The Academy Read online

  Most of the class was watching us now but Coach Janus remained unaware of what was going on. I kept hoping he would look up and stop us—it should have been obvious to anyone watching that Broward was out of control. But when the coach finally did glance up, he simply nodded absently in our direction. “Good work, ladies. Keep up the fancy footwork,” he called. Then, to my disbelief, he headed back to his office. I wasn’t sure if he was going to get more equipment or do some paperwork but the result was the same—I was now in a room with a very angry bully and no authority figure to stop him from hurting me.

  Broward registered the coach’s absence at the same time I did. The minute the blue metal door of Janus’s office door snicked shut, he nodded at Dawson and Nodes and barked, “Get ‘im.”

  Dawson grabbed me by my left arm and Nodes my right as Broward advanced on me, his epee pointed at my head and a nasty smile on his face. “Not so fast now, are you, freshie?” he grated. “Hold him still, boys—I want one of those pretty brown eyes for a souvenir.”

  My stomach felt like I had swallowed a fist-sized lump of ice that wouldn’t melt. I could see exactly what was going to happen. Broward was going to blind me with the entire class looking on. Then, when Coach Janus came back, he would claim it was an accident and none of the other boys in our class would have the nerve to contradict him. I was going to be maimed for life simply to appease his brutal temper.

  No, I can’t—I won’t let that happen! Desperately, I twisted in the grip of the two older cadets. Dawson had me tightly by the arm but Nodes, who was holding my sword arm, only had a grip on my sleeve. With a lunge, I managed to break free of him just as Broward’s epee was heading straight for my face.

  I ducked and blocked the blow, to Broward’s obvious surprise and anger. Then, without thinking, I attacked. Leaning forward to extend my reach, I got past his guard easily. Turning my saber, I slapped him hard on the cheek with the flat of my blade—a move which would have earned me a black card from the referee if we were fighting a traditional match. Of course, in a traditional match we would both have been wearing masks and nobody would have been holding me down.

  “Hey!” Broward’s left eye was beginning to water and there was a look of enraged astonishment on his face. “How did you—?”

  Turning my blade, I slapped his other cheek as well. Then I aimed my blade at Dawson, who hastily let me go. He and Nodes stepped back as I faced Broward again.

  “Why, you little—” He started advancing again but I held my blade up between us.

  “Stop!” I pointed the saber at his heart. “I could have taken your eyes just now,” I told him, lifting my chin. “Both of them. But I didn’t. I think we should end this, Broward, here and now. Let’s just call it even—what do you say?”

  “I say I’m gonna mess you up, runt.” Broward’s face was purple with rage. Apparently my plea for a reconciliation had fallen on deaf ears.

  “What’s this?” Coach Janus was suddenly there—appearing as if by magic from the confines of his office. His eyes flicked rapidly between us. “What the hell is going on out here?” he demanded.

  “Nothing, Coach,” Broward grated, his eyes never leaving mine. “Nothing at all. Jameson here was just showing me some pointers.”

  The coach looked at both of us suspiciously and then appeared to notice the red marks on Broward’s cheeks. “Looks like you’re getting the worst of it, Broward,” he growled. “Both of you get on some masks before somebody loses an eye.”

  It was so ironic that a small giggle bubbled up in my throat and escaped me before I could stop it. Broward glared at me, his face turning a whole new shade of purple. “You think this is funny?” he hissed as the coach wandered away to instruct some other cadets. “You’ll be laughing out the other side of your mouth at the end of class, freshie—I promise you that.”

  Throwing down his epee, he stalked away, his shoulders tight with fury. I felt a lump rise in my throat and swallowed it down with difficulty. Now I had done it. There was no telling what Broward would do to me if he did, indeed, catch me after class but I was certain of one thing—it was going to be painful.

  Trying not to think about my imminent and no doubt agonizing fate, I moved to the far end of the gym from Broward, and found myself teaching some of the other cadets the rudiments of fencing. Since the entire class had seen me best the big bully, many of them were eager to learn what I knew. I reflected that it would have made me feel better if any of them had been brave enough to stand beside me when Broward came looking for me. Unfortunately, I knew they would all melt away the moment I needed help. Only North was strong and fearless enough to face down Broward and his crew, and he was at the other end of the campus right now, taking Advance Applied Chemistry.

  Coach Janus continued to wander around the gym, giving halfhearted fencing instruction which was mostly wrong. I thought about going to him and asking for help but I sensed it would do little good. The Academy seemed to operate on a dog-eat-dog principle where the weak succumbed to the strong. Even if the coach had agreed to punish Broward for his actions, it would only make my situation worse because the bully would hate me more.

  Besides, Coach Janus had his hands full. Several of the cadets managed to hurt themselves and others with their inexpertly wielded weapons—no surprise considering that no one had taught them even the rudiments of sword play before setting them loose. I was certain that if the fencing blades had been sharp instead of dull, more than one eye would have been put out. Finally, when a cadet called Simpkins got cut with the edge of a saber just above his temple, Janus called a halt to the class.

