Quest academy silvers, p.26
Quest Academy: Silvers, page 26
Chapter 35:
Party
“Better late than never!” Hannah called out from the stage, and Sal slowed his walk to take in the sight of her.
She wore a form-fitting blue dress and was currently dancing with a plastic cup raised in her right hand. Her blonde hair was styled to one side, which obscured half of her face, but he was still able to see her wide smile. Even though the music had a quick enough tempo, she managed to move her body in a sensual fashion, so much to the point that Sal started getting some flashbacks of their night together.
With an awkward cough, he broke eye contact and made his way to the queue that had amassed around an unfamiliar face. The chattering of students was oddly comforting to him, and he wasn’t sure whether it was because everyone was dressed normally, or whether everyone was happy…it just felt like a nice moment, and he was glad to be a part of it. He moved closer in the queue and saw that the guy at the top was pouring water into a plastic cup. With a surge of essence, the water changed color and was passed to the awaiting student, who held out his card for payment.
Sal blinked. They were making alcohol with their power? If they were charging by the glass, for hundreds of students…they were likely making a killing, especially considering the minimum transaction was one Q-Cred. Sal couldn’t help but marvel at the ingenuity of it. If he had converted a large container, it would have saved him energy, but likely cost him a huge amount of sales. He wondered whether he used an excuse to keep it to single conversions.
As he got closer in the queue, he decided that he didn’t actually want to drink anything. He hadn’t eaten all that much through the day and didn’t want to risk getting drunk and spending a stupid number of credits. With a glance around, he saw that more than a few guys had done the opposite and drank their fill. There was a lot of crude thrusting happening on the dance floor, which was spurring a lot of the sober dancers to leave the platform.
“What can I get you? Q-Cred up front, one per drink.”
The line was practiced and smooth, complimented with a reassuring smile as he gestured toward a sign that had all the possible drink combinations. Sal gave it a cursory glance and decided to just take a water, causing the guy to frown ever so slightly.
Rather than insult him, Sal held up his Q-Card and smiled. “Guessing you’re in Jez’s Administration class? This is a great idea!” The transaction went through, and the impromptu barman gave Sal a grin.
“I’m a second-year! You’re going to be in for a rough ride if you manage to stay in his class, but fuck me, is it worth it!”
Sal stepped away from the queue with his water in hand and wandered around for a bit. Hannah was still dancing her heart out, but the stage was very much invaded by a lot of inebriated men. Sal wasn’t going to give them more than a passing glance, but they were practically shouting over the music in slurred voices. It became a challenge not to hear them. By the time Sal had walked around the stage, he had heard three or four of their attempted chat-up lines. Hannah had managed to get one about how well-connected the guy was with the guilds and that he’d be able to look out for her when she graduated. Another girl had been invited to the second-years’ showcase, where he’d dedicate his victory to her.
Sal drank his water and watched as they continued to gush and promise the girls everything. Hannah gave Sal a look and rolled her eyes, which caused him to smile as he walked around. He looked up the rows of steps to where people were gathered, and it was just a very chilled evening. He rarely went out like this. There had been some friends who were into the social scene, but that was never really Sal’s vibe. Clubs with music weren’t really his thing.
From a young age, he had been to charity balls and gala fundraisers with his parents. Any big ceremony that happened that was even closely adjacent to the auction house resulted in them getting invited to something fancy. They were events that no self-respecting Hero would find themselves caught dead in. Being surrounded by rich and opinionated people was exhausting, and Sal would happily never go to one again.
As he became lost in his own thoughts, he didn’t immediately notice the music changing to something with an even higher tempo. What did finally get his attention was the hands that covered his eyes from behind. They were warm to the touch and caught him by surprise. He was about to turn when he was chastised.
“Ah, ah, ah! You need to guess who!”
Sal smiled. “Sinclair?” he guessed with a mock tone of terror, causing Hannah to laugh as she released him.
“Any chance you’re up for saving me?”
The dance floor was clustered with second-years dancing with one another. What made it sad was that it was entirely made up of men, who kept trying to subtly steal glances over at Hannah. The party was supposed to be exclusively for first years, so their presence and behavior told him pretty much everything he needed to know about them. Sal wanted nothing to do with them and gave Hannah a light shake of the head.
But she was insistent and pulled him toward the stage. “Come on, I picked this song. I know you’re able to dance!” Her eyes lit up as she yanked at his arm.
Sal tried to excuse himself when one of the more daring second-years came up and put his hand on Sal’s shoulder.
“I’ll dance with you, love. You don’t need to try to make me jealous.”
Hannah looked at the guy as though seeing him for the first time. “No thank you, I made my choice. Let’s go, Sal.”
She strode purposefully toward the center of the dance floor, which managed to pierce the collective of tipsy testosterone. With a turn on her heel, Hannah pulled Sal’s arm to the point that it cradled her waist. Her shoulder was tucked under his as she grinned up at him. “I told you that you’d regret telling me.”
Sal sighed with a smile as he took her hand and twirled her out from under his arm. “I thought pillow-talk was sacred, yet here you are using it against me.”
