The Academy Read online

  “…ten. There.” At last the headmaster threw down his cane and stepped back. There was a look of relief in his eyes that made me think he didn’t care for this part of the job much—though he clearly took it seriously enough to do it thoroughly. “You can go, North, Jameson,” he said, nodding to both of us. “And don’t let this happen again.”

  “No, sir,” North answered through gritted teeth. “We won’t.” Slowly, carefully, he raised himself from the stooped position he’d assumed over the desk. He took a step and then faltered, nearly collapsing on the spot.

  I ran to him quickly. “Let me help,” I begged, trying to find a way to support him without touching his hurt back. “Please, North—lean on me.”

  “Never thought I’d have to ask for help from a shrimp like you,” he joked hoarsely. But he threw an arm around my shoulders anyway and let me take some of his weight. “I’ll be all right,” he muttered, shaking his head. “It just burns right now. Better in…a minute.”

  “Of course you will. You two come with me.” Hinks walked briskly out the door and, not knowing what else to do, I followed, still halfway supporting North.

  Hinks led us to the back of the admin building and opened a door. “Here we are.” He nodded out across the campus. “Classes are going right now so you should be able to get back to your dorm without anyone seeing you. I’ll see you’re both excused for the day.”

  “Thank you.” I nodded at Hinks. “I appreciate that.”

  “No problem at all, sweetie.” He gave me a sympathetic smile. “Oh and here—I almost forgot.” He pressed a small white tube into my hand. “Molecular healing ointment,” he explained. “It mitigates the effects of the beating almost at once—just be sure to wash the wounds thoroughly first. And don’t tell the headmaster I gave it to you—he likes to think his little punishments leave a lasting impression, don’t you know.” He winked at me conspiratorially.

  “Of course.” I clutched the precious tube of ointment. “We won’t say a thing. Thank you, Hinks.”

  “My pleasure. I’ve been here for longer than I like to admit but I’ve never seen anything quite so brave or so beautiful as what he did for you.” He looked at North. “You must love Jameson very much.”

  North made a face. “More than I should, that’s for sure,” he muttered. “Jameson, can we get out of here? My back feels like it’s on fire.”

  “Go, go!” Hinks shooed us out the back door. “And if you need anything else, let me know. I’ll see that you get it.”

  “Thank you, Hinks,” I said, nodding at him gratefully. I had to admit that I might have misjudged the headmaster’s assistant—or maybe I was just seeing a new side of him.

  Whatever the case, Hinks was soon the last thing on my mind. North stumbled and nearly fell and it was all I could do to keep him on his feet. “Come on.” I tugged him in the right direction. “Let’s go.” I had to get him back to our dorm before he collapsed. And from the way he looked, that might not be an easy task.

  Chapter Twenty-four

  “Come on, just a little farther,” I urged, trying to get North to climb the last flight of stairs.

  “Right.” His face was pale and his mouth was a tight, white line. It was clear that each step he took pulled at the torn flesh of his back and caused unbearable pain but he refused to moan or groan. He just set his jaw and kept moving forward.

  I was relieved when we finally got back to our dorm room without meeting anyone along the way. Gently, I helped North lie face down on his bed and then ran to the fresher to get some clean water and cloths.

  When I returned, he was still lying in the same spot but his blue eyes were suspiciously bright, as though filled with unshed tears. It twisted my heart to see his pain and I wondered again why he had done it. Why had he sacrificed himself for me?

  “It’s all right, North,” I said in a choked voice, sitting carefully on the bed beside him. “Everything’s going…going to be all right. We’ll get you healed up in no time.”

  “Right.” He nodded stoically as I wrung out one of the cloths and used it to blot his wounded back. Though I was as gentle as I could be, he still winced and flinched from my touch. “God, Jameson! That hurts worse than the damn beating did.”

  “Sorry.” I lightened my touch even more until I was barely touching him. The long, flat wounds that crisscrossed his back made my stomach roll but not because I found them disgusting—because of the agony and torment they represented. Agony that North had endured for me.

  I got most of the blood cleaned off and then reached for the tube of ointment. I unscrewed the cap and sniffed it—a strong, astringent odor met my nose and I frowned. “I’m not sure, North, but I think this stuff Hinks gave me for your back might sting,” I said. “Do you want me to use it or not?”

  He sighed. “It’s either that or wait for weeks for my back to heal on its own. Yeah, go ahead and use it, shrimp.”

  “All right.” I squirted a dab of ointment onto my fingertip. “I guess you’d better brace yourself then.”

  He took a firmer grip on the pillow, his lips set in a grim line. “Go ahead.”

  Hesitantly, I dabbed the yellowish ointment onto his back, spreading it gently down one of his long wounds. North stiffened under my touch and I saw his jaw clench. Immediately, I was concerned.

  “Does it hurt?”

  “Feels like you’re coating my back in liquid fire.” North’s deep voice was strangled. “Feels like…wait.” He frowned. “Now it feels better—a lot better.” He craned his head around and then groaned and dropped back down on the pillow. “I can’t see. What does it look like?”

  I looked at his back and was amazed at what I saw. The wound I had treated with the ointment was closing right before my eyes. I watched the flesh knit together, almost like a zipper being pulled up. Soon there was nothing left but a thin white line—a small but permanent scar from the caning.

  “Well?” North asked impatiently and I realized I was spending too much time staring.

  “It’s…it’s healed,” I told him, still amazed. “This ointment works like magic—it’s incredible.”

  “Yeah, it feels incredible too,” he muttered sarcastically. “Hinks must’ve given you the good stuff.” He sighed. “Well, go on—do the rest.”

  “I’ll go as fast as I can,” I promised.

  North only nodded and pressed his face into the pillow.

  “Scream if you want to,” I said, squeezing out another dab of ointment. “It might help to let it out.” Then I went to work on him, smearing the ointment down the long wounds as fast as I possibly could.

  I don’t know if North took my advice and screamed but I could certainly hear some muffled cursing coming from the depths of the pillow. I worked like lightning, praying that his pain would be over soon. When I finally finished, his whole body was as tight as a wire and he was sweating and breathing hard.

  “All done,” I said, letting him know it was over. “The pain should stop soon.” I hoped anyway.

  To my relief, his large body finally relaxed and the tension left his long limbs. “Ahh,” he moaned, sagging bonelessly into the bed.

  “Better now?” I asked, just as he had done when he comforted me.

  North turned his head to the side so he could see me. “Yes. A hell of a lot better—thanks, Jameson.”

  “No problem,” I said quietly. “Now tell me why.”

  He shifted uncomfortably. “Why what?”

  “Don’t pretend you don’t know what I’m talking about,” I said. “Why did you lie for me? Why did you take the beating that should have been mine?”

  He frowned. “It was the only way to keep you from getting expelled.”

  “And why do you care if I get expelled?” I demanded. “You’ve barely spoken to me for ages.”

  North raked a hand through his hair. “Look, squirt, I know I’ve been kind of…quiet lately and I’m sorry. I’ve just been sort of…confused.”

  “Confused about what?