Trials in Walls of Ivy (Triskelion Trilogy Book 1)

by Deborah Jayne Pye

  Warwick relaxed his posture and perched on the settee arm next to me. “Because, Roz vouched for you all. I told her all this this morning. She wanted me to tell all of you guys. And, frankly, if we’re going to work together, eventually, you all had to know. I just needed time to know I could trust you.”

  The room fell quiet. Ash backed up and sat beside Bree. Owen quietly paced, seemingly in his own world. Realisation set in around us. We knew we were trapped. We had to pass the tests, or we would be noticed. But, we also had to find a way to get free.

  Warwick’s soft voice broke the silence. “We have to pass the tests. To do that, we have to find the truth about these bombings.” We all nodded in agreement. “But, we also have to blend.”

  “I thought we were blending,” Fern said.

  Warwick laughed. “When was the last time any of us went on a night out?”

  “We’ve been too busy with this task,” I said, defensively.

  “Exactly. We’re tied up with this task because we know the consequences if we fail. But other students don’t. The others are going out and getting drunk, shagging around and basically acting like students. We need to fit in.”

  Bree erupted in laughter. “You’re telling us, to solve the bombing mystery, to fit in with the deadly university which is training us for a life of covert danger, we need to get blottoed and shag random strangers?”

  “Pretty much. They have to think we don’t suspect anything. We have to solve this, while acting like students.

  “Right then. I’m off to the social bar. Who’s with me?” Bree said.

  She ran into the hall and grabbed her coat. Her grin was frozen in place. She hadn’t been back to the social bar since that night and I could see the terror in her eyes.

  “I’ll go,” Owen shouted. He looked at me and grimaced. I knew he was just going so she wouldn’t be alone.

  “I can come too,” I shouted, jumping forward to show my enthusiasm.

  Bree folded her arms and glared at me. “I don’t need a baby sitter.”

  “I know you don’t. I’m coming for a drink.” My lying voice was too high.

  “You? Drinking at the social bar?” She smirked at me, crooking her eyebrow.

  “What? I’m serious.”

  “Roz, you hate the social bar.” She yanked her boots from behind the chair and began shrugging them on. “And, you almost never drink.”

  “So? We’re supposed to be fitting in. I’ll come and fit in with you.”

  I grabbed my coat and she took it off me, throwing it back to the chair.

  “Roz,” her smile softened, “I’ll be fine. Nobody will manage to drug me again. I’ve got to face this enemy head on. Owen is chaperone enough. You have fun doing your thing, I will do mine.”

  I began to protest.

  “You’re one of my best friends, Roz. But, I have to face this without you holding my hand. Okay?”

  The protests and arguments fell from my lips, soundlessly. She’d pulled the best friend card, I was powerless. I watched helplessly as she yanked the front door open.

  Owen pulled me into a one arm hug as he passed. “She’ll be fine. I’ll watch her,” he whispered in my ear.

  “I’m actually worried about her recognising whoever did it. If she sees them, she’ll kill them.”

  He chuckled, gently. “If we see them, I might help her.” He turned to the room. “Meet here first thing,” he shouted. “If we need to bug the entire university, it’s going to take planning.”

  “Ten in the morning?” I looked around. “Everyone okay with that?”

  They all nodded.

  Bree and Owen left the house, clicking the door gently behind them.

  Jay grabbed his coat. “Hey Warwick, you up for a bit of snooping?”

  “Aren’t we supposed to be acting natural, having fun?”

  “Setting up the snoops isn’t fun?”

  Warwick grinned and ran up the stairs. Within a minute he was back with a bag slung over his shoulder. “Let’s snoop.” He threw the bag to Jay as he shrugged his coat on.

  “Hang on,” I called, “what about acting normal? You just told us all to get drunk and stuff.”

  Warwick already had the door open. “What’s not normal than a couple of students sneaking into locked rooms in the dead of night?”

  “But, you just said…”

  “I think I’ve done enough stuff to keep my cover safe. Don’t worry. By morning we’ll have the entre university snooped and no-one will suspect a thing.” He closed the door behind them, leaving me lost for words.

  I stood, lost in the doorway. They were right. We did need the campus bugged, and they were the best guys for the job. But what was I supposed to do now? What was my thing? What did I do when I wasn’t working? The answer came to me easily: nothing. Here I worked on my assignments, at home I worked in June’s beach bar. No deviation.

  I couldn’t stand being in the house any longer. I sat on the steps and pulled on my boots, then left with no idea where I was going. The evening was cool, but dry. I walked along the grass, drifting away from the path. The green blades glistened with dew, reflecting the distant lamp-post light. I walked until I found a wide space of grass. It was hidden by the backs of the many houses, far from the watchful eye of the campus centre. I sat clumsily, ignoring the cold moisture.

  In the distance, I could see the check point. Mark had no trouble getting in and out of there. I wondered if it would be so easy for me. Now that I knew the true nature of this place, the sight of the check point looked more like a guard tower. My eyes followed the line of ivy walls which spread out in both directions, enclosing the campus. It had been designed attractively, giving the illusion of a walled garden. But, I now saw it for what it was and what it meant. It was a barricade; keeping prying eyes out, and students in. The only access and exit was the guarded checkpoint.

  We were penned in like animals.

  Muffled footsteps behind snapped me back to attention. I turned just as Ash came to sit beside me.

  “Nice night,” He said, simply. He laid his hands behind him and looked up at the stars.

