Avia Academy

🌊Chapter Eleven: Terror and a Traitor

Fortunately, the sound was the only thing that hit her. It was due to quick action from Orpheus-freezing a thick wave of pool water between Claire and the explosion-that she wasn't slammed with shards of brick.

"Are you okay?" He asked, rushing down the pool steps to reach her.

"I'm fine," Claire answered quickly. Her heart hammered in her ears in an entirely different manner from the joyful nervousness she'd felt only moments earlier. "What happened?"

Orpheus caught her shoulders. She hadn't even realized she was wobbling. "I think the Academy's under attack."

Claire kept hold of his sleeve as they hurried from the pool room. She was terrified of what they'd encounter-the school on fire, or an army clad in black disguised by blood-teared masks. But they found none of that. The halls were eerily silent despite the ringing in Claire's ears.

"Go back to your room," Orpheus ordered when they emerged onto the darkened campus grounds to find nothing but the usual hedges and a few students rushing from the dorm building across the way to see what the noise was. "I have to go to my mother."

"Stay with me," Claire begged, grabbing his hand. "Walk me back to my dorm then go."

"I can't, I'm sorry." Orpheus released himself from her grip, then turned and raced back towards the school.

Claire watched him disappear. She hurried across the campus with her arms wrapped tight around herself. More students had poured from the dorm building in their pajamas. They clustered around the entrance, shuffling in place and communicating in frightened whispers as they stared at the smoke still billowing from the academy's side.

A hand caught Claire's arm when she tried to elbow her way through the swarm. Kayah. She stood next to Alison, who wavered in place still half asleep, with rollers in her thick black hair.

"Bahan," Kayah murmured, eyes wide. "Is it them?"

Claire shook her head. "I don't know. I was-Orpheus and I were right next to the explosion, but we didn't see anyone leave."

At the mention of Orpheus's name, Alison's droopy eyes snapped awake and she whirled on Claire. "Pheephee? What were you doing alone with him past curfew?"

Claire's face flushed, first with embarrassment, then with anger. Was that all Alison cared about? Wasn't she even going to ask if Orpheus was okay? She put her hands on her hips and met Alison's eyes, puffing out her chest just enough to let her rain drop pendant catch the moonlight. "That's none of your business, Ali."

"Oh?" Alison raised an eyebrow, but Kayah put a hand on her shoulder before any real confrontation began.

She cast a tentative smile toward Claire. "I'm glad you weren't hurt."

Claire nodded, then hurried inside to her dorm room. She half expected to find Sylva waiting for her in a panic. But when Claire opened the door, the lights were off and the room silent.

In the dark, Claire changed into her pajamas and slipped into bed. She drifted off to a restless sleep filled with nightmares.

The next week passed in the most uncomfortably uneventful way Claire could imagine. The teachers said nothing about what had happened, and thanks to quick work from the earth Elemei staff, the hole in the wall was filled almost flawlessly in only a day. It was like nothing at all had happened-except the students seemed incapable of discussing anything else.

Some students-a majority really-insisted the school had been ambushed by the Awakening. A small portion seemed convinced the explosion was a result of two fire Elemei having a fight. What was most surprising was the number of students who believed the Awakening were not only just innocent in this, but in all cases.