The Haven High Book Series (Wattys2017)

Chapter 8

Travis dragged his ass out of bed on Tuesday morning feeling like he'd been on a bender the night before. He slept on the bus on the way to school too. It was really becoming a habit. He had a theory it had something to do with running for hours yesterday. But there's no way in hell he's giving in to the horrible teacher. She could run him until he drops; he won't pick up a weapon.

That afternoon in Study of Magical Creatures he was happy to hear that the pixie that had gotten caught in the mesh around one of the gardens at Golden Gate Park was well enough to go home. She'd buzzed around happily in front of the port door before slipping back to her garden home.

Travis laughed when she flew back through the port door to kiss him on the nose. He couldn't understand her buzzing language but he was sure she was thanking him for his help. He promised a slice next time he visited the park and she buzzed even more excitedly. When she flew through again, he waved goodbye.

The Manticore was feeling better too and his wounds were healing nicely. He riddled a few more times, and each time Trav's clever teacher guessed it; until she got to one she couldn't answer.

It cannot be seen, cannot be felt, cannot be heard, cannot be smelt. It lies behind stars and under hills and empty holes it fills. It comes first and follows after, ends life, kills laughter.

When she couldn't respond the Manticore didn't gleefully tell them the answer like he normally did, instead he turned to Travis and said, "When you and your friends can answer this question then you will be one step closer to a solution for your troubles."

Travis asked Ms Murakami if she would write it down for him. He isn't a very fast writer or a particularly accurate speller either.

She looked at him funny, but did what he asked, but before she handed him the piece of paper she said with concern, "If you're in some sort of trouble, you'd tell me right?"

He didn't want to lie to her, but he didn't know how to answer her without either lying to her or telling her everything and letting the cat out of the bag, and thank God he didn't have to because just at that moment the bell rang.

As he stuffed the piece of paper into his pocket he thought he'd give it to Lauren at their meet-up tomorrow night. The girl was so smart she'd probably guess it right away.

The Manticore threw him a bone though and addressed the last one to him before he was able to get out of the room.

He knew after what the beast just said it wasn't a coincidence he'd hit him up with the next riddle, but Trav had gotten it way too easily. After what he'd been through over the last few days he'd have to be pretty stupid not to get this one.

What gets harder to catch the faster you run?

He tossed his answer over his shoulder as he left the examining room.

Your breath

~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~

Training was even more brutal than the day before le Fay hadn't forgotten about him like he'd hoped. In fact, she cornered him as soon as he entered the gym. He wasn't even allowed to train in hand to hand; he was immediately told to pick up a weapon or run.

So he ran for three hours, and by the time he was done he had done ten loops around the track and had gotten zapped five times. You didn't have to be a genius to do that math. He'd just run the Boston Marathon twice.

When the bell rang to signal the end of the training session he had collapsed on the track unable to move. His lungs were heaving like billows and his legs wouldn't support his weight. When Knight came with the troll bile Steinman and Murakami came with him to help pick him up and get him on his feet. He could tell they didn't like the situation but, like parents he guessed the teahcers had to show a united front.