Venom and Earth Page 5

  “We will continue the search for your companions tonight. This means that there will be no-one here to protect the premiers.” The man clears his throat again as chatter starts to rise in the room. “If any commoners approach premiers, please report it to one of us on our return.”

  “You can’t leave!” Sadie screeches, crossing her arms over her chest. “What if one of these dirty commoners come near me?”

  “We have orders to go and look for the dragons.”

  “Oh yeah? Who told you?”

  “Chief Thula. He manages all the protectors in this camp.”

  “Tell him to go fuck himself and stay here!”

  “We can’t, Miss Brookes. We have been told to go to look for the dragons.” The man’s voice becomes more monotonous as he speaks, making my skin crawl.

  “Exquisite wouldn’t want me stuck here with commoners!”

  “We’re leaving, Miss Brookes.” With that, the protectors slip out the door one by one, slamming it and locking it with a ‘click’.

  “Dickhead!” Sadie hisses, spitting at the door.

  For a few seconds no-one says anything, then a few commoners and premiers start mingling among each other, though quite a few premiers stay on their bunks, glaring at the commoners happily chatting to their premier friends.

  “Haze!” Marco’s voice pulls me out of thoughts. Before I can reply he has pulled me to my feet. “Come over to my bunk; they’re gone.”

  “But-”

  He picks up my overnight bag and slings it over his shoulder, dragging me along behind him. All eyes are on me as he flings my bag up onto his top bunk and nudges me towards the ladder.

  “I’ll cup your butt as you climb up,” he grins mischievously.

  “Please don’t.”

  Thankfully he listens to me and shoots up behind me. His bed is cramped with the two of us, but he doesn’t seem to care.

  “Are you okay?” His smile fades and his face assumes a more serious expression.

  “Everyone’s staring at us.” I duck my head in embarrassment as people mutter and snicker.

  “I know, but ignore them, okay? You can sleep with me tonight. You do not want to be there when Rocky and Ciara start dry humping; it’s awkward as fuck.”

  Shuddering at the thought, I try to relax as he wraps his arms around me and nuzzles my head lovingly.

  “Do you think they’re okay?” I ask.

  “They can all look after themselves. Plus if they’re together they’ll have a better chance,” Marco says matter-of-factly, but I can see doubt in his chestnut eyes. “I’m sure they’ll turn up; they have to be somewhere, after all.”

  “I guess you’re right.”

  We’re both silent for a few seconds before he nuzzles my ear again and whispers: “I love you.”

  “You’ve wanted to say that since the protectors left, haven’t you?” I giggle, pushing him playfully.

  “Maybe… It’s not a crime!”

  “I suppose not. I love you too. That is your phone pressing up against my hip, right?”

  “If that’s what you want to believe then, yes, it’s definitely my phone.”

  * * *

  I must have dozed off; when I open my eyes the room is pitch black. Sitting up slightly, I can just about make out the bodies of people sleeping.

  Marco snorts in his sleep next to me, one hand wrapped loosely around my waist. I must have fallen asleep before him because the last I remember he was definitely not just wearing his underwear. I’m tempted to fall back to sleep, but my mouth feels gross from not having brushed my teeth. Edging my way down the bed, I’m careful not to wake Marco as I swing my feet over the ladder and quietly climb down.

  Tiptoeing towards the bathroom, I look away once I reach Rocky’s bed as I can make out Ciara lying naked on top of my brother.

  The combination of white tiles and the bright light swinging from the bathroom ceiling burn my eyes as I make my way towards Marco’s stall. Once inside, my eyes adjust to the light and I unclench my hand to brush my teeth. Marco must have brought my bag in while I was asleep because it hangs loosely on the back of the door.

  After cleaning my teeth and changing into my pyjamas, I go to leave when I’m suddenly frozen to the spot. A cold breeze buffets my face, forcing me to squeeze my eyes shut. When I open them, I’m surrounded by snow.

  Oh, not again…

  “Marine!” a familiar voice calls.

