Defender: The Divine Courage Trilogy Book 1, page 17
“So…”
“So,” he repeated.
“Looks like I owe you an answer.”
“Looks like it.”
She smiled softly and said, “Better not waste it then. Goodnight.”
Then she opened her door and shut herself in her room, leaving Soren much more confused than he thought he should have been.
CHAPTER 18
When Larken woke up, she wanted nothing more than to shut her alarm off and go back to sleep. She had stayed up way too late the night before, and now she was regretting it. But she was glad that she got to know everyone a little better, and she already had plans to make a batch of brownies for Hinlee. Pushing out of bed, Larken felt a twinge in her shoulder. She hissed and groaned.
No, not today.
Larken tried to roll her shoulder, to push through the tightness, but she only got up to her ear before she had to drop her shoulder and realized that moving it was a bad choice. Forcing herself to stand, Larken got dressed as fast as she was able, pushing through the burning pain, and rushed out of her room. Stopping at the table, she found only Brecker and Loxly. Brecker was waiting for Hinlee to finish getting ready, and Loxly had been waiting for her. It wasn’t unusual for the four of them to walk to the cafeteria together, but this morning, she ignored Loxly as she turned and ran out the door.
Soren was already at the end of the hall, and she rushed for him. Catching up, she winced as an awkward breath forced her to move her shoulder. Turning, the disagreeable Captain raised a dark eyebrow at her.
“Can you clear my schedule for the morning?” she blurted out quickly.
“And why would I do that?”
“I slept on my shoulder wrong or something. I need to—” She stopped when his face went slightly pale. He was obviously remembering her last adjustment.
“Whatever,” he said, trying to cover up. “I’ll clear you until lunch. Let me know if you need more time.”
She opened her mouth to thank him, but Soren turned and disappeared into the masses heading to breakfast. Rolling her eyes, Larken pulled out her communicator and typed out a message to Jodi with her left hand.
“Little Bird! Where you off to in such a rush?”
Larken turned to see Loxly slowly jogging towards her. Concern was written all over his face, and she felt bad for ignoring him just now. “Sorry, I had to catch up with Soren.”
He stopped in front of her, and his eyes dropped to her shoulder. “Everythin’ okay?”
“Just slept wrong is all, nothing to worry about.”
Her communicator buzzed in her hand, and Larken opened the message.
East wing 15 mins.
Larken tapped out a quick reply and then stuffed the device into her pocket. “I have to go. See you later?”
“Do you want me to come with ya?”
“No, I should be fine. Besides, you have med-training. You can’t skip that.”
“I don’t mind.”
“Believe me, it would be better for all of us if you went. Especially since—” Larken clamped her mouth shut. She almost let slip that Soren would be more likely to pass out than be able to help them if something happened to either her or Levi.
“Since what?”
“Since you’re the one most likely to cause an air embolism.”
“You sure that’s what you were gonna say?” His eyes twinkled, and she narrowed hers in return. He knew her too well.
“Yes.”
“Fine, fine, I’ll drop it,” he said, holding up his hands in surrender.
“See you tonight.”
“I’ll count the seconds.” He winked and headed down the hall and took a left, making his way to the cafeteria.
Sighing, Larken rolled her eyes at the sharpshooter’s back and made her way down the hall as well but took a right instead. Her shoulder throbbed, and she pulled at the muscle. The fatigue and the tightness in her shoulder were starting to sour her mood, and she glared at anyone she passed that looked at her for too long. By the time she reached the area where Jodi had been stationed, Larken was practically spitting fire.
She stomped through the door and plopped down into a chair. Her fingers found their way to her shoulder again, and she dug into the muscle. Wincing, she pushed past the pain and tried to loosen the knots. Jodi appeared almost instantly and crossed her arms as she popped her hip. Plumb and lavender hair had been pulled into two braids, and the amethyst stud in her nose was the same color as her lipstick. Sighing, she asked, “Did the Princess not sleep well? Find a pea in your bed?”
Larken glared.
Jodi raised a fine eyebrow. “Or perhaps a Prince?”
Larken couldn’t hold on to her irritation and melted into a tired laugh. “You caught me.”
Smirking, she asked, “Was it the pretty one or the grumpy one?”
“Shadric Barlow, if you must know. He snuck onto base last night because he couldn’t ignore his feelings for me any longer.”
“If your goal was to make me jealous, you succeeded.” Jodi uncrossed her arms and motioned to the door behind her with her head. “Come on back.”
Standing up, Larken followed her friend into the back, and then into an exam room. Jodi quickly corrected her spine, and Larken could breathe normally again. The relief that flooded through her shoulder was so great that she didn’t even notice Jodi injecting the muscle relaxer.
“Try not to do anything too crazy,” Jodi warned.
“I won’t, don’t worry.”
“On a separate note, how much do you think I can make for leaking the info about you and Barlow?”
“Depends on the reporter.”
“Thanks for the tip.”
“Don’t mention it,” Larken sighed, standing up. She rolled her shoulders and stretched.
Good as new.
“Tell that Prince of yours to keep his hands to himself; it’s bad for your health.”
