Chapter twenty

[Derrek’s POV]

Val and I strode through the infirmary doors last of all the injured students and we leaned against the wall as we waited for a Healer to finish with the other students. I rotated my wrist and flinched slightly at the shooting ache that bolted up my hand. I couldn’t help but grumble, Blake was a pain in the butt and I hoped his hand hurt more than mine was at the moment. Val stayed silent next to me and I loved that we didn’t need to be talking all the time to fill any silences, though she did seem to be in her own little world more than usual.

“Next!” A student Healer called out.

“Just stay here, Tadpole, it shouldn’t take too long anyway” I stood from the wall and turned to see Val hadn’t heard me, she was still caught up in her world. “Tadpole?”

I gave her should a light rub and her head snapped to face me as though I’d scared her. “Huh... what?”

“I said just stay here. I won’t be long,” I repeated with a slight frown.

She smiled and nodded her head, her hair falling from behind her ear, and stretched her back out a little. I blinked, and without asking if she was okay I turned to walk to the free Healer. It was Kayla. “Now, why is it that I always seem to get you to heal Derrek?” Kayla laughed lightly. She had a point, anytime I’d been healed by a student Healer it’d always been Kayla, but I supposed that that was better because I trusted her healing abilities. She wasn’t perfect, but the majority of the time her healing was close to it. “I just healed Blake a few minutes ago, too. I take it those two fractures are connected?”

She raised her eyes to mine and smiled smugly. “They may have,” I replied gruffly.

She unwrapped Helena’s temporary splint then poked and prodded the bones with her fingertips before placing my hand, palm down, over her hand and began to pinch the fracture with the fingers of her other hand. I winced when the bone was healing at first but soon enough the aching turned into a slight buzzing numb feeling. She patted down the top of my hand and within seconds she’d healed the fracture. “Good as new!” She grinned.

“Thanks, Kayla.” I murmured and scooted away towards Val. As I approached her I noticed she was in the exact same position I left her in with her staring into space. “Is everything okay, Tadpole?”

She blinked, offered a smile and stood up. “Yeah, everything’s fine. You all finished here?” I nodded. “Alright, let’s head back to the apartments.”

We walked slowly and silently through the hallways and up the staircases and the niggling feeling that something was bothering Val grew the longer the silence stretched. The niggling feeling grew to confusion and the confusion soon grew to irritation. We stepped into the last elevator and the silence was filled with jazzy elevator music. I tried to catch her eyes but she kept the forward and seemed to have fallen back into her own little world. Part of me wondered if maybe Malum had a connection to her mind like he did before but as I studied her profile I noted that her ‘own little world’ she was stuck in lately was different to the completely blank and dead aura she had before. So I ruled Malum’s control out – for the moment.

The elevator rolled to a stop and dinged loudly before the metal doors slid open. Val stepped forward and the irritation seemed to have snapped, I never was a patient man. I strode to her quickly and grabbed her elbow, pulling her back and turning so I trapped her between the wall of the elevator and myself, our chests almost touching. “Val is something wrong? You’ve been a little out of sorts lately and it’s sort of freaking me out, to be honest.”

Suddenly Val’s expression faltered and pain filled her eyes and she crunched her eyebrows together. She blinked back tear and tried to smile through them. “I’m just trying to adjust back is all. I’m just not feeling myself, I guess.”

“Well, tell me what’s bothering you?”

Val pulled her bottom lip between her teeth and began to chew worriedly on it. She seemed to be thinking hard and eventually, she turned to me and said, “I’ll tell you if you tell me how you knew to use your fire abilities for first aid so well.” I mulled it over and mentally shrugged. I was planning on telling her anyway so I wasn’t really losing much when it came to this decision.

“Okay, fine” I bent down and kissed the corner of her mouth before moving to the side and wrapping my arm around her waist as I pressed the ‘open’ button and we walked out together “Ladies first.”

“We’re walking at the same time, Sparky...?”

I rolled my eyes. “I meant ‘ladies first’ to tell your story” I chuckled.

