You Need Rest

Chapter Eleven: Show of Strength | Part 1

Classes were canceled the next day.

It was dawn by the time Rhea and Benn got Thirtyx back to the dorm. They put him in his bed, where hey lay in unmoving silence, Rhea seated by his head and Benn by his waist.

Thirtyx knew he had to tell them about the information he’d revealed, but he couldn’t bring himself to do it—not yet. Perhaps Rhea sensed this, given the hesitant inquisition she made into his surface thoughts.

He let her. He was already obsessively replaying the memories of the trances and the torture that fell between them, so she might as well watch. As the hauntingly repetitive loop restarted, Rhea failed to conceal her tearful sniffling.

Thirtyx didn’t deserve her pity—not after he’d told the headmistress all their secrets.

He didn’t expect the frustration and awe surging back to him from her mind and Benn’s. Thirtyx, you can’t be serious! Rhea said. Four professors attacked your mind for an entire night, and all you told them was that Grimm had been attacked before? You’re lucky they don’t know our entire life histories. Our roster of diplomatic spies. Where we keep the crown jewels!

And without any magical defenses at your disposal, Benn added. I’ve heard of trained intelligence agents fumbling the Veluvian method under less pressure, but you used it flawlessly. You can’t be anything but proud of how you handled yourself.

He didn’t feel proud at all. He felt nothing but a profound brokenness. The intrusion in his head disappeared. Both twins stood. Benn covered Thirtyx with his blanket, and Rhea adjusted the pillow under his head. “You need rest,” she whispered. 

Thirtyx felt simultaneously like he couldn’t ever close his eyes again—he still wasn’t sure any of this was real—and like he also couldn’t possibly stay awake another minute. He took a deep breath and tried to exhale some of the tension squeezing his muscles and organs into a tight ball. He was safe. They couldn’t hurt him now.

One of the times he blinked his bleary eyes open, Benn and Rhea sat cross-legged on Benn’s bed, their bodies glowing golden. He rolled over and fell back asleep.

A few bars later, he was awoken by the sort of announcement that had locked down the school the previous evening. “Students, King Grimmary will be holding a press conference about last night’s events at 32nd bar,” said Professor C’s disembodied voice. “We are arranging for a live projection to be held in the dining hall, and you’re all welcome to attend. In the interim, please note that Headmistress Azirenne has been called to the palace to assist with the investigation into King Grimmary’s attack. Professor Bavarren will act as interim headmaster in her stead. We hope you are all enjoying your day off, and we look forward to seeing you this afternoon.”

Before Thirtyx drifted off again, he heard Rhea snort. “She’s going for an investigation alright.”

The next time Thirtyx awoke, he finally felt somewhat rested. He still didn’t want to face the agony of consciousness, but he had some questions that needed answered and topics that needed discussed. When he finally convinced himself to sit up, he found Benn and Rhea huddled over a card game in the middle of the floor.

Benn nearly dropped his deck, and Rhea’s hand went immediately to her nose. Thirtyx ignored the itch in his brain. “I can talk, guys.” His hoarse voice suggested otherwise, but he persisted. “I’m not that traumatized.”

“No one would blame you if you were,” Rhea said softly. “Twins, I can’t believe they’d stoop to that level.”

“How did you guys know?” It was the question that burned most urgently. “You knew where I was. You knew I needed help.”

Benn answered with a haunted smile. “We’ve teased you a lot about hanging out with Seerla, but she’s a good friend. She managed to leave a note under Rhea’s door before she got locked in her room. How did she know?”

“She walked me back from the library, nearly as worried about you two as I was.” Thirtyx rubbed his weary eyes with his fingertips. “She almost got herself expelled fighting for me. People need to stop doing that.”

Thirtyx shot them a pointed look through his fingers, but Rhea snorted, and Benn aimed a hard look at the wall. “Azirenne should expel us,” Benn said. “I don’t want to keep studying here after that.”