“I’ll mention it if he gives me enough time to think about it.”
Jodi laughed as Larken left the room. Making her way back to the dorm to get a little bit more sleep before lunch, Larken was in a much better mood. She ignored all the looks she got walking back and was surprised when her communicator buzzed in her pocket. Dominic and Vallen were the only ones who ever messaged her, but it was too late in the day for Dominic to wish her a good morning, and Vallen only messaged her after his shift. Unless it was an emergency…
Pulling it out so fast that she almost dropped it, she jumped as an alarm went off overhead. Her stomach immediately fell to her feet as panic settled in. Was she being shipped out? Was Squad 19 needed before she could get her certifications? Larken’s heart pounded as she looked at the screen, finding Soren’s name.
We decided to take an early lunch. Need more time?
Looking at the top right corner of her screen as her heartbeat returned to normal, she saw that it was nearing 10:00, and she only now realized that she had been in with Jodi for over an hour.
No, I’m finished. When’s lunch?
It wasn’t even two seconds before she got a reply.
11:00
Sounds good, I’ll see you guys there.
Larken was torn between going and getting some extra sleep and going to the cafeteria and getting a good seat. She had made up her mind to sleep in her spot at the cafeteria and turned that way when someone behind her cleared their throat. Turning again, Larken came face to face with a wisp of a girl who had a pair of glasses that were too big for her. She had on an oversized sweater, despite the warm weather, and she nervously pushed her frames up her nose.
“M-Miss Hale?”
Larken crossed her arms and raised an eyebrow. “Yes?”
“Could you please come with me?”
Larken didn’t want to, but judging from the girl’s lack of uniform, it was safe to assume that she worked for someone a lot higher up than her. Unfolding her arms, Larken motioned for her to lead the way. The whole time, the girl fidgeted, going back and forth between pushing her glasses up her nose and tucking her drab brown hair behind her ears. Larken should have said something, but she couldn’t bring herself to care. Her only concern was where she was going, and what would happen when she got there. The sinking feeling in her stomach told her that whatever it was, it wouldn’t be good.
When they finally stopped, they were away from the hustle and bustle of the base and, instead, in a more secluded hallway. The girl pulled open a door that had ADMINISTRATION written across the glass in white letters and waited for Larken to walk in before letting it close softly behind them.
Tucking her hair behind her ears again, the girl looked to the floor and murmured, “Down the hall, fourth door on the right.” Then she sat behind a desk that made her look even smaller and pulled at her sweater, like she was hoping to get lost in it.
Sighing, Larken made her way to the right door and knocked. She spotted a little plaque on the wall to the right of the door that read DAYTON. Her stomach was in knots, and Larken wanted nothing more than to turn and leave. If she was in an administrative office, then it couldn’t be good. And since she hadn’t been stopped, she could only assume that neither Soren nor Vallen knew about this visit.
It wasn’t long after her hand fell back to her side that a haughty voice on the other side of the door called, “Come in!”
Slowly, Larken turned the knob and walked in. The room was freezing, and goosebumps instantly broke out across her arms. Chafing her left one, Larken took in the room. It looked like any generic office, complete with a little potted tree in the corner by the door. The smell of aloe clung to the air, and Larken quickly spotted an air freshener on top of one of the filing cabinets.
“Cadet Larken Hale, it’s so nice to finally meet you.”
Larken’s gaze snapped to a woman behind the desk, who looked to be in her late thirties. Her smile seemed forced, and she looked incredibly stiff. Her brown hair hung around her face in classic-looking waves, like the style that was all the rage in Stars. Deep red lipstick colored her lips, and her black eyeliner was thick. Her black blazer looked about a size too small, and the white shirt she wore under it was impossibly low cut and didn’t look the least bit professional. The style reminded Larken of her mother, and she wondered if she was whom the woman modeled her look after. She unclasped her perfectly manicured hands and gestured to one of the two chairs that were facing the desk. “Please.”
Not relaxing the least bit, Larken took a seat.
“You’re probably wondering why I called you here.” The smile she gave Larken was poisonous, and she reminded her of a snake. “My name is Connie Dayton. I am the Chief Administrator here at Base 14. I apologize for not introducing myself earlier.”
“No problem,” Larken muttered skeptically.
Connie’s smile deepened. “Well, it would seem that you really are as pretty as what they say.”
Larken kept her mouth shut. She didn’t know what Connie was looking for, but she wasn’t going to make it easy.
Connie only laughed coyly. “Surely you can take a compliment?”
“I’m not really sure what they say about me.” Then Larken added, “Or why I’m here.”
Connie’s eyes glinted. “And there is no convincing you that this is just a friendly introduction?”
“Seeing as no one in my squad told me to watch my schedule for a meeting with you, and the fact that I’ve been here for over a month, no, not really.”
She smiled wide enough that Larken could see her teeth, and they glinted like fangs. “Smart and pretty; no wonder all my Captains are fighting over you.”
“Excuse me?”
“Listen here, Larken, this is a place of business. You are expected to behave the way a proper soldier would, and so far, you have not. Not only has there been fighting over you, but you were in a fight not so long ago.”