She returned my eye roll and sighed before wrapping her arm around my waist as well. “I don’t know what to say. I feel like there’s something wrong with me, you know? Like, why does Malum keep coming back for me? What makes me so special?”

“Well, you are part Water-abled and part Stinger, Tadpole?”

Val was already shaking her head with a slight frown between her eyebrows. “It’s more than that though. It can’t simply just be that I’m some sort of hybrid Abled because you’re not completely Fire-abled, too. Remember last year when we both were having the same dreams? Why is it that Malum targeted us both by entering our dreams and yet I was the only one he was interested in coming after? And not just once, but it just seems as though it’s constant!”

I stayed silent. I’d actually never thought about that and it did seem strange. “Tadpole, you need to calm down. First of all, you’re here and safe. A lot has happened in the last year and a half so it’s normal to think or feel that this is all constant. As for Malum specifically targeting you...? I don’t know.”

Val stopped walking and turned to me, laying her head against my chest and squeezing me tight. I could practically feel the stress emanating off from her and washing over me like waves. “Ever since the fights down in the caves last year I haven’t been able to feel or use the Stinger abilities Malum forced on me... I’m hoping that means he can’t control me and ultimately... I’m glad I don’t have that side anymore. I hated the hatred and anger that fuelled that ability” Val shuddered.

“It’s the same with me too. I can’t use them. Before, I was able to sort of have an inkling of people’s thoughts or whereabouts, but not anymore.”

“I just want to know why he keeps coming after me, and if I’m putting everyone in danger by even being here...”

I stiffened and held Val away from me so I could look straight into her clear blue eyes. “Val, don’t think what you’re thinking. Leaving Abled University will not do anything different to this oncoming war. You and everyone else are safer if we all stick together rather than if we went our own ways.”

Once again Val was biting her lips as she thought hard about something and I waited silently hoping she could see what I was trying to tell her. The hall was empty and outside the clouds growled menacingly and it all seemed to add to the focused atmosphere surrounding us.

“You’re right, Derrek. You’re right... for once.” The smallest hint of a smile twitched at the corner of her lips and I breathed a sigh of relief. She was thinking straight, for now, and that at very least meant that would keep herself out of danger. “So, I told you what was bothering me... now it’s your turn to tell me how you knew to use your abilities to help heal.”

She cocked her head to the side and I rolled my eyes. Great, my turn to share life stories. I threw my arm around her shoulders and together continued walking down the corridor to my apartment. I opened it and silently cheered when Blake wasn’t inside and opened the door wide to let Val walk in before shutting it behind her. She collapsed on the sofa like she’d done many times before and I followed after her, relishing the moment of peace as I lifted her legs to sit down and then placed them on top of my lap.

“I told you it wasn’t a happy story, you still want to know?” I looked at her from the corner of my eyes with a raised brow. She nodded eagerly but stayed quiet and I sucked in a deep breath. “Remember last year in the forest when we were sharing stories like it was some sort of princess slumber party?” She threw me a look. I smirked but continued. “Well, I told you about how my parents met and how my mom died, I also told you how my dad became a drunkard and drank drank himself into the abyss every night. Well, one night... coincidently, it was the year I got my abilities, he got so drunk one night he throwing the glass bottles everywhere. I still remember it clearly like it was yesterday.’

“There was practically no floor left clean, just broken glass everywhere, and he was shouting at the radio that was playing a certain song. I won’t deny I was scared, I’d never seen him like that and I was telling him to calm down and stop. He turned to me and I could practically feel the heat of anger transfer through me. The next thing I know he was charging at me wielding a broken beer bottle and he tripped...”

I heard Val gasp and felt her legs stiffen as she listened. “What happened?”

“He was cut up pretty badly. The bottle he was carrying managed to slam straight into his gut and I lost it. Fire burst out from my hands and all the shards of glass on the ground melted as I ran over to him. He was a bastard but he was the only family I had. I pulled the bottle out and... I don’t know I just started trying to cover it up to stop the bleeding but I was still new to my abilities and fire was burning up the wound. You wouldn’t believe how hard it was to explain everything to the paramedics...” I tried to joke.

