Wicked Games Academy

CHAPTER 10

"That was really awful," Clive said as he pulled out his dagger from a corpse. The two of us stood over the man with his face stretched in a silent yell. As per usual, our horses were tied up and the two of us jumped onto them.

Clive had killed another rebel, although I lured the victim into a corner. This fighter was a member of a big criminal rebel society and tried to kill us, so it felt a tiny bit righteous.

Coward.

I wasn't doing right at all, I was only trying to make myself feel better, not to mention I had Clive do the fatal killing again. Was I going to always force the task into him?

Make him sin as I stood by idly?

We slipped a note to the Headmaster's office under his door. It simply said "Assignment finished,", signed Five and Nell.

We retired to our room and  once again both of us were quiet as mice and unable to sleep. We usually killed Friday night or Saturday night but we had to wake up for roll call before falling back asleep.

Clive was washing his bloodied mask and he had to give the cloak to the Headmaster to be washed. My knife, mask, and cloak were clean, proving I did nothing at all. Clive turned to me that night and laughed a little.

"Somehow the mask doesn't suit you at all, Nathan," he said.

"I wouldn't want such a grotesque mash to suit me anyways."

It was a full face mask, while the Headmaster had a half face one. Still it was white without crevices or dents. Only two eye shaped holes and a smile was carved on the white material not unlike leather.

"I can't sleep after killing," Clive whispered, "do you want to talk?"

"Sure," I said.

"Recently I keep remembering my country." Clive wiped the mask with the cloak then hide both in his drawer. "It was always night there, even in mornings. All the children walked warily with knives hidden behind their backs."

I pulled and hugged Clive to me.

The two of our bodies intertwined and I heard his heartbeat against my chest—or was it my heartbeat? Our hearts seemed to sync and I held his head softly.

"Does it still hurt from yesterday?"

"No," he whispered. "He's right. My patron would never forgive me if I backed out—but I don't want you to suffer."

"No, I'd suffer much more if you had to leave Goldengrove, if you didn't become a knight with me," I answered. My hand held his head.

"Nathan, I think I love you."

Words I never expected to hear came out of Clive's mouth and my hand froze. I thought of drawing away and pushing his head away but my body clammed up and my mind went awry.

"Wha-what are you saying?"

I thought of Clive under the moonlight, smiling one night, killing without any emotions the next.

If fairy Clive asked, I would have hugged him tighter, but now with the knowledge of his dark past and somehow erratic life I was confused.

"I want to be lovers, Nathan!" Clive finally said, raising his head to look at me serenely. "Do you want to be my lover?"

We 'stood' there in stalemate before I ceased first.

"I need time," I answered.

There was undoubtedly disappointment and after a while he laughed again, and I saw the Clive that I once might've loved.