  I try to call out, but the wind is painfully cold, and I’m just wearing pyjamas. I sink to the floor, curling up tightly to try to retain body heat.

  “Marine! Oh, thank goodness I found ya!”

  Braith?

  A blurred face comes into view as I shake violently, too cold to talk. As my vision clears, the familiar face of my lost friend peers back at me, her large eyes bright.

  “Here, have a blanket. I would keep ya warm myself but we don’t have much time to talk.”

  Frost wasn’t like this in my last dream; she’s acting more like Braith.

  “Look, I’m not sure what’s going on, but I have some leads… But I need help to follow them. So, I’m on my way.”

  Am I supposed to be following this?

  “I’ve missed you. It’ll be nice to see you again! I should be there in a few hours or so, depending on how much traffic there is.” She giggles and pats me on the back. “You’ll get that joke later. Anyway, I came to tell you that we need to end it.”

  End what?

  My teeth chatter uncontrollably so I’m unable to speak as she stands up, glancing behind her excitedly.

  “I gotta go; we’re getting ready to leave. Remember, end it.”

  A bright white light flashes before my eyes. When they recover, I’m back in the stall. My wrist is burning, the bracelet that Marine left me jingling and burning my skin.

  “Is she okay?”

  “I dunno. Should we get someone?”

  Blinking a few times to correct my vision, I’m surprised to see Mason and Sadie kneeling beside me, looking concerned for once.

  “Look, she’s waking up!” Mason breathes a sigh of relief, shaking my shoulder gently. “Are you okay?”

  “You were seizing!” Sadie pipes in.

  “Y-yeah I’m fine… Thanks.”

  The bracelet finally cools down, though the skin around it remains red and raw. I’m surprised as Mason helps me to my feet. Their concern for my wellbeing makes me uncomfortable; they must be planning something. Sadie hates me, after all.

  “Listen, loser.” I’m secretly glad when Sadie’s face goes stony again; it means she doesn’t care anymore. “We came in here to prank you, but you started seizing so we’ll let you off this time, okay?”

  “Um, thanks?”

  “Don’t mention it. I mean it.”

  “We couldn’t help but notice your tattoos.”

  “My what?”

  “Your tattoos? I’m guessing you got them during First Year.” Sadie crosses her arms and glares at me.

  “What do you know?”

  She looks taken aback for a minute before huffing: “Nothing!”

  “Sadie, come on…” Mason sighs and takes her hand. “She knows they’re not normal.”

  The blonde girl regains her composure and hisses through gritted teeth: “I know nothing.”

  “Have you got them?” I butt in.

  Mason looks at Sadie, but she glares defiantly at him. “We both do,” he finally admits. “Appeared during First Year. We don’t know what they mean.”

  Holy shit. Of all people, I never expected Mason and Sadie to have markings.

  “Well, it’s a long story but basically… they’re markings. Like dragons have. Except they lead Draca to us, like a beacon.”

  “Draca?” Sadie snorts.

  “You know that Primordial Dragon that took Braith?”

  “Yeah?”

  “That’s Draca.”

  The two of them look horrified, looking between each other and muttering under their breath.
After a few seconds, Mason turns back to me, his mouth opening and closing like a guppy before speaking.

  “Did Braith have those tattoos…?”

  “Yeah. That’s why she was taken.”

  Shocked, Sadie backs away a few steps. “No, this can’t be happening…”

  “Sadie, hun, please just-”

  “No! This is fucking serious! If this little shit is even telling the truth!”

  Mason grabs his girlfriend by the shoulders and looks into her wide, panicked eyes. “If it’s true, I’ll protect you. No matter what, okay? We’re doing this together, like we always have.”

  She looks as if she wants to say something, but bursts into tears instead. I’m afraid to interrupt their little moment, but I have to tell someone. With the dream, or seizure, as Sadie put it, and finding out these two have markings, there’s a lot to discuss.

  “Who else has the markings?” Sadie asks in between sobs.

  “I have them, as do Braith, Rocky, Violet and Wes.”