“You would’ve been so young. I’m sorry I asked, Derrek.” Val whispered. I shrugged, clearing my throat of the weird emotions.

“It’s fine. The experience came in handy, I suppose.”

“Derrek...” Val removed her legs from my lap and crawled over to sit next to me. “You can’t seriously think that experience wasn’t serious...-“ Val was cut off by the wailing sound of alarms. “What’s that?”

I darted off the sofa and over to the door, yanking it open to see heads poking out from most of the doors down the hall. Confused and panicked expressions coloured everyone’s faces. A shout from Val on the other side of the room caught my attention and I saw her staring out of the balcony. “What is it? I shouted back, running over to her.

“Look! Over in the edge of the forest!” She pointed towards the forest and my eyes roamed across the edges of the trees until I saw what was causing the warning alarms.

A mangled, hunched man about our age was standing between the trees with a dead expression and blank eyes. His shirt was so ripped into shreds that he might not have bothered and his pants were ripped as well. What made it obvious that caution needed to be taken was because this mangled man had dark brown wings sprouting from his back and talons instead of fingers – even from this distance I was able to tell he was a Deviant.

“Look! Down there!” I looked to the side and saw that every student who was panicking in the hallway were now standing in horror on their balconies. The one who had shouted was pointing down at the ground in front of the campus and I saw what she was pointing out – the teachers were all standing in straight line, focused and alert as they ignored the slashing of the rain against them. Their stances were clearly on the offensive and everyone’s eyes darted from the teachers to the Deviant like a suspenseful tennis match.

Mr Obsidian stepped forward as he shouted towards the Deviant. “What is your purpose! There is nothing for you or your master here, Deviant!”

The tension built and built when the Deviant said nothing in return. He slowly scanned the area, before his eyes roamed up the building and across the balconies until he came to a stop at ours. I stepped forward and pushed Val behind me, to protect her from his vision, but it seemed as though he’d gotten what he came here for. He bent his knees and his wings opened wide. They weren’t full like normal birds but ragged and torn, making him look like some demon spawn. Pushing with his legs, the Deviant gave an animalistic cry and shot straight up into the air shooting through the tree tops and into the black clouds.

I looked back down at the dean and he was urgently talking to Sophia, Evanesce and Chimera who all nodded. Sophia vibrated, before turning into a bald eagle while Evanesce and Chimera merged together into the shadow and together they shot off after the Deviant. I felt Val hold tightly to my arm and I turned to hug her tightly. “What was that about?” She whispered.

“I’m not sure... but it seemed as though he was a spy or something. There didn’t seem to be anyone else with him.”

“He looked at me. He looked at me, Derrek.”

I could hear the panic rising in her voice, making me hug her tighter. “He looked at everyone, Tadpole. He must’ve been spying on all of us, that’s all.” I lied. I couldn’t shake off the fact, especially now, that maybe Val did have something to be worried. It seemed as though Malum really was specifically looking for her and this only made me know that now, more than ever, Val needed to be protected.

I hugged her until her rapid breathing slowed down, I was about to ask how she was when the sound of uncertain voices broke through to my ears. Looking back I realised I hadn’t shut the door and saw all the students flooding past. “Come on, Tadpole.” I let go, but grabbed her hand and pulled her over to the entrance before grabbing the next student to walk past. “What’s going on?”

“Didn’t you hear? Everyone’s being called down to the gym. Mr Obsidian’s called an urgent meeting.” I nodded and released my hold on him before turning back to Val.

“We gotta go, Tapole. Come on”

“We’ll go this way, we’ll take forever to get down with everyone squeezing through the same elevator and staircase. Follow me.” Val turned and headed for the balcony while I shut the door. She began collecting water molecules form the rain and spinning her hands around and around before her hands down onto the balcony railings. Ice spread across the metal railing and down towards the ground. As more rain splashed against the ice, the thicker and stronger it grew until it spiralled down to touch the ground just near the entrance of the campus.

She turned with a slight smile and I smirked in return. “An express route?”