His feet glided across the floor to keep pace with her, and their bodies entwined and moved like one. Hannah’s dress flourished with each abrupt turn. Sal’s hips moved in time with Hannah’s, and he gave her a withering look.
“Is this really what you wanted?”
Her laugh was infectious as her body twirled and moved in time with the music. Her eyes kept snapping back to his, and he laughed as he jokingly tried to throw her away, before pulling her back dramatically, all the while she spun around his arm. As Sal turned, he noted that the floor was slowly being reclaimed as each of the guys drew back for fear of getting caught up in one of the spins. It probably looked as though Sal threw Hannah like a weapon, before coiling her back to throw again. His rapid foot movements probably didn’t put the drunk men at ease either.
He guided Hannah to the center of the stage and weaved around her, his legs darting left and right against hers in perfect harmony. Hannah’s breathless smile was beautiful, and she matched his movements, her eyes flitting between strides, measuring and adjusting her stance as she let Sal move her body around the floor.
Sal, on the other hand, was pushing Hannah to see how far she’d go. In his eyes, she had opened Pandora’s box, and there was no closing it now. If she wanted to dance, he was going to make it so that she never asked him again. Salsa, tango, foxtrot…he had done them all over the years at those galas, so a bit of a swing on a stage surrounded by drunks was an absolute cinch.
Yet, despite his best efforts, Hannah kept pace with him. What she may have lacked in technique, she made up for in tenacity. When the song finally came to an end, Hannah’s fingers gripped Sal’s sweater as she looked excitedly into his eyes. “You went easy on me, didn’t you?”
Sal realized that his plan had backfired as she looked at him, ready to demand another shot. Just as Sal was about to answer, applause rippled throughout the amphitheater. Sal glanced around in shock. A number of students in the stands whistled in their direction while clapping. He gave them an awkward wave of thanks as he moved toward the steps leading off the stage. Hannah moved in step with him and linked her arm with his as they walked.
“Fucking cock-tease!”
Sal looked at the second-year who had spoken and was surprised to see that a couple of guys stepped up behind him, backing him up.
“What did you say?” Sal gave him an opportunity to retract the statement, but with liquid courage and a group behind him, the drunk doubled down.
“I called her a cock-tease…but now that I’m looking at her.” He gestured at the linked arms. “Maybe she’s a whore too?” And with that, he reached into his pocket and withdrew his Q-Card. “How much, love? You’re just a first-year, so how about ten Q-Cred? Hmm? Buy yourself something nice.” His cackles of laughter came out like a hyena, spurred on by his friends, who snorted at his remarks.
Hannah’s grip tightened on Sal’s arm, but he barely felt it. He took a step forward. “Are you serious? She doesn’t want to dance with you, so you call her a whore?”
Hannah let go of his arm and waited at the steps. “Sal, leave it.”
Her voice wasn’t as strong as usual, which made Sal’s protective instinct flare up. Taking on three second-years wasn’t a smart move. He wasn’t feeling particularly smart, though; he was angry. They were here to have a get-together after a tough week. It was supposed to be a safe place for them to unwind. But the second-years apparently thought otherwise. Sal steadied himself as he looked directly at the mouthy student and weighed his options.
“You’re supposed to be training to be a Hero…” Sal shook his head in disbelief as he turned back to Hannah with an apologetic smile. Fighting them was exactly what they wanted, and it wasn’t worth it. Hannah’s relieved expression told him that he had made the right choice…in her eyes, at least.
“What the fuck did you just say to me?” the second-year shouted as he rushed forward with his right fist bursting into flame.
There was an almost feral energy in him as he moved, and Sal flinched as his fist bounced roughly off a glimmering blue shield. Hannah’s hands shook as she tried to reinforce it, and Sal could see how much she was struggling without her gauntlets. The ringleader shouted taunts as he increased the intensity of the flame.
“Still feeling brave, huh?” He jutted his head forward and pulled his shoulders back in a threatening flex. As if to add to the menacing energy, his two friends moved to stand on either side of Sal and Hannah, to ensure that there was nowhere for them to run, their stupid grins signaling their intent to fight.
“Boys, boys…boys! What on earth are you doing?” Victoria’s voice cooed from the other side of the stage. Sal turned to see her looking intently at the second-years as she spoke. “Hannah and I went to all this trouble to create a party for everyone to enjoy! And you’re ruining that. All that effort, being thrown away. You’re only here because one of your friends is useful for making drinks.”
She sounded frustrated and annoyed, and Sal genuinely wondered whether she was capable of reading a room. As Sal glanced back at the group of guys, he was surprised to see them all looking at Victoria with…remorse?
Victoria continued to speak to them, her anger coming through in her words. “Since I’ve thrown so much away, I think it’s your turn, don’t you? Let’s get those clothes off. You’re giving us a show, aren’t you?” There was venom in her tone, and Sal realized she had heard everything that had happened. “Come on, aren’t you going to be little teases for us? Smile for the camera, boys!”
Sal gaped in horror as each of the students stopped what they were doing and started to strip naked on the stage. Each of them followed Victoria’s instructions to the letter, trying to please her in any way they could. Victoria was relentless in torturing them, making them pose for photos and getting them to declare their names, ranks, and dorm numbers so she could report them.
