cascade | kotlc

21. Before All Hope is Lost

 They seemed like brother and sister, with how close and trusting they were, and how protective the boy was of her. Fitz was like that before, when Biana was young, and he still was sometimes when prodigies at Foxfire stared at her for too long. Something else throbbed inside her again, and she clutched her chest, fighting back the hunger.

Honestly, the boy didn't seem like the major threat the boobrie dude was trying to warn them about. Protective and defiant, yes. But he didn't seem like the menace everyone described him as, rather just a brother trying to protect his sister from the harsh realities of Exilium.

The purple Coach shouted for everyone to get in position, and Biana followed the others as they folded their legs and kept their backs rigid. Sophie sqiurmed beside her, as if she was uncomfortable. She probably was.

"Our bodies need food," her Coach said, "but they do not need to be hungry. Hunger is a choice, a warning system that can be switched off by those strong enough to defy it. Take control. Concentrate. And put your head between your knees if you feel faint."

The hours passed easily. Perhaps Biana's mind was just too overflowed by all the new information, but she found herself unable to take her eyes away from the Shade. There was something about him that radiated confidence. Maybe it was the way he sat so close to his sister, glaring at everyone that dared to come close. Maybe it was his overwhelming display of defiance. Don't mess with me, or you won't like it.

Biana wished she could learn from him.

The mats were solid as rock. She felt they would've been better sitting on the slushy ground, and her rear started to ache as she pressured it for too long, her glutes numbing as they carried on. It was mindnumbingly boring. There was nothing intended for them to do except sit there and suffer, in silence.

She wondered how much better the experience would be if you were just allowed to make friends.

Then again, the Coaches wouldn't let them. Friends meant trust, and there was no doubt they would overthrow the Coaches if they could. She vowed that if she were ever to see a Councillor again, the first thing she would scream in their face would be the horrible conditions of Exilium.

Surely being unfit for society didn't merit these conditions. No wonder the Neverseen and Black Swan had been formed. In the end they all just wanted to fix the Council's problems.

They're different, Biana reminded herself. The Neverseen is evil. The Neverseen want to completely destroy society and take down the Council to rule for themselves.

The silence was unbearable. It felt like she was sinking into a sea of nothingness. There was no purpose. The tent was so quiet you could hear the gentle rustle of the leaves outside.

Where were Fitz and Dex? June and Keefe were in the Right Hemisphere. She guessed her brother would be Left, with his more strategic approach. Dex could've been both.

Biana?

She nearly leaped up in surprise and Sophie startled too.

Sorry, I was trying to get into both your minds. Sophie's took a little longer. I keep trying to get your attention, but you were staring at the Shade-

I was not!

Yes you were. You never looked over, and I'm in the Left Hemisphere. I'll cough so you can see where we are.

Soft hacking drew her gaze to a cloaked figure on the far side of the red tent.

You're all alone out there?
Yeah, but don't worry about it, I'm fine.