The Immortal Guardians: Book II

Chapter Thirty-One

Henri and I walked into the infirmary to find Byron getting out of bed. There was a small pile of his things at the foot of his bed.

"Were you released?" I asked him, his eyes flickered to Henri. He nodded rather woodenly.

"Let us help you" I picked up the pile. I turned to Henri with raised eyebrows. He gave me a look but he cleared his throat.

"Let us help you, Byron" Henri held out his hand. Byron was still a little sore and had cracked ribs and I expected that he would let Henri help him. Instead, he waved him away.

"If you don't mind carrying my things that would be helpful" Byron barely looked at me. Henri took his things from my hands.

"Are you going to your room or, to your office?" Henri's lips twitched. I bit my lower lip back holding back a smile. He had a few folders on a tray so I picked those up.

"My room" Byron replied briskly.

"Just asking" Henri chuckled. Byron didn't want Henri's help. He wouldn't even let Henri touch him.

"Why are you being difficult?" I asked Byron. Henri went to back to the infirmary to finish getting Byron's things.

"I don't like Henri" Byron grumbled. He sounded like if he was pouting. I helped him get into his bed.

"You are being a baby, pain turns you into a baby" I held out an ice-pack for him to take. He gave me a nasty look but he took it. He held it against his torso.

"Do you need anything else?" I sighed heavily. "Pain meds?"

"No I'm set, thank you" he replied briskly. His upper lip was lifted in dislike. "You can go now"

I opened my mouth to argue with him but instead I nodded. He was being grumpy because I brought Henri along to help.

The next morning, Byron was knocking on my door so we could get up for practice.

"You should be sleeping" I grumbled as I followed him to the gym. "You were badly hurt, Byron."

He didn't respond. He set up a couple of simulations so that I could practice against. He was in a horrible mood that the only thing I could do was do as I was told. I didn't want to argue with him when he was being nasty.

I was on the ground, trying to catch up my breath.

"Get up and walk it off" Byron grumbled over me. My eyes flickered up to him, his face was stoic. His jaw was set and hard.

"How's the pain?" I tried to get to my feet but my legs were shaky.

He didn't answer instead he turned on his heel. I saw his hand grasp his side.

"Practice is over" he commented over his shoulder. "Go to class, I probably won't attend."

I didn't argue with him. Instead, I went back to my room and got ready. By the time I was ready, Henri was opening my room door.

"Morning" he kissed my lips. "Did you have practice this morning?" he glanced at my workout clothes on the floor.

"Yeah, he came knocking in the morning" I made a face, taking his hand. We walked down to the dining hall.

"I thought Nurse Gail told him to take it easy for the next week or so?" Henri squeezed my hand. He pulled me in closer.

"He is a workaholic you know that" I released his hand and grabbed is arm instead. "Anyway, he might not attend classes later so we will be able to spend the day together." I couldn't help smiling at him.

"Want to skip classes?" he suggested with a mischievous grin. "We could go to the lake, before it gets any colder and go swimming or we could go the meadow and hang out?"

"Sure" I blurted without even hesitating. "It will be fun"

"You have Repetitions" Byron yelled at me. "Are you kidding me, Iris?" He was standing over me glaring down at me. He was breathing hard. His hand was grasping his right side tightly. I thought he was going to throw something at me.

I cringed in response. I had skipped the entire day of classes and hung out with Henri. We had walked around the entire school grounds. I didn't think anybody was going to find out. During dinner I had received a red note saying I had to meet with my advisor which was now Byron. I hadn't realized that he would know EVERYTHING.

"How could you skip classes?" Byron threw a hand up in frustration. He grimaced slightly.

"Byron" I sighed heavily. There wasn't an excuse that I could use. My mind was coming up blank. "Sorry" I apologized.

"Sorry, you mean sorry you got caught" Byron lifted his hand from his torso. His shirt was slightly stained.

"You are bleeding" I got to my feet. He waved me away.

"Just get out, I have a headache and I have to put up with this now. Just go" Byron pointed at the door. I opened my mouth to argue with him. He shook his head.

"Just go"

I made my way back to the dining hall. Henri was seated with Ezra and Thomas.

"What happened?" Henri asked. His eyes flickered behind me. I turned around, Byron was walking in to the dining hall. He was deliberately not looking our way.

"I've got repetitions for two weeks" I sighed heavily. My appetite was now gone. Dr. Nan was going to be brutal.

"Two weeks?" Ezra scoffed. Thomas and Ezra looked at each other. "For skipping a days worth of classes"

"Sounds reasonable" Thomas shrugged. Henri, Ezra and I glared at him. "You know perfectly well you can't skip classes" he leaned towards us. "And you shouldn't be going off on your own on campus grounds"

"She wasn't alone" Henri grumbled, he sounded slightly annoyed. "We were just hanging out on campus, we didn't go anywhere we weren't supposed to"

"Or do anything you weren't supposed to." Ezra added with a snort into his food. I kicked Ezra under the table.

"It doesn't matter" Thomas shook his head. "We can't go off on our own especially when the Duke is allowed to come onto campus anytime he wants to"

Henri and I looked at each other. I did feel slightly guilty for having not gone to class but we hadn't done anything like going off campus.

"In my opinion he is over-reacting" Henri shrugged. His lips were lifted in dislike. "I should talk to him"

"No" I blurted shaking my head. "I think it would just make it worse, besides it will only be two weeks."

The two weeks were brutal, Dr. Nan was angry that I hadn't gone to class. He was intent on adding another week but Byron had luckily stepped in. Also, Dr. Nan seemed to forget about giving me more punishment because Rima left to join the Counsel.

"I'm going to miss the three of you" Rima hugged the three of us. "The next time I will see you , you will be full grown Guardians and I won't know who you are." She released us, there were tears in her eyes.

"My three Guardians" she pulled us in for another hug. "My three little Guardians" she was crying. She released us once again.

"I've got you gifts" she handed us three packages. "My oldest, Ezra you get a special compass so you will never lose your way. Thomas a healing potion, that can heal just about anything in the world with an endless supply." She grasped my face tightly. "My last Guardian, my youngest girl. For you charms, to disguise yourselves in case you need them" she took a deep breath and gave us a warm smile. "Please, be careful. Listen to Byron he was instructions to make sure you stay safe. Take care of each other. If I see you again, I won't recognize you and so I have to tell you that it has been a pleasure" she bowed slightly to us. "It has been an honor to be with you three and you will make fine Guardians" she wiped her face. She hugged us tightly one last time and left with Dr. Nan and Dr. Langston.