Page 23 of Lucent Academy 2: Trinity Awakens
She found a chair and dragged it over. When she was sitting next to my bed, she said, "Well, are you going to tell me what happened? I mean, when Seraphina appeared at the stables with you flung over the back of her horse like a dead person, we all thought the worst. She was leading Chance behind her own horse, and he wasn't harmed at all, so an attack from an animal was ruled out."
"Seraphina?" I asked, surprised.
"Yeah, she said she found you on the path, and you were unconscious, having obviously fallen from your horse. Is that what really happened? I mean, she didn't attack you, did she?"
I thought of the monstrosity I'd seen, the Kigyo Hydrus, a creature that was just a myth—or supposed to be, at least. Before it had turned into a giant creature, it had been a snake. Just a snake. Was it possible that my own fear and disgust had turnedit into the monster that had seemed to appear like magic right in front of me moments later? The way it had disappeared into nothingness suggested it had been merely an illusion.
I remembered my panic-driven ride through the woods, how I'd felt. I had to admit, it was entirely possible that in the grips of that kind of terror, my mind had turned a garden-variety venomous snake into a giant reptilian monster.
"I saw a snake about to cross my path. I've always been scared of them, since I was little, and one slithered over my foot. I panicked, and I guess I pulled back on Chance's reins too suddenly and too hard. When he reared up, I fell off. That's all. That's what happened."
Amber studied my face, and I almost felt myself squirm under her scrutiny. I didn't want to admit that I'd seen the Kigyo Hydrus. It would only make me sound more like a drama queen. Or insane. I didn't want Amber to see me that way, not when she was one of the few people in this place who didn't flinch when I moved around her too fast.
"Well, I still think it's strange. That Seraphina just happened to be the one to come across you after your accident. Anyway, I suppose we must give her the benefit of the doubt and be grateful she found you at all."
I didn't tell Amber that it was even more suspicious than she thought it was, since I hadn't been on the path when I'd fallen from the horse. Fleeing for my life, I had left the trail and had been riding in the woods. Why would Seraphina have been there? Students were not supposed to leave the trail.
I pushed these thoughts away and asked Amber what had been happening while I'd been conked out in the hospital wing.
"A lot, actually. Principal Lucius announced that our final demonstrations of the year will take place on the last day of school before the holidays. The whole school will be attending, so we'll be performing it in front of all those extra people as well."
Amber saw my face fall and realized how hearing that made me nervous. Since the classes had all been such a horrendous exercise in humiliation, it filled me with dread knowing even more people would be there to witness my impending failure. The whole school? How was I supposed to face everyone after that?
She squeezed my hand, but instead of trying to give me empty reassurances, she tactfully changed the subject. "Of course, I'm looking forward to the end-of-term party too."
"End-of-term party? How long have I been in this hospital room?"
Amber laughed at that. "They told us about it this evening. It's all everyone's been talking about. After the last demonstration, there will be a formal dance. There's one at the beginning of the year and one at the end of the year. We're supposed to invite our mates to have the very last dance of the evening with us. It's tradition. I guess you'll have to choose who is going to be your last dance companion." She grinned wickedly, "Then again, you may want to give all three of them a chance to dance with you, or they'll get even more competitive if they think you favor one of them above the other two."
I realized she was teasing me, and I laughed and slapped her hand away. She knew turning up at the dance with all three of my mates would be impossible, since only a handful of people knew I was the Trinity.
"Where are we supposed to get ballgowns and stuff? I don't know if you have a fancy dress like that stashed away somewhere, but I don't. Maybe it's a good thing you only reminded me of the dance now. If I'd remembered it was approaching, I may have spent all my time going into a panic."
"The Academy has a seamstress."
Amber jumped a little when the voice spoke behind her. I hadn't seen Cleopatra come in either. I had no idea how long she'd been standing there, but she'd obviously heard part of our conversation. It was a bit embarrassing, given how little she could relate to our predicament. I was certain that the daughter of the Empress didn't have to worry about where to find a formal gown.
Even here in the hospital suite, Cleopatra looked like a creature drawn from a fairytale. Her long, purple hair glistened, and she had such a graceful way of carrying herself. That magical aura, always present, made her seem otherworldly.
"On the fifth floor, in the South Wing. I can show you where she is if you'd like?" She said it as if it wasn't a big deal, just her being helpful. Sometimes she seemed so arrogant. Other times, like now, she seemed like any ordinary woman.
Amber and I stared speechlessly at Cleopatra as she walked up to my bed.
"Uhm, I think the healer said I can only have one visitor at a time." I didn't know what Cleopatra was doing here. We had never been friends. From the first moment, she had made it clear that she was here to study, to prepare for joining the Void Wars. I didn't think she even had any friends outside of the Archangel, who was her mate.
Since the start of school, she'd been cold and aloof, business-like and singularly focused. I never took her attitude personally. She was like that with everyone, but I was certain she didn't think much of me.
"Ethel will have a fit if she comes in here and I have more than one visitor."
"She's sleeping," Cleopatra said matter-of-factly and turned her strange eyes on Amber. "I peeked inside her office when I came, and she was conked out in her chair, poor woman."
The timer next to my bed went off, and a high-pitched buzzing noise like a swarm of bees filled the room. Cleopatra reached over and silenced it.
"That's my cue, anyway," Amber said, giving me a pointed look. It was clear that Cleopatra wanted to speak to me in private. Amber was trying to tell me to be nice and to fill her in on what Cleopatra said to me later. She got up and leaned over to give me a hug. "I'll see you early tomorrow morning."
I nodded dully, sort of intimidated by the thought of being left alone in a room with Cleopatra. When the door closed behind Amber, she sat in the now-empty chair.
"I came to see if I can offer you my assistance. I'm not as well-trained in healing magic as I'd like to be, but if I summon him, I'm sure there's something Asau can do to increase the speed of your recovery." She regarded me carefully. "Though it seems to me that the fall shouldn't have harmed you at all. What really happened out there? Did someone try to harm you in any way?"