“How is it my fault that the men you employ are pigs?”
“That is enough. I will not tolerate insubordination on my base.” She bared her teeth again. “And I will not tolerate a little whore coming in from the Manor and using her previous status as a Luminary’s daughter to her advantage. Is that clear?”
Larken almost leaped over Connie’s desk and punched her. Instead, she balled her fists and gritted out, “I have not once used my ties to my family to get what I wanted.”
“So you didn’t redecorate the Squad 19 dorm to make it more to your taste? You haven’t been skipping out on training to see to personal matters? You didn’t get a member of Squad 15 discharged?”
“No! I—”
Connie put up a hand, and Larken clamped her mouth shut before she said something stupid. This wasn’t some idiot soldier that she needed to prove her worth to; this was the Chief Administrator, and what she said was law. “If I see you in my office again, I will have you dishonorably discharged. Is that understood?”
Larken’s eyes burned, but she didn’t know if it was from fear or rage. Not daring to open her mouth, Larken nodded stiffly. She would just have to ask Vallen if she was the reason that jerk was discharged. It wasn’t likely; Vallen never handed anything to her, and if it was that guy’s first offense he would probably still be here. But she knew for a fact that he had harassed Hinlee as well a few years ago. And how was it her fault that other people wanted to sponsor her and her squad? It wasn’t like she was asking them to. But still, she said nothing.
“Very good. You may leave now.”
Larken nodded again and then stood quickly. She turned and rushed to the door only to be stopped again.
“Oh, Larken.”
She paused with her hand on the doorknob, waiting for Connie to deal whatever final blow she had planned.
“Try going up a size in your uniform. You look like you’re asking for it.”
The words you’re one to talk were on the tip of her tongue like a bad taste she needed to spit out, but she clamped her jaw shut and pushed through the door. Red colored her vision, and she actually snarled at the secretary wishing her a pleasant rest of her day.
Barely watching where she was going, she stormed back to the dorm in a fouler mood than the one she woke up with. Larken was just glad that Loxly didn’t randomly show up because she wasn’t sure what would come out of her mouth when she decided to unlock her jaw. Hushed whispers and blatant stares followed her all the way back to the dorm, and to give them even more to talk about, Larken slammed the door to the common room shut behind her.
All of her aggression fled in that one action, and she felt as if all the anger and rebellion drained from her. Instead, the words that had been thrown at her danced in her head. Was she being stupid? Was she throwing the Hale name around? Shoulders dropping, Larken hugged her waist and slowly walked to her room. She quietly shut the door behind her and slumped against it. Sliding to the floor, she fished her communicator out of her pocket. She needed to know.
Larken sent the video call out and waited. The screen darkened except for the three blue dots that appeared in the middle, signaling the call. First, the one on the bottom expanded, then the middle one, then the one on the top. The top one was still enlarged when the screen changed and she could see Vallen’s face. The fierce look he wore that he used to mask his concern had her heart shuddering.
“What happened?”
Her lower lip trembled.
His frown deepened. “Larken.”
“Why was that guy discharged? Was it because of me? Because of my relationship with you?”
“You know it’s not. That weasel was written up for seven other incidents, one of which involved the Groves girl.”
Larken nodded, trying to still her bottom lip. “And the tokens? You didn’t ask people to sponsor me, did you?”
“The only sponsor I had control over was myself.”
Larken nodded again.
“What’s this about, Larken?”
A tear escaped her left eye, and she brushed it away. “I was called to Chief Administrator Connie Dayton’s office today.”
She could hear his soft growl through the video, and another tear slipped out. Soon, words were spilling out of her mouth faster than she could think. Tears rolled down her cheeks, and she sniffed back her emotions the best she could. Vallen glared at her the whole time, but she knew that he wasn’t upset with her. He started shouting and snarling when she told him that Connie had called her a whore and that her uniform made her look like she was asking for it.
Vallen frowned for a long time before saying, “Larken, look at me.”
Larken rubbed at her eyes, hating that she was crying.
“Look at me,” he said again, softly. She looked up, and his frown deepened into a scowl, although the harsh lines of his face were softer now. “You are the last person that would brag about your heritage. You never had anything handed to you, and you have worked hard your whole life. Harder than any soldier I’ve trained. You don’t need to answer to anyone, least of all to a woman who has no business being Chief Administrator. Do you understand me?”
She nodded and rubbed at her eyes again, feeling more like a lost child than a grown woman.
“Tell me what you understand.”
“That you didn’t ask anyone to sponsor me and that guy was discharged for dishonorable conduct.”
“Very good. Now,” he was all business and over the high emotions of the conversation, “I will inform Captain Deckard of what transpired today, and I will report what happened to the Superintendent and the other heads in charge of administration.”
“But she’ll know—”
“All she will know is that she was accused of harassment, and when the video feed in her office is examined, she will be found guilty.”
“But everyone will—”
“No, they won’t, Larken. Trust me when I say you aren’t the only one that she’s bullied. Once they find your altercation with her, they will start looking into every single complaint that they brushed off in favor of keeping her around.”
“So, she’s going to get in trouble because of me.”
