Glass Soldier REWRITTEN

Chapter 13

          "WHO SAID YOU COULD LAY DOWN?!" He roared while I wheezed, my arms trembling and vision blurring, sweat pouring off of me while I groaned. Pushing myself off his office floor, my body shaking, I resumed the plank position. Black spots consumed the corners of my vision as my arms failed me again. "GET YOUR ASS UP!" He screamed, the sound of his hand hitting his desk and the screech of his chair hardly reaching my ears.

        "Y-yes si...r..." I whimpered, my arms not listening and my body not moving.

      "YOU WERE GIVEN AN ORDER!" Moaning I tried again, only, I was met with darkness the moment I started my way up.

          Groaning I tightened my eyes before opening them, my body so sore I felt like I would vomit. The wooden floors cold again my skin and the sight of a desk left a bitter taste in my mouth. He couldn't even take me to the medical wing? Really? He just left me on the floor?

        Grumbling as I forced myself to sit up I let out a long breath. "I see you've woken up from your nap," the voice felt like a bolt of lightning as my wide eyes looked to the other side of his desk. The stoney face not looking away from his paperwork. "For insubordination and refusal to follow orders, you will be punished." I didn't even hide the loud whine that left my lips at that.

         "I can't do what I can't do! There are bodily limits!"

        "You were given an order," He stated reinking his quill. With a grunt, I stumbled onto shaking legs, barely catching myself on the chair not far off. With a glare, I wiped my sticky cheek. Fine.

          "Lilith Windsor! Under the direct order of the magi council!" I shouted straightening my spine and tucking my arms behind my back, "Prepared for punishment!" I didn't waver scowling as the words left my mouth.

           "You will run around the school's perimeter a total of ten times," he hummed, still not looking at me while I paled. A silence dragged between us for a long moment before he did look at me, an uncaring brow raised. "Answer?"

              "Sir, yes sir!" I yelled with all the strength in my lungs. My heavy legs slammed into the ground with every step I took toward the door. The sound bounced off the walls but I made no effort to quiet them.

            "And Lilith," He called just as I opened the door. My body stopped as I looked over my shoulder with a glare. "What have you learned?" I practically growled as I slammed the door behind me. All because of a stupid potion. I'd rather he yelled at me again.

          "What's got your panties in a twist?"

        "Hah?!" I snapped at Jake, the nastiest of glares on my face.

       "You are not to fight with other students!" Came a muffled voice that had me clicking my tongue. Running my hand through my braids with my other hand on my hip I let out a long breath before giving a smile and a friendly wave to the frozen faun.

Edward's POV

           The ink glided over the pages as I wrote the summary for the well-behaved and essentially hard-working student that had come to me over a mere failed test. He worried over one single test while the rest stood above his peers. A first year I didn't doubt would reach the rank of perfect in a few years' time despite his irregularities.

          Sighing, I looked out the window to my office, the heaving and stumbling girl hardly jogging past a walk. Glaring and gasping she faltered, her hands finding her knees as she held herself on those shaking legs. It was her fourth lap. Still, she stumbled back into that pathetic run. Only to collapse a second later. Vomiting on all fours, her shoulders shook- yet she got back to her feet. Wiping her mouth she pushed forward.

         She had proved to be the most difficult student I had ever received and I've only had the displeasure of knowing her for a meager nine moons. The first time she had truly come to my attention she had a glass dragon in her hands. Next thing I knew she had destroyed an entire wing of my institution- nearly killing herself and other students. Had I not been there, I can only imagine the trouble such a thing would have caused. Then there was her familiar. A holy beast. Just like her father.

        The blasted brat was stacking accomplishments one after another without so much as looking back. A student as talented as her, with opportunities unlike any other, could bring great pride to this school. To me. However. This brat in particular was ill-tempered and impossible to punish.

        No matter what I did she didn't so much as blink. If I shouted she would look at me like I was a fool, if Averin was to provide physical punishment she would be causing problems within an hour. The last attempt I made at reducing her pay for the potions she supplies I had been met without a single potion to show and give a comment about how she 'didn't take down payments'. She didn't cough up so much as a drop of her potion until given the full price she had decided on no matter the threats I gave.

         She was as strong-willed as they came. Showing no fear before authority and even laughing the last time her life was threatened. I had no way to properly discipline her. As such, a student that could be something great was left as a guessing game. She listened, yes, she followed orders, yes, however, I could not guess just how she would 'follow' an order.

         She was a wild card. One that could be very dangerous.

       Frowning I watched her collapse again, only she started to crawl instead of get back to her feet. Her fingers dug into the dirt and her body hardly moved a few simple inches. The image of such a pathetic child using a magic I had not known to be present to nearly skewer me coming to mind. If she had not given me that potion, she would have caused a detrimental amount of damage.

       It was the same with Averin, she had quickly and efficiently used the fact that he did not see her as a threat- and swiftly proved she was by breaking his elbow. The same elbow he was still receiving treatment for.

          In essence, I couldn't punish her in any way that mattered. Not to her at least. Not without real retaliation. Which made the apprentice dangerous. She was young, she was weak, her magic several steps below ideal, but she's smart and luckier than any other person I've ever met.

          This incident just proves how desperately she needs severe disciplinary action. How desperately she needs to understand her place. Rather than reporting a ground-breaking potion, she evaluated whether she gained more from being quiet about it. And she did. So she kept quiet. This wasn't even the first time she had shown just how little she valued her position despite trying so desperately to get it.

          Yet I couldn't get rid of her. Not now. Especially not now.