed?
Twenty-Six
Lloyd and his troop still weren’t back at the dorms the next evening. In fact, the place was silent and dead. All the second years were gone, and it was just us newbies.
Larkin gathered us in the lounge.
“Master Hyde has instructed you to rest up today. Hopefully, the trial will still take place tomorrow. We’ll know for sure later. In the meantime, do whatever people your age do.”
“You want us to just chill?” Thomas asked.
Chill … a word that hadn’t been in my vocabulary for weeks.
Larkin’s lips stretched in a wicked smile. “Make the most of it. It’s the only day off you’re going to get for a long time.”
He winked out, leaving us sitting around feeling redundant.
“I wonder what’s going on in the mist,” Thomas said.
“Sweeps,” Larkin’s disembodied voice said.
“Shit!”
“Fuck!”
Several cadets yelped.
“Every time.” Larkin chuckled. “Every time.”
Thomas leaned back in his seat and smiled at Harmon. “A whole day to ourselves.” He wiggled his eyebrows playfully.
Harmon drained his coffee mug and stood. “I’m going to get changed, then go see Lottie.” He clomped toward the corridor leading to the dorm, leaving Thomas staring after him.
Someone snickered.
Thomas tucked in his chin, blinking rapidly. Shit, was he trying not to cry? I reached out, intending to pat his arm, offer some comfort, but he stood quickly and hurried toward the foyer.
Thomas would never be my favorite person, but he’d grown on me the past few weeks. I’d seen a side to him that was vulnerable and compassionate. One he’d kept carefully hidden before we’d been marked. What Harmon was doing to him was plain mean.
As much as I hated getting into other people’s business, tonight I’d have to make an exception.
Harmon’s room was the third one on the left. The door was slightly ajar, and I could hear him moving around. I knocked.
“Come in.”
I pushed open the door to find him shrugging on a white T-shirt. His powerful chest was speckled with hair that tapered down his abs and vanished into the waistband of his joggers, and his skin was tanned and silken-looking.
“Don’t,” he said.
Shit, had he caught me staring? “Don’t what?”
“Do not lecture me.” He sat on the edge of his bed and pulled on his sneakers. “I’ll talk to Thomas when I’m ready.”
“And in the meantime, you’re making him miserable.” I stepped into the room and pushed the door closed. “Do you want to be with him?”
