Page 59 of Vengeful

LILA

"Snakes or crocodiles?" Shannon asked.

I turned to frown at her. "What?"

"Snakes or crocodiles?" she said again. "Which one are they more likely to throw at us next?"

"I prefer neither," Ronnie said. "Especially if the throwing is literal."

I snorted. "I don't think even Brutham Academy would make crocodiles fall from the sky."

I glanced up, just in case. The conversation was ridiculous, but like with the twins, humour kept us somewhat sane. I came to a realisation, I should have made a bigger effort to get to know my fellow students. Especially other women. They could be future allies or maybe even friends.

Right now, though, we should concentrate on getting through the next few hours.

"That would make snakes more likely," Shannon said. "I would have said balls of fire, but in this rain—"

Lightning flashed, striking a tree a few metres from us. Both women squealed in fright.

I barely managed to contain a flinch.

The trunk of the tree was split in two. Blackened wood and bark smoked.

"That could have been us," Shannon said.

"Thank fuck it wasn't," I said. After a moment I added, "Brutham can't control the weather either."

"No, but they could have put a lightning conductor in the tree," Ronnie said.

I was about to scoff when I realised she might be right. If they knew a thunderstorm was coming during the trials, fuck only knew what they might do. I wouldn't put anything past either the Academy or the older Brantley brothers.

"Should we look?" Shannon eyed the tree cautiously.

"It might be good to know what we're up against," Ronnie said slowly.

"I guess it couldn't hurt," I said. "We'll know to stay away from the trees." We knew that anyway, but we’d take extra precautions if someone fucked with the foliage.

"I'll go." Shannon said. She wiped water off her face and stepped towards the tree. "It looks like there's a—"

The tree blew apart. Bark, branches and bits of Shannon were thrown in a several metre radius.

I threw my hand to shield my face. Heat and debris rained down all around me. I tried hard not to think about what struck my arm. It might have been tree and…it might not. My stomach turned.

"Fucking hell," Ronnie said when the air was finally still. The smoke already washed away by the rain. The ground surrounding the tree was scorched and bare. Only blood and shredded items of clothing remained of Shannon. "Since when does Brutham kill its own students? Aren't we supposed to do that?"

I glanced back at Slade. His mouth was set in a firm line of annoyance.

"I'm guessing all bets are off." I eyed the remains of one of Shannon's shoes. Not even the thick leather could withstand the force of the explosion. Only by sheer luck were Ronnie and I far enough away to avoid the worst of it.

Did the Academy even know the extent of these trials? Had they actually endorsed this?

"Is it safe to continue?" Ronnie asked.

I turned back to her. Her eyes were wide, face pale and wet. More than rain poured down her cheeks.

"Do we have a choice?" I asked. "We can't be that far from the beach. We just need to be careful and stay away from trees." Now it was my turn to speak like things were easier than they really were. Neither of us bought it.

"I guess so." She glanced down at a chunk of her friend and sniffed. "She wouldn't want me to stop because of her."

---