Veil of Shadow and Rain ✓ [TSC #1]

Chapter 14 - Twists and Thoughts

Lucian Ailwood didn't turn up in class that week. After Wren and Jake had related the night's happenings, to both Wren and Jake's surprise, she didn't clasp her hands over her mouth and cry, 'Oh, how horrible!' like she would normally do. Instead, she shrugged and picked up her fork.

Jake looked amazed. 'You didn't scream!'

'And why would I do that?' asked Ladislaya loftily.

'Well - I mean - Lucian Ailwood almost died!'

Ladislaya sighed, put down her fork and looked at him. 'Well, he deserved what he got. For being such a big prat,' she added, even though neither Wren nor Jake asked.

'Well,' began Wren.

'That's so - so un-Ladislaya-like of you,' said Jake uncomfortably.

Ladislaya put down her fork once she'd gobbled up her cake. 'Now, it's not like I wished him dead or anything,' she pronounced crossly. 'I just think - well - he is a prat and I'm glad he's spending time in the hospital wing - why are you two taking his side anyway?'

To which Wren and Jake blustered up hastily.

'It wasn't taking his side!' protested Jake.

'We're not taking his side, Ladislaya, I mean, there was a lot of blood -'

'Besides, he almost died! Do you think that's funny humour?'

'Don't think we're fraternising with the enemy, Ladislaya -'

'Trust me, you wouldn't feel happy about Lucian Ailwood in the hospital wing if you saw the amount of blood -'

'Oh, alright, alright,' said Ladislaya snappishly. 'Keep it down, half the Hall's staring! I just don't get why,' she lowered her voice, 'he was trapped in fire, Carrots. No one ran him through with a knife.'

Wren and Jake stared at her, speechless.

'Is it just me, or you starting to sound like me?' said Jake, amazed.

'No!' hissed Ladislaya. 'I mean ...'

'I know what you mean,' said Wren, looking away. 'That's what I've been asking myself, too. There wasn't anyone else in the corridors. Well, Emmett and Rafe was - you know, Lucian's best pals - but I doubt either of them had -' she couldn't bring herself to say the worst so she said, instead, 'I doubt either of them would hurt him,' she finished.

Ladislaya went back to her pudding, looking disgruntled.

'Besides, he's your cousin, Ladislaya,' said Jake, apparently trying to lighten the mood. But it went wrong.

'No, he's not,' said Ladislaya fiercely.

'Yes, he is,' said Jake reasonably. 'You're just scared to admit it because he's something you know you'll never be part of.'

Wren stared at them both in amazement. Maybe she was hallucinating, or maybe Jake was starting to sound like Ladislaya and Ladislaya Jake. Ladislaya let out a loud huff. 'I think I've had enough of Lucian Ailwood at the moment,' she said, poking her pudding with her fork.

But Wren and Jake weren't. Wren was consumed with thoughts of what possibly could've happened to Lucian - why was there blood? Had someone shouted a curse and she hadn't heard it?

It was ... she thought, it was possible. The very slight chance. She decided she'd look up killing curses in the library after lunch.

'You know, there are lots of killing curses,' Jake told Wren when she told him what she thought. 'How'd you think Nicaea could do it, then?'