Page 112 of The Amber Sunburst

Kallias shoots up to standing and starts packing up his bag, pulling on his shoes, and fixing his hair all at once with a string of curses flowing out of his mouth.

“Whoa, whoa. What’s happening?”

“I’m late. Forms, I’m so late.”

“Late for what?” Alexander stands and pulls Kallias’ bag away from him.

“I don’t have time for this,” he snaps, reaching for his bag when Alexander takes a step back. “Forms, Alexander, don’t be a child.” Kallias snatches the bag back and stalks toward the exit.

Alexander rushes to stand between him and the door.

“I can’t do this right now, okay? Get out of my way.” He shoves past Alexander, but before he can get all the way into the stairwell, the torchlight illuminates the purple mark from earlier and Alexander yanks him back by his shirt.

A thin, dark bruise extends from his right temple to just below his eye.

When Alexander raises a hand to gently touch the wound, Kallias goes still. “What’s this?”

“It’s a bruise, it’s nothing.”

“Did someone hit you?” Kallias leans near-imperceptibly into the touch and meets Alexander’s eyes.

“Alexander, please,” he whispers. Alexander’s not sure what he’s asking for. He doesn’t think Kallias knows either.

“Tell me what to do, and I’ll do it.”

Kallias shakes his head. “I don’t need a hero,” he says, letting Alexander gently hold his chin.

Alexander sighs. “I just want to help you.”

“I’ve been dealing with him since I was ten. I’m used to it by now,” Kallias says, somehow charged and flippant at the same time. Right when he finishes the sentence, his eyes widen and his lips clamp shut.

“Who is ‘him’?” Alexander asks.

Kallias pulls away, far enough that Alexander’s hand hovers between them, empty. “No one. I wasn’t thinking.”

“You don’t get to do that,” Alexander responds.

Kallias laughs sharply. “Who are you to decide what I can and can’t do?”

“Someone is hurting you. Let me help. Please. I’m begging you to let me help.”

Whoever is doing this to Kallias is real now. He’s here somewhere and Alexander needs to find him and make him pay. He’s not a violent person, but right now it’s coursing through him like fire in his veins.

“You don’t know what you’re talking about,” Kallias says, walls falling back into place one by one until Alexander can hardly tell that there’s anything behind his eyes.

“Kallias—”

Kallias hoists his bag higher onto his shoulder and walks out the door. He scales the stairs quickly, like Alexander would let him just leave this behind.

“Kallias, wait. What the Hell? Where are you going?” he shouts, jogging to catch up. He reaches for Kallias’ arm, but Kallias shakes him off.

“Leave me alone. It’s not your business.”

“What if I want it to be? Look, I have been trying to follow the clues you leave for me, but I’m done pretending I don’t see what’s happening to you.”

“Nothing’s wrong.”

“Then where are you going? Then who is he?”