Tales & Time (Lost Time Academy #1)(34)
"Good luck today, new girl. I don't fancy sleeping this class today, so learn some control," Ella sarcastically comments as she passes by me. Bitch. Tavvy sneers at her as she walks past, and Miss A chooses that moment to blow her whistle and call the class together. My hands shake as we circle around her, and Knox, like he can sense how nervous I am, slides his hand into mine.
"You got this, Sleepy, and I'm always close by. No one will hurt you," he tells me, trying to make me less nervous, but it doesn't work as Roger pushes through the crowd and comes to my other side.
"Hey, we didn't get to talk after you knocked me out, but I was impressed," he says, offering me a hand to shake. I shake his hand, actually pretty impressed he is saying anything to me about that. Usually guys don’t like to be beaten by a girl and won’t talk about it, let alone come and shake my hand. I want to say it was an accident, but I doubt that would be a good idea for me long term. I need to survive this class, no matter what.
"You nearly hurt her," Knox growls, sounding deadly. I move myself a little in front of Knox to protect poor Roger, but it does little as Knox just slides a hand around my waist and glares at Roger over my head. I’d have to jump a few times to break their eye contact and that would be pretty embarrassing. "I was inches away from breaking that pretty face of yours."
"I'm not an idiot; I wouldn't have gone too far," Roger replies, but Knox doesn't look the slightest bit impressed. Tavvy widens her eyes at me from Roger’s side, and I shake my head. Men.
"Right, you all know the rules. We are going to continue the last class with the same partners. We all shall hope that Miss Dormiens can control her powers better this time," she says, and everyone laughs. I elbow Knox in the stomach, which only makes him and the others laugh more. Mr. Newman wordlessly stands at Miss A’s side, watching me, and he isn’t laughing. I really don’t like that guy.
"I can," I feel I must add, and a few people laugh. Yeah, I should have stayed quiet.
"We all do hope so. Now get to it, class," Miss A demands, clapping her hands and making a sphere of water around her as she floats into the air.
"Come on, Madi. I will be easier on you than last time," Roger suggests, but I doubt it.
"You best be," Knox warns in a scary possessive tone before he walks away. I smile tightly at him before following Roger over to a clearing and standing on the marked areas.
"You ready for this, Madi?" Roger asks, parting his legs and placing his hands at his sides. Vines slide out of his hands, spreading to the floor as I smile and close my eyes.
"Yes." I call my power in the way that has become almost natural to me after helping Knox go to sleep. I might not be able to fight, but if anything touches me, I can use sleep to save myself. My nickname really is pretty useful. I open my eyes, feeling the warm dust on my hands that falls to the ground next to me as Roger sends a vine to slam into my stomach. I gasp as it knocks the air out of me, and I grab the vines as I fall to my knees. My dust spreads down the vines as Roger struggles to pull his vines away from my grip. In his panic, the other vine slams into my neck and wraps around, tightening as it lifts me into the air. I cry out in pain as my face slams into the roof of the building, the vines pressing me against the cold metal. I feel hot blood trickling down my cheek as I open my eyes, looking down at Roger who is staring right back. I know he wants me to let go, to grab the vine on my neck to save myself, but that isn't happening as more vines just replace the ones I pull off. I push past the fear and panic as I close my eyes, calling as much of my power as I can into the vines. I need to be free. I scream as power feels like it slams into every part of my body, and building up like a bomb as I keep my eyes locked on Roger’s as he starts to look fearful, and for some reason, that makes me happy.
"Let her go! You are going to kill each other!" I hear Tavvy demand from a good distance away.
"We must see the winner," Miss A replies loudly, and my eyes crawl across to the left to see a wall of water all around us, blocking anyone from interfering. I pull my gaze to Roger just as my dust travels from the vines and hits his body. In an instant, his eyes close, and his body slumps to the floor. I fall quickly, almost in the blink of an eye, with the vines that are still tightly wrapped around my neck. I know nothing can catch me, and I was too high up. Tavvy was right, we are going to kill each other, but me first. My head hits the floor before my body does, my stretched arms grazing the floor as pain slams into my skull. The world blacks out into a dream that feels like a story I can’t escape before I know it or can prevent it.
The dream comes on so quickly that I can't tell what is real as I pick myself up off the cold, frost-covered grass. I was in the gym, on the cold floor and not grass…wasn’t I? Ravens quickly fly around me. They squawk loudly, the awful noise mixing with the harsh beating noise of their wings. I can't smell or hear anything else, I can't feel the cold weather that I can see around me. Thick snow starts to fall from the sky, dropping onto my bare shoulders as I see a person on the other side of the ravens. They part for him as he steps through, and my heart feels frozen as I stare at Quinton. My Quin, though he doesn't look like my Quin at all. He looks almost dead with pale skin, his black hair is longer and out of control, and he doesn't smile at me like Quin always does.
"Quinton?" I whisper, my breath coming out in puffs as the air must be cold, but I don't feel it.