Blind Faith (Book 1)

Chapter 31

Ash

Ash could not sleep. His mind was restless and every time he closed his eyes he kept seeing Jayne's fiery stare.

Tiff delivered his dinner, chicken pie and vegetables and returned within the hour to collect his tray. She still wouldn't engage in any form of conversation, however hard he tried. Leon showed him hello and how are you, in sign language, but she just went red, her yellow eyes wide in shock and she was gone.

A strange girl...

A full stomach helped his body to rapidly recover from Emma's healing and he felt rejuvenated in no time, which also hampered his sleep, all this pent-up adrenaline pumping through his veins. To rid him of all this energy, he jumped out of bed onto the cold tiles and started practising some of the martial arts movements Leon had shown him. It was a shame that he didn't have the practice sword; instead, he worked on a one-hand block moving into a throat grab.

After a few minutes, he began to sweat and his shorts and vest began to cling to his skin, the closeness of his room probably didn't help. He paused for a moment to catch his breath and considered opening his door, to let in some air. He glanced at his watch, it was ten past midnight, and still, he was full of vigour and in the mood for a run. He peered up at his small window and the water streaming down the glass.

Maybe not...

Ash dropped onto his bed and sat staring at his feet, only for him to jump up and walk over to his desk and his textbooks. He should probably do some studying. He opened a random book and reached across to turn on his lamp when he froze, an icy chill crawled down his spine. Within seconds the crystal came alive against his skin. He reached up and held it and spun to face the door.

On the floor sat a small piece of paper. It must have only just been slipped under. He snatched it up and moved to his nightstand to read it - Come now. Follow me.

That was all it said. Ash didn't hesitate. Opening his door, he popped his head out into the dark hallway expecting to find his two guards, standing on either side of his door, instead, both were slumped on the floor, silent and still.

Not again!

He started to panic; his heart was in his throat as he moved to check if they were alive. A sudden sharp hiss, like the intake of breath, made him pause and peer to his right. A dark figure at the end of the hallway stood staring back at him, just a shadow in the dimness, with blood-red feline eyes.

"You!" he cried standing up, just as it disappeared around the corner towards the dormitory bathrooms.

If he was going to find out who it was, and why they continued to hound him, he had to move quickly. Ignoring his modesty and his bare feet slapping on the wooden floors, he followed the fleeing figure.

He halted as he turned the corner, to find the hallway empty.

Where did it go?

He couldn't remember the location of the light switch, so made his way to the end of the corridor and stopped outside the two doors on either side of him. There was nowhere to go, except through these doors. The corridor ended with a wood-panelled wall with a huge picture hung on it.

To the right was the Men's shower room, and the other door was the women's.

Ash scratched his head in thought, while his other hand clung to the throbbing stone through his top. He would have heard either of the doors open or close if someone had slipped into one of the rooms. He knew the shower room had windows, though they were high and very small. He guessed someone might be able to squeeze through. He pushed open that door and the damp mouldy smell mixed in with a strong soapy scent hit him. As soon as the door opened, the lights hummed and flickered on.