Chapter 216 — Fuck the Boys

Chapter 216: Chapter 216 — Fuck the Boys

~ Raven ~

Raven looked toward the spectators.

Every face was turned toward her, and for several uncomfortable seconds, nobody seemed capable of speaking.

The supervising instructor stood near the court entrance, staring at Cassian and Dante as though he couldn’t quite believe what had happened. Rowan had stopped beside him, while Nikolai was looking directly at Raven, his expression growing increasingly strange.

"She’s Tempered?"

The words escaped Nikolai loudly enough for several nearby students to turn toward him.

Oh, shit.

Raven closed her eyes briefly as Nikolai glanced at Rowan, evidently realizing a moment too late that he’d spoken aloud.

Rowan’s head turned sharply toward her.

"She’s what?"

Nikolai didn’t answer. He was still studying Raven, his gaze moving briefly toward the two Cardinals standing several paces away.

Raven wished the ground would open beneath her feet.

She’d almost forgotten that neither Rowan nor Nikolai had been present when her advancement became known, and judging by the whispers beginning to spread beyond the barrier, several other students had heard Nikolai’s announcement too.

Wonderful. Another thing for the academy to gossip about.

Cassian hadn’t taken his eyes off her.

Something about his expression reminded Raven of the Founders’ Hunt, and she suspected he was remembering the same thing she was.

"Raven," he said quietly, taking a cautious step toward her.

Before she could answer, Dante looked down at his hands and then back at her.

"What the hell was that?"

Raven drew a breath, feeling a dull ache beginning behind her eyes.

She certainly wasn’t going to discuss what had happened in front of an entire training ground, especially when she barely understood it herself.

"That’s what you’re worried about?" she demanded.

Dante opened his mouth, but Raven raised a hand before he could answer.

"No. Before either of you says another word, I want you to look at yourselves."

She gestured toward the damaged court, where cracks ran through the reinforced stone and several sections had been blackened by the heat.

Both men were bleeding, their uniforms torn, and neither looked as though he could move without aggravating at least one injury.

"Was any of this necessary?"

Cassian wiped his mouth with the back of his hand.

"Raven, I—"

"Don’t," she interrupted, shaking her head. "Just listen for once."

He stopped, and Raven turned toward Dante.

He’d lowered his gaze, although he looked up when she addressed him.

"Dante, you told me you needed some time."

His expression tightened.

"I know."

Raven looked at the blood staining the corner of his mouth.

"This is what you decided to do with it?"

Dante swallowed and looked away.

Raven pressed her lips together, remembering their conversation in the courtyard. She’d understood why he needed distance and had every intention of respecting it, but she hadn’t expected him to come straight here and fight Cassian.

"You’re both Cardinals," she continued, looking between them. "The Renewal Concord is almost here, and you’re supposed to represent Valerius. What would’ve happened if one of you had been seriously injured?"

Neither answered.

"The instructor ordered you to stop, people were trying to intervene, and there were students standing around the court. Did either of you think about what could’ve happened to them?"

"Prymont challenged me," Cassian said.

Raven slowly turned toward him.

"He challenged you?"

Cassian’s mouth tightened.

"Raven, that’s not—"

"And what did you do, Cassian? Did you politely decline?"

He didn’t answer.

"Of course you didn’t. You accepted because neither of you could stand the thought of backing down."

Dante shifted beside them, drawing a breath as though he intended to explain himself.

Raven turned toward him and raised a finger.

"Don’t."

His mouth closed.

"You challenged him, Dante, and he accepted. Both of you had plenty of opportunities to stop, but instead you kept fighting until I had to come in here myself."

Raven looked between them, finding it increasingly difficult to believe these were the same men who commanded entire Wings at Valerius.

"Whatever problem you have with each other, you can sort it out without nearly killing yourselves. I don’t want to see either of you doing something like this again. You’re supposed to know better."

Cassian lowered his gaze, while Dante stood with his jaw clenched and one hand pressed against his injured side.

"And if this has anything to do with me, then I want you both to understand something."

Their attention returned to her.

"I don’t know what you thought fighting each other would accomplish, but I’m not going to have my relationships turned into something you settle in a training court."

Cassian frowned slightly.

"Raven, that wasn’t what I—"

She raised a finger again, and he stopped.

"Whatever happens between me and either of you will be my decision. You don’t get to make that choice for me, and neither of you has any right to hurt the other because of it."

Neither argued.

Raven looked at Cassian’s bloodied face, then at Dante’s torn uniform, and felt her throat tighten.

She’d been so careful about their feelings, yet neither seemed to have considered what seeing them like this would do to her.

"I’m disappointed in both of you," she said quietly.

Cassian’s expression changed.

His fingers curled briefly against his palm before he lowered his gaze, while Dante turned his face away, staring at the cracked stone beneath his feet.

For several seconds, neither said anything.

Raven waited another moment, but she wasn’t sure what she wanted to hear anymore.

She’d had enough for one afternoon.

"I’m leaving."

She turned toward the court entrance.

"Raven, wait."

Cassian’s voice stopped her before she’d taken more than a few steps.

"Please," he said, moving toward her. "Can we talk?"

Raven closed her eyes briefly.

There were plenty of things she wanted to say to him, beginning with that infuriating smile he’d given Dante after their kiss.

Under different circumstances, she might have stayed and demanded an explanation, but right now, looking at him was only making her angrier.

"Not today, Cassian."

She heard him stop behind her, but she didn’t turn around.

The supervising instructor stepped aside as she approached the entrance, although the expression on his face suggested he had several questions of his own.

Raven wasn’t in the mood to answer them.

Tessa reached her first, looking anxiously between her and the two Cardinals.

"Raven, are you alright?"

"Can we leave?" Raven asked.

Her friend studied her face before nodding.

"Of course."

Thalia and Brielle hurried to join them, and the four women made their way through the crowd.

Students moved aside as Raven approached, but she could feel their eyes following her. Several were whispering, and one girl hurriedly lowered her Linkslate when Raven glanced in her direction.

Goddess, by tomorrow half the academy would have seen those recordings.

At this rate, Bellringer wouldn’t even need to invent a scandal when she woke.

Raven kept walking, determined to put as much distance between herself and the training grounds as possible.

The dull ache behind her eyes hadn’t disappeared, and she knew she’d eventually have to think about the strange command she’d just used.

But right now, all she wanted was to get away from the two idiots she’d left standing in that court.

They’d barely reached the adjoining path when Thalia caught up beside her.

"So, what are you going to do about Cassian and Dante?"

Raven glanced at her, then toward Tessa and Brielle, who were waiting rather expectantly for an answer.

She thought about the afternoon she’d just had and the amount of time she’d wasted worrying about those two men when the Renewal Concord was practically upon them.

She was Second Seat now, with sigils to master, weaknesses to overcome and vampire competitors she knew next to nothing about. She’d worked too hard to reach this position to spend another afternoon worrying about two men who couldn’t control their tempers.

They could sort out their problems themselves.

Goddess, she’d had enough.

"Fuck the boys," Raven declared, turning back toward the academy. "I’ve got vampires to beat."