Chapter 8

Ivex grinned down at his Scroll in his hand. Jodi had sent him an image of her team, and it was wack. She had ended up on a team with both of the Towers of Terror. "My unlucky Professor," he said, texting those words to Jodi. He hit the power button on the side of his Scroll. He stood up, pocketing it. He looked up and nearly ran into Lior. "The hell Lior!" Ivex jumped back. "Why do you have to walk so quietly?"

"It sounds like you're implying that I do it on purpose," Lior smiled and raised an eyebrow. "Who were you talking to? Your girlfriend?"

"No, just Jodi."

"I thought she was your girlfriend."

Ivex shook his head, waving Lior's words away. "Nah, she's much more like a sister to me. It makes me feel ill thinking dating her."

Lior nodded and sat down on a desk, crossing his legs. "Okay, so who are you into then? I mean, there has to be someone right?"

Ivex frowned, turning to a bookshelf next to him. He picked up a book and flipped through it.

"Come on, Ivex," Lior grinned lazily. "Either you tell me, or I'll ask Jai. I'm sure she would know."

"I would pay you not to do that," Ivex scowled at him over his shoulder, clapping the book shut.

Lior got a look of contemplation on his face, tapping a finger against his chin. "Either you don't want Jai up in your business, trying to set the two of you up or," Lior's smile stretched across his face. "you don't want her to know because it's her you like."

Ivex set the book down, wincing. "You spend too much time with Happy-go-lucky, you're starting to sound like her," he grumbled. "Were you like this before you met her?"

"In my own way," Lior said, springing off the table and landing neatly in front of Ivex.

"You're talkative today," Ivex said, looking Lior over. "Did you hit your head or something?"

"Talking is a nice distraction, that's all." Lior ran his hand along the spines of the books in the shelf. "Did you know we've been at this school exactly a month now?" he shut his eyes. "We've made friends and enemies, gotten stronger and faced our weaknesses."

"And…?"

"I wasn't planning on becoming a Huntsman." Lior's hand curled into a fist. "My dad always wanted me to, but I wouldn't have chosen this path on my own."

Ivex frowned, his nose twitching. "Ah, don't you just love it when parents force their lives on you?"

"He didn't force me.

"Then how did you end up here?" Ivex crossed his arms. "You should have chosen the path you wanted."
"I wanted to grant his wish." Lior pressed his lips together with a sigh. "No wish is without consequences."

"I don't think I'm following."

Lior studied Ivex. "Do you dislike your father?"

"'Dislike' is a kind way to put it," Ivex growled. "He has no redeemable traits." His hands found the back of a desk and he gripped it, his knuckles turning white. "My mom called me yesterday to tell me he's back and 'he's truly changed this time!' and that I should 'forgive him, because it's all finally in the past!'. All of that is bullshit. He'll never change and I'll never forgive him."

Lior tilted his head sideways. "Why?"

"He's a bastard who doesn't know the meaning of self-control."

"Then why do you have a picture of him that you carry with you everywhere?"

Ivex froze, his eyes snapping to Lior. "It's like that wish you were talking about. The picture is from a time when I still had the childish hope he would change."

"If he does change-"

"He won't," Ivex interrupted.

Lior shot him a look. "If he does change, wouldn't it make your mother happy? Why couldn't you forgive him just for that?"

"Was forcing you to be a Huntsman the only thing your dad has ever told you to do?" Ivex tapped a finger against his arm.

"As I said, he didn't force me." Lior focused on his shoes. "He also told me to continue working on my art. He told me that I was destined to be someone important, but-"

"Then you don't know what it's like to have the man you look up to tell you you're worthless, that he never loved you and never will. You never had that man BEAT YOU INTO SUBMISSION!"

"No, I haven't," Lior said calmly, walking towards Ivex. "But I did have him tell me to run when me legs wouldn't move. He told me to get away, and I couldn't. You don't get it do you?" Lior stared at Ivex. "He died for me, because I wouldn't listen. I stood there, and my father had to protect me. You don't know how many times I wished I could go back and change the outcome. That I would have run, or that I would have just died instead." Lior's hands shook, but his face remained calm. "Six years ago he died when he didn't have to. Laura calls what I have now 'survivor's guilt', but I just call it worthlessness."

Ivex blinked. "Lior, I-"

Lior snapped his hand through the air, stopping Ivex. "Forget about it. It's just been a long day." He picked his backpack up, slinging it over his shoulder, moving to the door.

"Lior!" Ivex called, stopping him. "You think it would have been better off if you had died? That was what your dad was trying to prevent! Be grateful for your life! You're allowed to feel pain, but don't let it control you."