  “Simpkins, to the infirmary.” He gestured at the wounded cadet who was wiping blood out of his eyes. “The rest of you, put up your equipment and sit on the line.”

  One by one we complied, though I was the last to put back my blade, keeping a wary eye on Broward as I did so.

  “I’m disappointed in you,” Janus told us as we settled on the thick black line in the middle of the gym. “Very disappointed. I was trying to let you have a little fun but it’s clear you’re not mature enough to handle fencing. With the possible exception of Jameson, here.” He gave me a nod which I returned miserably. “So we’re moving on to volleyball, another sport from Earth-that-was, tomorrow. Now…” He frowned at all of us in turn. “You’re going to sit here in complete silence for the rest of the class and think about what a mess you all made. And next time I give you equipment, I expect you to use it right.”

  I wondered how in the world he expected anyone to know how to use the equipment correctly if he didn’t teach them. Apparently, I wasn’t the only one.

  “Excuse me, sir?” Jakes, who was one of the cadets I had been instructing, raised his hand. “I think we’d do better if we knew more about the sport,” he said.

  Coach Janus’s face darkened. “Too late for that now, Jakes. Look it up in the library if you want.”

  “Why not let Jameson show us?” Jakes nodded at me. “He’s had private lessons—he knows what he’s doing.”

  To my surprise, there were murmurs of assent from all sides. Either the other cadets liked me more than I thought, or anything was preferable to spending the last twenty minutes of the class doing nothing. That was more probable, I thought, but regardless of the reason, I found myself touched by my classmate’s vote of confidence in me.

  Janus actually looked like he was considering the idea. “Jameson?” he asked, looking at me. “Care to come up here and share your knowledge?”

  It was a good thing I had no fear of public speaking. Ignoring the glares coming from Broward and his cronies, I rose. “I’m not an expert,” I said, coming to stand at the front of the room. “But I can tell you where to begin.”

  For the rest of the class I explained the three different types of fencing swords, their styles of fighting, and strike zones. I had Jakes come up and assist me in teaching proper form and balance. Together, we demonstrated attacks, feints, and counter attacks and for a wonder
, most of the class listened and seemed interested. Even Coach Janus stood to one side, his arms crossed over his barrel chest, and nodded thoughtfully.

  But though I was doing my best to instruct my fellow cadets, I couldn’t stop thinking about Broward. Class would be over soon and then what was I going to do? Normally I slipped out the back door while the rest of the cadets went for the shower rooms. I doubted, however, that I would be able to manage such an inconspicuous exit with Broward watching my every move.

  Finally, the class ended. Coach Janus thanked me and said I could come borrow the fencing equipment any time I wanted to practice. I nodded and smiled but it was little comfort, especially since he started wandering toward his office the minute he finished talking to me. I saw Broward watching him, obviously getting ready to pounce the minute the authority figure was out of the way.

  “Hey.” Jakes touched my arm and I looked up to see him frowning down at me. “It’s okay,” he murmured. “Go out the side door behind the bleachers. I’ll keep him busy.”

  “Thanks!” I smiled at my unexpected ally gratefully. “And thanks for asking the coach to let me demonstrate. If you hadn’t—”

  “He would have gone back to his office and let Broward make mincemeat out of you. I know,” he said grimly. “Which is exactly what he’s going to do if you don’t get out of here—now.”

  I headed in the direction Jakes had indicated, watching from the corner of my eye as he went to intercept Broward. I hoped he wouldn’t get beaten on my behalf but I sensed that wasn’t going to happen. Obviously he was willing to run some interference for me because he admired my skill, but that was as far as it went. He wouldn’t face down Broward or threaten to fight him the way North had.

  I slipped quietly out the side door and found myself in an abandoned corner of the campus. The side of the gymnasium was on one side and the high metal security fence which surrounded the entire campus was on the other. There was a single break in the gate which was screened by blue and green flowering bushes just ahead, but nothing else of any interest. Well, that didn’t matter—the only thing I was interested in was getting away from Broward. And apparently, I had finally managed it.

  I was just breathing a sigh of relief when a pair of large, meaty hands grabbed my arms from behind. “Gotcha now, freshie,” a voice whispered in my ear. “And this time I’m not letting go.”

  Chapter Fifteen

  I twisted around to see it was Nodes who had my arms in a seemingly unbreakable grip.

  “Let me go!” I tried to kick back at him but he moved out of reach, guffawing as though my struggles were vastly amusing to him.

  “Broward said you might try this way,” he said, grinning. “Guess he was right—you’re not getting away from me again, runt.”

  “Let me go!” I demanded again, still struggling. But it was like struggling against a rock. Nodes obviously wasn’t the sharpest tool in the shed but he was as strong as a bull—and just as stubborn.

  Even though it was hopeless, I didn’t stop fighting. There was no way I was going to stand there passively and let him hold me until Broward arrived. Have to get out of here before he shows up, I told myself desperately as I struggled in Nodes’s meaty grip. Have to—

  “Well, well, freshie—leaving so soon?” Broward strolled around the corner of the gym, a grin on his ugly face. Dawson was right behind him, grinning also.