  “Marco doesn’t?” Mason asks, seeming surprised.

  “No.”

  “I thought he did… It would have explained why he preferred to hang out with you.”

  I bite back a retort, and instead just say: “No, he doesn’t have the markings. He does know about them, though.”

  “He hangs out with you because he wants to fuck you,” Sadie hisses.

  “That’s not true!”

  “Yes it is; he fucked me.”

  “So?”

  “What do you mean ‘so’? He’s a sex pest!”

  “No way, not Marco.”

  Sadie slams me against one of the walls, thrusting her face in mine. “Listen here, you little-”

  As quickly as she’s on top of me she’s lifted off by Mason, who kisses her softly on the cheek. “Sadie, please. We need her.”

  Her pupils fade in her eyes as she gets angrier, the room getting painfully bright. A loud knock causes all of us to jump, and the light bulb to explode above the mirror.

  “Haze? Are you okay in there? Did you smash something?” Marco calls out, his voice thick with tiredness.

  Both Sadie and I go for the door, but she beats me to it and slams one hand on the door, preventing me from opening it. My heart is in my throat. She can do whatever she wants to me; water doesn’t combat light well because of the heat it produces. The only thing that will happen is that the stall will become a sauna.

  The knocking gets louder. “Haze? What’s going on?”

  “Sadie-” I begin, only to get cut off as she grabs my arm and it starts burning.

  As I whimper in pain she screams: “Shut up!”

  Before she can do anything else, Marco steps out of the shadows and pushes her away and stands in front of me. He looks quite intimidating for a guy wearing only underwear.

  “What the-?” Mason catches Sadie before she falls, and she looks equally as shocked. “How did you-”

  “I travelled under the door through the shadows. You know I can do that. Anyway, what the hell is going on?”

  “She was having a seizure. We came to help,” Sadie snorts, crossing her arms sulkily.

  Marco turns to me and starts fussing. “A seizure? Shit, are you okay, Haze?”

  “I’m fine, honest. We have a lot to talk about with the others. Mason and Sadie have markings too.”

  He’s confused for a second before it finally dawns on him. “Seriously? You never thought to tell me?” he directs the question at his brother.

  Mason shrugs nonchalantly. “Just because you’re my brother doesn’t mean I have to tell you everything. Plus you preferred to hang out with Hazel and her friends.”

  “Don’t turn this on me; you know why I prefer to be with her.”

  “Have you even told her yet?”

  “Yes, she’s reciprocated.”

  Mason’s eyes widen in shock. All he says is: “Oh.”

  “What’s he talking about?” Sadie demands.

  “I asked Haze out, no big deal,” Marco shrugs.

  “No big deal?” Sadie screeches. “She’s your girlfriend? Are you joking?”

  “No. I don’t understand what all the fuss is about.”

  Her mouth hangs open in shock before she composes herself and hisses: “I’m out of here.”

  She pushes past Marco and storms out, her hands balled into fists. Mason sighs and rubs his temples, before muttering an apology and following her back out into the cabin.

  “Are you okay?” Marco asks once more, looking over the burns on my arm.

  “Nothing a little water can’t fix,” I murmur, before pressing my wet hand against the burn and letting a little shell of water form around it.

  “Neat trick.”

  “Thanks. But I need to speak to you. I had another dream.”

  As I explain everything that’s happened, I find myself getting lost at certain parts, especially when trying to make sense of the dream with Frost. It was almost as if she was Braith in that moment, not just simply using her form as a way of communicating.

  “That’s… interesting,” Marco says after I’ve finished.

  “I know it sounds weird-”

  “Haze, this whole thing has been weird from the start; you don’t need to justify anything.”

  “I know, but… it’s weird.”

  We’ve been sitting on the bathroom floor for a while now, talking about everything that’s happened. There’s too much to handle at once; it’s getting overwhelming.

  “Ray’s going to love it. Wait until we tell him.”

  My heart sinks a little as he says ‘we’. Even though the protectors have left for whatever reason tonight, it doesn’t mean it’s going to be a regular occurrence.

