Crossed Worlds

Chapter 31: Secrets in the Night

  Tuesday was mostly non-eventful. The activities were, thankfully, not twisted like the one the gang had faced the previous day, and Jade was for once thankful to have to participate in team sporting activities.

None of the friends had spoken that much. Conversation was dry and uninspired, and that was due to the constant fear and confusion now living inside of them. Jade and Martha had told everyone what Salim had told them, and it just made everyone feel twice as trapped.

"We are going to be okay," Luke said as they all gathered in the common room at the end of the day. "We're all getting out of here unharmed."

"It may be a little bit too late for that," Hunter teased, and the sharp edge to the air grew blunt, and hope returned.

Martha suggested they all piled together every detail they knew, and so they did just that, in hushed whispers and a tight circle. They knew that the Queen had planned this Mixed School way before it was announced, and so it wasn't as spontaneous as they'd been tricked to believe. They knew she'd handpicked the Wild Ones she wanted to attend. They knew that the Queen and Head Being wanted to break the students down somehow, that there was definitely an ulterior motive to the world peace they claimed to be doing it for.

"We just need sufficient evidence. To sharpen the details," Isaac scratched the back of his head.

That seemed as though it would be a lot easier said than done.

"If we keep getting updates from Salim, keep subtly questioning things, keep our eyes peeled...we will figure this out," Jade said firmly.

When everyone departed – some of the boys went to play football, the girls went to relax in the dorms - Jade and James decided to go back to the half-finished shed for a sense of relief from the stress they were constantly living in.

"I hated seeing you in so much pain at the activity yesterday. I could kill Tabitha. And Sir Lawrence," James kicked at the dirt beneath his feet.

"I hated it all," she squeezed his hand. "I don't want to have to hurt anyone, not even stupid Queen Tabitha or my Head Being. I just don't know how we get out of this."

He pulled her into his arms and left three gentle kisses on the top of her head. There was no simple answer, and so he just held her as tightly as he could, hoping that that would be reassurance enough.

"I won't let anyone hurt you again," James whispered, and it sent shivers down Jade's spine.

"It's not your fault if they do," she replied. "We're just puppets in their game in here."

"I don't care. I won't let it happen, J," he repeated. "We have to stop this, whatever it is they're doing, before it gets out of hand."

"I agree," she nuzzled further into his chest. "We will. We always find a way."

They both tried their best to believe this, as hard as it was, and kissed goodnight, the butterflies in their stomachs rooted in both love and fear.

  When slept finally came to Jade that night, it was short-lived. Three abrupt, frantic knocks on her and Anna's dormitory door shook her awake.

"Who is that?" Anna whispered, and Jade shrugged and panicked, taking her hand so they could both open it together.

Lily burst into their room, closely followed by Zoe, who shut the door behind them as fast as she could.

"What's going on?" Anna asked in bewilderment.

"We just saw three students being dragged across the courtyard, completely unconscious," Lily sounded as though she was struggling to breathe.

"What? By who? Who were they?" Jade budged up so Lily could sit next to her on her bed, whilst Zoe sat with Anna.