Author's Note: Ooh, drama. Fun. Sorta. But anyway, I had fun writing this chapter. This Tam/Biana segue is a nice break from the Sokeefe depression.
Tam was going to kill Lucin. Well, assuming Biana didn't beat him to it.
In a few seconds, he was sprinting to the other end of the hallway, amid the screams of the other prodigies. The hallway was pitch black, and Tam was sure it was his shadows, even though he never remembered commanding them to block out the light. He forced the shadows away. The punch had taken Biana by surprise, and knocked her down. Tam shoved away Lucin —already going in for another punch— and held out a hand to Biana.
She took it and stood up. Her lip was bleeding, but there was a wicked glint in her eyes.
And it was at that moment when Lucin realized he'd messed up. Tam saw the fear in his eyes and knew why the coward was scared.
Biana had always been beautiful. She had always been brave, and willing to stand up for the people that needed it. But after the Nightfall facility, after fighting Vespera, she wasn't just beautiful. She was devastating.
He just hadn't realized it until it was too late.
"I knew your little shadow boyfriend would come save you. Can't do anything without help, huh?" Lucin sneered. "You're nothing without your powerful friends."
The fool really didn't know how to keep his mouth shut.
Biana darted forward and punched Lucin in the gut.
"Your family is made of traitors," he hissed. "Your friends are all freaks. Honestly, the Neverseen deserve to win."
Biana growled, "Don't talk about them like that."
Lucin smiled as well as he could. "What was the last thing Alvar said to you before he deserted you? Before he ran off and helped the people who want to murder you?"
That was too far.
Tam wanted to hurt Lucin, but this was Biana's fight. She deserved revenge.
Biana punched him again. He fell down, and she circled him. Like a predator stalking its prey. She turned invisible, and reappeared on the other side of Lucin, and slapped him across the face. Hard. His nose started bleeding.
No, this wasn't even a fight. Lucin was curled on the ground in a pathetic little ball, and Biana was enjoying every second of it.
"For someone who's nothing without her friends, I'm doing a pretty good job of beating you up," Biana purred. "So, I wonder— is that a testament to how good I am, or how pathetic you are?"
The hallway was nearly empty now, only a few prodigies brave enough to risk watching. They wanted to know what happened, probably.
Lucin was crying.
Biana smirked. "You know, I'd like to make sure you never walk again. However, I think a worse punishment would be to let you go, right now. So you can walk through these hallways, and be reminded every single day how much of a pathetic coward you are for letting a 'broken girl' beat you up."
Lucin whimpered.
"Tam," Biana said. "Let's go."
Tam smiled at her. "Good. You've done enough mingling with the trash for today."