  “Maybe it’ll shut him up for a while,” I mutter, playing with my thumbs.

  “Wes will jack off with the amount of praise he’ll get,” Marco chuckles.

  I laugh a little at his joke, but my mind starts wandering again. There’s too much to think about, and it isn’t helping that I didn’t get much sleep.

  “Can we go back to bed?”

  “Are you propositioning me?” he wiggles his eyebrows flirtatiously.

  With an eye roll, I reply: “No, I’m just tired.”

  “I know. Sure, I’ll try not to take up the entire bed this time.”

  * * *

  I’m woken in the morning by the loud ringing of everyone’s alarm clocks. As everyone groggily tries to get up to see if school is on today, Marco wraps his arms around me more tightly.

  “I’m not going in today. I’m looking for Drea. I don’t care what they say.”

  “Thank goodness. I was going to look for Aqueous and the others anyway.”

  “We could search together; it might make it easier.”

  “What about your protector?”

  “Oh. I forgot about him.” His face falls.

  “Well he hasn’t come back yet, so I guess we could search together until he does,” I say, attempting to be reassuring.

  “Yeah, that sounds like a good idea.”

  He kisses me softly, pressing his body closer to mine. With each kiss the bed seems to get hotter and hotter, and I’m pretty sure that his ‘phone’ is pressing against me again. His hand slips down to my hip, before sliding up my shirt to cup my breast.

  “You disgusting freak!”

  Shit.

  My brother climbs up the ladder in a heartbeat and punches Marco in the crotch. He yelps and curls up into a ball, clutching himself and hissing in pain. I’m sure it would have been much worse had the duvet not been there to take some of the impact.

  “Rocky!” I hiss.

  “I told you not to hang around with him, and look what you do!” my brother rants, throwing his arms up in the air. “You do it anyway, and look what has happened now! He’s using you for his own sexual gain!”

  “No, he-”

  “He did it to Sadie and Maya, why not you?”

  “He actually didn’t use me.”

>   Both Rocky and I are surprised to see Maya standing sheepishly by Mason’s bunk, with Sadie standing beside her, looking as if she might explode.

  My brother is silent for a few seconds before spluttering: “What? But you told everyone-”

  “I know what I told everyone,” Maya murmurs, casting her gaze to the floor. “But it wasn’t true. And Mason said it’s time we started telling everyone what really happened.”

  Starting to recover from the hit, Marco sits up a bit, but does not let go of his crotch. “Mason knew? The whole time?”

  “No. Maya told him when he started asking about it again last night,” Sadie huffs.

  “What’s going on?” I direct the question towards Marco, but he doesn’t look at me.

  “So, what happened if he didn’t take advantage?” Rocky asks impatiently.

  Maya looks towards Sadie for support, but the blonde girl glares at her in response. “Basically we had naked pictures of Marco and told him we were gonna share them with the whole school. Of course he wasn’t happy so he begged us not to release them, so Sadie came up with the idea of blackmail…” she trails off, looking embarrassed.

  “You blackmailed him into sleeping with you?” The words sound disgusting coming out of my mouth.

  Maya’s gaze locks on the floor, unable to meet my eyes. “He said no, told us to release the pictures if we wanted. So, Sadie drugged him. I’m so sorry, Marco, I didn’t realise that it was…”

  My boyfriend is silent, looking blankly at the bedsheet, seemingly forgetting his pain.

  “Marco? Are you okay?” I go to touch his shoulder but he flinches away from me.

  How could I forget when I first came to Aria that he said Maya had blackmailed him into sleeping with her? He looked in so much pain.

  Sadie says nothing, just huffs and sits on Mason’s bed with crossed arms and a scowl. Maya stands there awkwardly, looking up at Marco guiltily.

  “Fuck. Off.” I spit venomously at her, making her flinch.

  Seeing the anger in my eyes, she nods mutely and backs off, hurrying towards the bathroom as people stare at her disgustedly.

  My brother finally finds the courage to speak up: “Haze-”