Strains

Chapter 33

"You are getting much better at running, Squirt. Pretty soon you'll be the one to lead."

"Tell that to my aching feet. Did we have to go through the quarry today?"

Hercules laughs and his spittle peppers my nose. I wipe it away with my napkin and set it next to my breakfast tray. I push the tray aside and hang my head in my hands.

"What is it?" Hercules asks.

"Guess I'm not very hungry."

Hercules looks at me quizzically. "First the new haircut and now you're not hungry? What the hell happened last night?"

I sit up straight. Matthew made it clear that it was in the academy's best interest that Hercules not know about my attacker. And since it seemed like we were getting close, there wasn't a point in involving him. The only problem with that is that our pool of suspects is huge and Matthew, the narcissist that he is, never cared to learn about the specifics of the strains of any of the students or even his colleagues. I'm half tempted to try and see if Hercules knows someone with the strain we're looking for, but that'll just make him suspicious. So I just give him a small smile and shrug my shoulders.

"Nothing really. I'm just a little nervous. I promised Matthew I'd finish all my meals here in exchange for an allowance, but I don't feel like eating."

"That all?" Hercules reaches over, pops the egg in his mouth first, followed by the toast, and then squeezes the contents of the grapefruit into his mouth.

Holy hell.

"Problem solved."

It's not, but I nod anyway.

Morning classes suck but do motivate me to eat my entire lunch and speed on over to the garden.

"Hey, Caiden!" I yell from the gate.

He looks over to me, midway through cutting a flower before his hands drop.

"Something wrong?" I say as I approach.

"Your hair."

My fingers go to the ragged ends.

"It'll grow back soon, at least that's what Matthew says."

"So he's behind it. What kind of sick punishment is that?"

I wave my hands frantically. "No, no it isn't like that." He frowns, not buying my words. I sigh and explain to him the events that happened last night.

"Doesn't seem like Matthew's made any progress in capturing that bastard."

I can't tell if the 'bastard' insult is directed to the Spark that attacked me, or Matthew. Still, I bristle at his words.

"He's trying, Caiden. He's been out every night looking for him."

Caiden's face hardens and he looks away. It's always the same thing with these two.

"Why do you guys hate each other so much?" I ask.

"It's complicated."

I tap my foot on the ground. "No, it's annoying."

Caiden deadheads another flower. "Do you know what it takes to activate or seal a portal, Elizabeth?"

I shake my head, but he's still turned from me. "No, I don't," I say.

"It takes the power of someone from all four houses, plus a psychic."

"So when the council..."

He chops off another flower with his shears.