Her smile broadened and she nodded before sitting at the top. “See at the bottom, Sparky.” Then she was gone as she slid down the ice slide. I walked over to the balcony and at the ice and rain. I hated rain. I rubbed my hands together and little orange flames licked at my fingertips just before I clapped them loudly together, spreading my hands a part. A blanket of orange flames flew over my head and I slid down the ice slide, shivering slightly at the coldness seeping through my jeans and hearing the light sizzling sounds of the raindrops hitting the blanket of fire. As I reached the bottom I ran over to Val and saw she was giggling lightly.

I raised an eyebrow. “What?”

“An umbrella? Did you really make a fire umbrella?” She laughed, pursing her lips together.

I threw her a dead panned face. “I’m a Fire-abled, Tadpole. I hate rain.”

She mumbled something as we quickly walked inside managing to beat the majority of the crowds. “What did you say?”

She laughed. “I said you’re like a little kitten. Feisty temper, likes your ego stroked and hates rain.”

My mouth dropped open as I stared at her in horror. A kitten?! I blinked several times before composing myself, “I’m going to pretend you didn’t call me a ‘little kitten’.” I shook my head.

Val giggled and I shook my head again, pulling her closer when the crowds become thicker. We came to a halt outside the gym just as everyone tried to squeeze inside, the process took longer than getting down to the gym and Val and I used the time to look around to find any of the others – without any luck.

We finally squeezed through the doors and sat on an empty spot on the ground. The air was thick with worry and anxiousness, it was hard to think let alone talk because of all the chatter around us so we sat in silence, still searching for the rest of our group. The entire campus was attempting to fit into the gym, so the sea of faces didn’t make it easy.

Just when I didn’t think any more people could fit inside, Mr Obsidian clenched his hand and pulled it upwards. The little patch of ground he was standing on spurted up, raising him higher so everyone could see him. The buzzing noise around us died down and all eyes were on the dean, the silence was so thick it practically hurt my ears.

“Abled and Elementals... as you may have witnessed just moments ago, Malum had sent a Deviant spy to Abled University-” Immediately, everyone began to panic. Shrieks and cries and questions being shouted from here and there filled the gym. Mr Obsidian gave it moment to pass before raising his hand to silence everyone, beside me I could feel Val squeeze my hand. I gave her a comforting squeeze back. “Do not panic! This action speaks words, ladies and gentlemen. Malum will not attack today. His spy will have had the mission of scoping our territory and scaring us all. But DO NOT BE AFRAID! Be vigilant, stay in groups, practice and expand your knowledge of your abilities and most importantly keep hope!”

I gulped. It sounded as though the dean was giving a battle speech; the inspirational speech that was supposed to pump up our adrenaline, ready for the fight. I gazed around the gym and saw the determination, the fear and the hope that shone through everyone’s eyes and realised that it was a battle speech, and it was working. Looking down at Val I saw she was looking back at me, her eyes were filled with fear, yet the slight shimmer of hope gazed back.

“Do not lose hope, students... if anything, do not lose your hope...”

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A/N

Holy crap guys! You would not BELIEVE how much sugar my brother has given my daughter since the last upload! YOU.  WOULD. NOT. BELIEVE. ME!  Since I got busy again, he told me he’d give my daughter sugar every time I come round to my parents place until I uploaded -_-“ I go there at least once a week. And she’s never been so hyper...

But seriously, I’ve been so busy I’ve been up til 3am doing assignments and studying before going to sleep and waking up at 4 or 5 when my daughter would randomly wake up, then again at 6am when she actually wants to wake up. I’ve never drank so much coffee (because I specifically began drinking it for nursing lol). I’ve also seen 4 doctors in the past week with another 2 appointments this coming week... I. Am. Wrecked!

Now, I know I take a while to upload nowadays. I really am sorry that you all have to wait for that length of time, but please try to understand how busy I am. I began writing as a way to keep active when I was a full time mom. I had the time to write between taking care of my daughter and household duties, but now that I’m both full time mom and full time nursing student I have very limited time to even clean my house, let alone sit down to write a chapter I deem good enough for you guys. It’s not something I can sit down every 15 mins to do to add a paragraph, because it won’t flow right. Telling me to upload isn’t something I