"I can't cry anymore, Ivex," Lior said, not turning around. "One of the side effects to my wish. I've accepted the outcome, but I can't let it go."

Ivex opened the door that separated the team's rooms, and stepped into the girls room. He made his way to the window doors that lead to the balcony and shut the door quietly behind him. He took a deep breath and stared out into the night. He shivered, pulling on the sleeves of his shirt.

"Chilly?" He jumped when he heard Jai's voice behind him. He turned to look at her and could just see her smile in the moonlight.

"A bit," he admitted, returning his gaze to the sky. "I wanted to see the stars. They're so much more beautiful here in Mistral than in Vale."

"Less light pollution," Jai yawned. "Us Mistralians are very Eco-friendly."

Ivex nodded. "Right."

Jai nudged him with her shoulder. "You excited for tomorrow?"

"What's tomorrow?"

"Opposite partners day," Jai said, smirking. "You forgot?"

Ivex grinned. "Oh yeah, that. I think you should be more worried than excited, Happy-go-lucky."

"Oh?" Jai lifted one of her eyebrows. "You have something planned?"

Ivex nodded, leaning against the railing. "Get ready to face your fears, Olos."

Jai snorted. "Try me, Mcleal." She noticed movement below, and a grin spread across her face. "Hey, look. It appears that someone is doing some late night training. Want to mess with them?"

"Hell yes."

Jai smacked him lightly. "Language." Flames lit up the training yard beneath them, accompanied by sparks of electricity. "Guy and Risha," Jai said, leaning on the railing next to Ivex.

He nodded. "What do you want to do, captain?"

Jai went inside for a moment and came out holding a bag of tennis balls. "Let's give them some projectile practice, shall we?"

"Where did you even get those?"

"A magician never reveals her secrets," Jai whispered, taking out several of the yellow balls. "How's your aim?"

Ivex took a couple of the balls out of her hands and fingered the carpet-like texture. "I think I should be able to hit the targets."

"Go for Guy," Jai hissed, testing the weight of the ball by tossing it a couple times. "I'll go for Risha."
"Aye." Ivex took careful aim. He squinted his eyes, waiting for when the fire would appear next. There. A spark of flame lit up the yard below, and Ivex chucked the tennis ball at where he assumed Guy to be. Jai threw hers at the same time. Guessing from the yelps of surprise, the two of them had been successful.

Jai grabbed Ivex's hand, yanking him low so that Guy and Risha wouldn't see anyone if they looked up. "Who's there?" they heard Guy yell. "Quit bein' wimps and show yourselves!"

Jai clapped a hand over her mouth, trying to contain her fit of giggles. Ivex shut his eyes, biting his lower lip. He knew if he looked over at Jai, he would let all of his laughter escape.

"What he said!" Risha called. "You wanna fight? Come at me!"

Ivex caught Jai's eye and the two of them dissolved into a fit of laughter. "We can 'ear you!" Guy shouted. "Why don't you come down 'ere and tell us what's so funny?"

"Shut up!" Jai and Ivex heard Norse yell. "Some of us are actually trying to sleep, you loudmouthed children!"

"Someone hit us with tennis balls from one of the balconies!" was Risha's response.

"Will you just quiet down?" Dale called down. Jai pounded the ground in silent laughter. Ivex had both hands clapped over his mouth, his face turning red from his effort to contain his amusement.

Jai fingered one of the remaining tennis balls and glanced over at Ivex. She grinned madly and picked the ball up. Ivex scanned the balcony, looking for a second ball.

Jai peeked her head over the balcony wall and spied Dale and Norse two balconies over. "Think you can make it?" Jai asked, her voice barely audible. Ivex nodded and they sent the balls flying over to the other team's balcony.

"The hell?" Dale exclaimed. Jai pulled Ivex's head down again. "Who threw these?"

"It came from two balconies to your right!" Guy called up to his teammates. "Go get 'em!"

Jai yanked open the door to their dorm, pulling Ivex in after her. They shut the door quietly, and in silent agreement, they dashed to their beds.

The door to the hallway opened, and Dale peered into the dark room. "Which team's dorm is this?" He hissed to Norse, who was standing beside him. Norse shrugged. "I guess we'll find out in the morn, those little tricksters. Then we'll murder them for playing a prank on their elders."

In her bed, Jai smiled to herself. I'd like to see you try.

A/N: 'Ello, reader! I'm sorry that I didn't mention this in my previous chapter, but I have switched to a biweekly schedule, and I will try my best to release a new chapter on time.

This will be the last completely down chapter for a while, so be prepared for some fun stuff.

Apologies for any grammatical errors I may have missed. Until next time, /Kronos\\