  It was like a nightmare—a replay of what had happened, or almost happened in the fresher at the dorm. Only this time North wasn’t here to save me.

  “Leave me alone.” I tried to make my voice stern. “I beat you in a fair fight, Broward. It’s over.”

  “And now I’m gonna beat you in an unfair fight.” He smirked at me. “Because it’s not over, freshie. Not until I say so.” He reached into his pocket and withdrew something long and sharp and silver—a knife. “Now about that pretty brown eye I wanted for a souvenir…”

  “You’ll never get away with this,” I said desperately, shrinking back against Nodes as Broward advanced on me. “You think I won’t say something if you blind me?”

  “Good point.” Broward looked thoughtful—an odd expression on his lumpish features. “Well, in that case I guess I’d better cut out your tongue too.” He came toward me again. “Nodes, hold him still. Dawson, hold his head.” His flat tone and the gleam in his mud-colored eyes let me know this was no joke—I was really about to become a blind mute. My father, when he found out, would probably consider it a fitting punishment for the deception I had been pulling off, but I could find little comfort in that.

  Taking a deep breath, I opened my mouth to scream…and shut it again when the blue-green leaves of the blushes rustled and North came out of the break in the high security gate.

  “Let him go, Broward.” His voice was deep and commanding but Broward didn’t drop the knife or gesture for Nodes to let me loose. Instead, he took another step toward me, his blade coming closer and closer to my right eye.

  “Not this time, North. This time I’m going to do exactly what I want to your pretty little roommate and there’s not a thing you can do to stop me.”

  North came closer, moving with a cat-like stealth that was surprising in such a large male. “Think about what you’re doing, Broward.” He spoke softly, his eyes flickering between me and the bully. “Having a knife on campus will only get you expelled. But you’ll lose a hand for actually using it on someone.”

  I felt Nodes shift uneasily behind me. “He’s right about that, Broward. We’ll all lose a hand if you do this.”

  “What’s the matter, Nodes?” Broward snarled. “Afraid they’ll take the one you beat off with?”

  Dawson laughed uneasily. “Broward’s just joking around, Nodes. He’s not really gonna cut the runt.”

  “You think I’m playing a game?” Broward turned toward Dawson, a manic look in his muddy eyes. “After what he did to me in class? Hell yes, I’m gonna cut him! Freshie here is gonna literally be fresh meat when I’m done with him.”

  As the three of them fought, I watched North creep closer and closer. They knew he was there but their argument distracted them. Also, Broward seemed confident that he had the upper hand.

  I couldn’t say that I disagreed with him. After all—he had a knife blade about an inch from my face. One wrong move and I would be blinded or even dead. I had no idea how North planned to defuse the situation—even if he jumped the bully, Broward could have my eye out before North could stop him. What was he going to do?

  “C’mon, Broward,” Dawson was saying. “Just because the runt beat you with that little toy sword—”

  “He did it in front of the whole class!” Broward roared. “In front of everyone, damn you!”

  “You’ll get over it.” North was right behind him now. I looked at him, my eyes wide and he shook his head slightly, as if telling me not to worry. “Come on, Broward, this has gone far enough,” he said in a soft, reasonable voice.

  Broward turned his head and seemed to realize exactly how close North had come. “Get back.” His voice was cold. “You take another step toward me, North, and I’ll—”

  Suddenly, everything happened at once. North’s dark gold hair and blue uniform were a blur of motion and I saw the knife coming toward me. I stared at it numbly, expecting to feel its sharp tip pierce my eye and pop it like a grape at any minute. Instead, it magically disappeared and Broward with it. I watched in amazement as he flipped up and over. There was a surprised look on his face as he was momentarily airborne, and then he landed hard on the ground on his back.

  The bully looked like a bug on its back, his face red and angry as he tried to scramble to his feet. North put a foot on his neck and glared down at him.

  “Stay down.”

  “What the hell, North!” Broward shoved the foot away and got to his feet, fists ready. “Come on!”

  “You really want to?” North raised one eyebrow at him. “You sure about that, Broward?”

  In answer, the bully
charged him, swinging wildly. North sidestepped the charge easily and gracefully but I saw him grab Broward’s beefy arm as he rushed past. Suddenly, Broward was up in the air again. He fell even harder on his back this time and coughed, obviously struggling for breath. Still, he tried to get up again.

  “I don’t think so.” North put a foot on his neck once more. “Stay down this time.”

  Broward’s face was purple with rage. “Let me up.”

  “Not yet.” North frowned at him. “I mean it, Broward—stay down. Don’t make me pin you.”

  Broward abruptly stopped struggling and glared up at the other cadet. “What do you want?”

  “First, for those two idiots to let go of Jameson.” North nodded at Dawson and Nodes who hastily dropped my arms and stepped away without even consulting Broward. North smiled. “Good. Jameson, get over here.”