Rogue Queen ➵ 2.0

➵ XII. Killing Kia

Friday, December 22nd, 2017, 2:45pm

Rei's POV

The loud music rings in my ears and I can feel the beat in my chest.

The talent show has been good so far. There's been singers, dancers and a comedian or two. Even the teachers have participated, dressing up in props from the drama room and dancing.

It's the last performer now, a student singing Have Yourself a Merry Little Christmas.

Everyone is sitting on the gym floor, watching the singer. Killian is on my left, Clove on my right, leaning on Raiden who's behind her with his legs drawn up to his chest as a flat-ish place for Clove to lean against. Asher is behind me, playing with the ends of my hair after having failed at braiding it. Scott and Dean are beside Asher, behind Killian.

Where's Zaine? Raiden asks.

He went to the bathroom, I reply. He's not back yet?

I don't see him, Raiden replies.

I frown. Flash, is Changeling still not back?

He might be taking at shit, Killian replies. Or going on a walk. He said he was hot, which he is, and was getting a headache from the loud-ass music.

It's been twenty minutes, Clove says worriedly. He would have mind-linked us by now so Flash wouldn't freak out.

Come on, we should go look for him, Killian says, starting to look a little panicked.

He gets up and quickly heads out of the gym, followed by Clove and I.

We're going to look for Changeling, I explain to Raiden, knowing he'll tell the other three.

"I'll look upstairs," Clove says. "Reina, why don't you search this floor and Flash, you look outside 'cause if he ran off, your power is best to find him."

Killian and I both nod and we all hurry off. I jog down the hall, checking if the classroom doors are unlocked, and trying to find Zaine's scent. He went to the bathroom, then his scent leads down the hall away from the gym. I smell Kia's scent following Zaine's for a while then head down a different hall.

Found him, Killian says, his voice angry. Outside, by the outdoor classroom thingy.

Hearing his words, I run outside and around the school to where Killian said they are. The 'outdoor classroom thingy' is a semicircle of stones and benches with a weathered chalkboard on the open side. When the weather is nice, usually in the spring, teachers can bring their class outside to work. I hear quiet sobs, making anger flare up within me. No one hurts my brother and gets away with it.

I find them on one of the stone benches in the shade of a tree, Zaine sitting on Killian's lap, crying as Killian cradles him tightly. I hurry over to them, sitting beside them.

"You're freezing," I murmur, taking Zaine's hand.

I use my power over fire and heat up my body, like a living, breathing fire, pushing the warmth towards Zaine. His shivering eases slightly but not completely.

"What happened?" Clove asks, appearing beside me.

"Don't know," Killian replies, his voice cold. "But I do know that whoever did this is going to hell."

He kisses Zaine's forehead, whispering sweet nothings in his ear. Zaine's cries slowly turn to sniffles and the occasional hiccup. He stays cuddled up against Killian, his head resting on Killian's chest.