When Sal didn’t think she could go any further, she instructed their ringleader to set fire to all their clothing, which he did with ease. She chose that exact moment to release them from her ability. Each of them experienced a very different point of realization, where one saw his belongings on fire, another that he was naked, and the last one realized that everyone in the amphitheater was laughing at them.
Victoria put a hand to her mouth and stared at the one who insulted Hannah. “Indecent exposure on campus? In front of so many impressionable young women! How could you?”
The student tried to cover his privates as he leapt off the stage and ran toward the dorms. His friends weren’t far behind him, to the tune of roaring applause echoing out from the amphitheater. When they were gone, Victoria turned to the crowd and raised her hand, holding three Q-Cards.
“Drinks are on them!”
Chapter 36:
Friends
As Sal turned around, he saw Divinity looking at him with relief on her face. He was still linking arms with Hannah, which didn’t seem to escape Divinity’s notice. Sal expected a sly smile or some teasing from her, but he got none of that as she turned back to Melanie. At some point throughout the altercation with the second-years, many of the first-years had moved down from the stands and came closer to the stage.
Through the cheers for free drinks, Sal could barely hear what Hannah was saying to him. Wincing ever so slightly at the continued roars from the crowd, Sal gestured to one of the stands, and Hannah moved in step with him. Glancing back over at Divinity, Sal gestured to where they were headed, and she nodded in understanding.
Before he managed to make it two steps, a hand grasped at his elbow. It wasn’t aggressive, but it also wasn’t something he could ignore. With a turn, Sal was surprised to see Dave looking at them.
“Were you two a thing? Man, why didn’t you say so!” He scratched the back of his head awkwardly, as Hannah looked at him in astonishment. She gave Sal a confused look, but Sal couldn’t give her anything more than a shrug and a smile.
Dave hiked his thumb over his shoulder at the stage.
“I saw all of that! Surprised you didn’t put him straight down, man, like in the Combat class!” Dave shook his head wistfully as he gestured to another place in the crowd. “Dominic is over there, by the way. Was chatting to him earlier, and he wants to meet you in a less hectic environment…said he never got to shake your hand after the match.”
Dave shrugged as though it were no big deal, but Sal was pleasantly surprised. He made a mental note to track down Dominic, quashing the little voice in his head that told him it was a trap and that Dominic wanted revenge for beating him in the ring.
Hannah looked at Sal incredulously. “Dominic ‘Earth Shield’ Walters? You put him down?”
Before Sal could even ask about his nickname, Dave leapt in to fill in the gaps, happy that he knew something that Hannah didn’t. Where Sal would have been glad to keep to the facts, Dave had no such restraint and did a full play-by-play of everything that happened.
Sal had to admit that Dave’s rendition was a lot more flattering than the reality he remembered. It reached a point where Hannah looked like she was about to scoff and call bullshit, when Victoria appeared behind them with a laugh.
“It’s all true. You should have seen him. He was like a man possessed! Who knows what would have happened if I hadn’t stepped in and spoiled all the fun?”
Victoria’s eyes narrowed on Hannah’s arm clutching at Sal’s.
But rather than Divinity, who didn’t react, Victoria continued with a few choice words. “Are you two official now? I was telling Sal here that I might want to get my own pair of custom gauntlets made, but if you’re exclusive…guess I’ll have to inquire elsewhere?”
She pouted playfully, but there was a serious edge in her voice.
Hannah looked at Victoria as she slowly took her hand away from Sal’s arm. She shot him an apologetic glance. “We’re not exclusive. We’re just friends!” Hannah nodded and then tilted her head slightly before adding a minor caveat. “With benefits.”
Dave’s eyes whipped straight to Sal, and his hand shot straight up. What Sal thought was going to be an attack turned out to be an awaiting high five. The grin on Dave’s face didn’t falter in the slightest when Sal gave him an imperceptible shake of the head. He wasn’t going to gloat in front of people, and Dave seemingly realized that as he turned the awaiting hand into a clap against Sal’s shoulder, completing his congratulations.
Hannah just looked at Dave in confusion. “How the hell did you two become so friendly?”
Victoria interjected. “So, you won’t get pissy if I ask him to make me something?” Her eyes bored into Hannah, who looked to be quite uncomfortable.
Sal moved into her line of sight and gave Victoria a gentle wave. “I can make this easier. Orders are closed for the moment. I’ve got a few personal projects I want to work on and I’m not looking for any new clients.” Sal gestured at the stage behind them. “Really appreciate you helping, even if your methods are…terrifying.” Victoria smiled at what she thought was a compliment, but her overall demeanor was tense.
In a flash of light, another guy appeared beside them. Sal stumbled back at the sudden appearance, and the new arrival had the good graces to apologize.
“Sorry, I’m Seth. People call me Bolt.” He turned to Victoria with an anxious expression. “Drinks guy is cutting us off. Those naked guys were his friends!”
Gritting her teeth for only a moment, Victoria sighed as she waved the group away. “We’ll talk another time. Apparently, I’ve a party to attend to!” With that, she gave Hannah a pointed look and left them.
