Page 63 of Volatile King (The Kings of Wayward Academy #6)

R en

We never came into the city. It was so exciting to see all the tall buildings, people, and cars. Mommy didn’t say why we were staying at this fancy place, but it felt like a palace.

Maids came in after the sun was up to change our sheets, then brought in blini.

I never got to have blini when it wasn’t a holiday, and these had jam and honey.

There were so many couches that I could jump from one to the other when Mommy wasn’t looking.

I even played hide and seek with Vlad. He wasn’t as scary as I thought.

“You ready to go to the pool,” Mommy asked.

“Yes, I squealed and ran for the door.”

“Lilya?” I turned around. “Where are your shoes and towel?”

I looked down. “Oops.”

Mommy laughed as I ran past. I looked in the bedroom and found my shoes hiding under the bed. I pulled them on and then wrapped my arms around the large towel.

“Alright, let’s go,” Mommy said, touching my shoulder, her face bright with a wide smile. Vlad opened the door, and another guard stood in the hall, waiting. I knew him, too. We never left home without them.

I so badly wanted to run down the hallway to the elevator and push the button, but I didn’t want to get into trouble. Once we were in the elevator, Mommy looked down at me.

“Want to push the button?”

“Yes,” I cheered.

“Press the B,” Mommy said, and it made me so happy to see the letter light up.

We were so close now. The elevator was fast, and I was happy. I was just learning how to swim, but I loved the water. I was excited to see other kids, too. It felt like I never got to see anyone. We never left our rooms at home, so this was special.

When the doors finally opened, I felt like I was bouncing. There were a bunch of other kids to play with, but Mommy told me not to run when I took off. I put my towel down on the chair beside the boy. I crossed my arms as I gave him my best angry stare.

He got up and copied me.

“What’s your problem,” he asked.

“You got me in trouble. I got a smack because of you,” I said, and the boy uncrossed his arms.

“Sorry.” He shrugged. “I just wanted to play,” he said.

He had begged me to leave the room, but I knew I wasn’t allowed.

“I had fun until then,” I said, and he smiled.

“Want to swim?”

“I don’t know how yet,” I said.

I looked over at Mommy and smiled when I saw she was talking to Daddy, but they didn’t seem happy to see each other. They were glaring, and Mommy was poking Daddy in the chest. The woman who smacked me was sitting in a chair watching.

“Come on…we can stand on the first step,” he said, pointing to the pool.

Scared that Mommy might make us leave since she was angry at Daddy, I nodded and kicked off my shoes. We walked over to the stairs and held hands as we stepped down. The water was warm, and I smiled at him.

“You like it?”

“Yes,” I said.

He stepped down to the next step, and the water was now at my waist. I giggled.

“Hey, are you two losers boyfriend and girlfriend?” The question came from an older boy who was standing off to the side of the pool, laughing with a friend.

“No,” the boy said.

“Then why are you holding her hand?”

The boy let go of my hand. It made me sad, like he didn’t really want to be my friend. But then he marched up the stairs, his hands in fists as he stomped toward the bigger boy.

“Because she doesn’t know how to swim.”

“No, I think she’s your girlfriend. Girlfriend, girlfriend, girlfriend.” He made a kissing face, and I scrunched up my nose.

Why would I want to kiss a boy?

“Stop saying that,” the boy yelled and shoved the bigger kid.

“Hey, stop,” I said.

“Aww, look, your girlfriend is scared for you,” the mean kid said.

“Stop saying that!”

The mean kid pushed the boy to the side, and he fell. I screamed when he hit his head on the edge.

“Shit, let’s get out of here,” the bully said and ran away with his friend.

There was blood, and the boy was floating with his face in the water. He wasn’t moving.

“Mommy! Mommy! Mommy,” I screamed at the top of my lungs.

Even though I was scared to go into the pool alone, I stepped down to try and get to the boy. The water went over my head. I splashed and screamed for my mommy. Some of the nasty water hurt my eyes and got in my mouth.

Vlad jumped in, and I got pushed to the side. He grabbed me and the boy. Vlad ran out of the water like it wasn’t even there. He put me on my feet and laid the boy down on the tile. Mommy, Daddy, and the mean woman were there watching.

Tears ran down my cheeks as Vlad pushed on his chest and did something weird to his nose and mouth. The side of his head was dripping blood from where he’d hit it. It stained the ground around him red.

“This is all your fault,” the mean lady yelled and pointed at me. I cringed away.

“Don’t you talk to my daughter like that. Put your bitch on a leash or I will,” Mommy yelled.

“Enough, both of you,” Daddy yelled just as the boy coughed and his eyes opened.

He looked at me, and I smiled. He was going to be okay.

M y eyes fluttered open, leaving me very confused. I was on the ground, and there were like eight people standing above me.

“Oh, thank god you’re awake,” Ivy said and squeezed my hand. I smiled at her.

“What happened?” I looked at each of the guys, then my dad, Ivy, and finally Sabastian. I blinked up at him. He stared down at me with concern, but then he just turned and walked away.

“You passed out, Lilya,” Dad said.

“Did you eat this morning?” I looked to my left and noticed the paramedic for the first time.

“Yes,” I answered.

“You recently sustained head trauma in an accident. I would like to take you to the hospital for…”

“No,” I growled, and pushed myself up into a sitting position. “No, hospital.”

“I really feel it would be best,” the paramedic tried again.

Myles helped me to my feet, and I glared at the poor man. “No. No. I…said no.”

“But…”

“If Snowflake doesn’t wanna to go to the hospital, then she’s not goin’ to the hospital. We’ll have a doc come to the house, so just back the feck off,” Myles said, holding out his arm like a blockade between me and the paramedic.

“Myles is right, if Lilya would rather be examined in a space she is comfortable, then that is what we will do. Please go, you are upsetting her further.”

“But…” He tried again, but Marcus and the guards stepped in, becoming a wall of black suits.

Myles picked me up, cradling me in his arms. I gave him a look.

“You still…in swim…stuff,” I said, unable to think of what they called their tight shorts.

He shook his head. “Snowflake, I don’t care. Blake, get my stuff,” he ordered, walking toward the door.

It was embarrassing to be carried out like this with the crowd watching, but there was nothing to be done. I put my head against Myles’ chest and thought about the vision…or memory. Who was the boy? He had no name in my mind. Why couldn’t I remember his name if he was real?

“I fear you’ve been pushing yourself too much too soon, Lilya,” Dad said as he walked with us out to the SUV. “I’ll arrange to have the doctor come check on you.”

I wanted to argue, to tell him no, that he didn’t need to do that, but I’d already gotten lucky avoiding the hospital. So, I decided not to press my luck.

Yawning, I closed my eyes and let Myles hold me.

“I’ve got ya, Snowflake,” he whispered in my ear, and I snuggled closer. The warmth of his skin was comforting, but the scent of chlorine pricked at the memory in my mind.

Who was the boy?

Where did he go?

The questions circled until I finally fell asleep.