  I gritted my teeth against the sudden tensing in my body and forced it to relax. “Bit cold,” I shrugged.

  “I always thought the sky looked warm.”

  I looked up. The sky was black, dotted with countless silver stars. “Isn’t space freezing?”

  “Extremely. But, on a night like this? It looks like a velvet blanket, dotted with lights.”

  “I suppose so.” I chided myself for my grumpy response.

  “You see that star there?” He pointed toward the sky.

  I followed the line of his finger to one of many stars in the sky.

  “That’s the North star.”

  “I thought the North star would be the brightest,” I said, as I kept my eyes to the heavens. It looked insignificant to me, a dim blob in comparison to some of the others.

  “Not visually, but it is one of the most important.” He nudged up closer to me so his arm leaned against mine.

  I held my breath and willed my heart to stop pounding.

  “Important?” I croaked.

  He looked down at me, half smiling. “I think the star is quite like us.”

  I laughed. I couldn’t help it. The laughter erupted from my lips like I was a steam valve which had been building in pressure, waiting to explode.

  “Are you trying to tell me we’re star stuff? Because, I’ve heard that one before.” My laughter echoed through the deserted filed.

  He shoved me playfully and I fell to my side on the grass. “No, smart arse. I meant the actual star is like us. But, if you’re going to laugh at me, I’m not going to tell you how.” He put his hands behind his head and laid back again, smirking.

  I watched him for a moment, heart still pounding. I ran the same three words over and over in my mind: he’s Bree’s boyfriend. He’s Bree’s boyfriend. Slowly, my blood pressure calmed. I took my jacket off and laid it on the gras
s before mimicking his position.

  “We’re like the North star? Okay, tell me how.” I peered to the side to see him already looking at me.

  “From first glance it looks insignificant. It doesn’t shine as bright as other stars.” He held his arm up and pointed to its position. “It’s hanging on the edge of one of the most famous and easily recognised consolations, but even then, it isn’t seen as a key star in the sequence.”

  He grinned, waiting for me to respond. I didn’t.

  “We don’t shine as bright as others. We’re sitting on the edge of something big and not seen to be a major part of it.”

  I turned away from him and looked back at the star. He was right in that it didn’t stand out. But it did have its place. It lined up with the others, helped make the edge of a constellation.

  “I suppose your right. We are sitting on the edge of a pretty big secret here. I think it’s much bigger than we realise.”

  “That’s not what I mean.” He twisted onto his side, facing me. “You know what that star is famous for?”

  I held back the flip in my stomach. He was leaning close, eyes burning into mine. His breath was warm in the cool air.

  “For pointing North?” I said, my voice shaking.

  He nodded. “For guiding lost travellers. Throughout history that star has guided people on their path. It has watched us from light years away, while we make our mistakes.”

  He reached forward and tucked my hair behind my ear, his cool fingers featherlike on my skin.

  “You know, if we were in orbit around that star right now, right at this moment, we would be watching Shakespeare write his sonnets.”

  “What? That makes no sense,” I laughed, more from nerves than the conversation. My trembling hands dug into the grass, grasping hold for control. It wasn’t working.

  “It makes complete sense. That star is four hundred and thirty light years away. So, anyone orbiting that star today and looking at us will be seeing our planet during the sixteenth century.”

  I stared at him, then up to the star. “How is that like us?”

  “We’re small insignificant people, on the edge of discovering something big. Just like Shakespeare was an unknown playwright, in a city filled with power hungry puritans and politicians. When he wrote those plays and those poems, he didn’t know how much of an effect they would have on people centuries later. He had no idea that his name would be remembered. He, like all the other little people of the time, just did what he was tasked to do by the bigger people. He stood on the edge of greatness and didn’t know it.”

  “You can’t possibly compare us to Shakespeare.”

  “But we are on the verge of uncovering something big. These bombings? The shady secrets of this place?” He waved his hand around in the direction of campus. “We’re dim stars in a galaxy of power hungry people. We’re on the edge looking in, not knowing if our actions will be remembered in ten years time, never mind centuries.” He winked with a smile. “We’re exactly like Shakespeare.”

  “But, we’re not writing poetry. We’re uncovering what can only be described as a terrorist. We’ve been recruited by a university which seems less like a university every day. I feel like we’re trapped in a maze. If we talk to the wrong person, or in the wrong area, we’ll be overheard and executed. If we fail the task and can’t find the cheese, we get executed. And, to top it off, we could get blown up at any minute.” Tears began to well and I brushed them away angrily. “Ash, I don’t know if I can solve this.” My voice had retreated to a quivering whisper.

  He slid his arm under my head and pulled me close. “We can solve it. We just need to work together. And, if not, we get out together.”

  I twisted suddenly to look in his eyes. “We can’t. You heard what they did to Warwick’s brother.”

  I gripped his shirt, my body almost on top of his. He reached forward and cupped my face, his eyes locked with mine as he leaned in toward me. Electricity erupted through my body as his lips found mine. He was warm, moist with a taste of longing. I blinked, and sucked in a breath, realising what I had done. I shoved myself away, scooting from his embrace. I scrubbed my mouth with my sleeve, rubbing the soft feel of his lips from mine.

  “Sorry. I shouldn’t be here,” I stammered, falling over my feet as I attempted to back away.

  He sat up and put his hand on my shoulder. “Roz, what’s the problem?”

  “I am! I sit here and listen to you trying to pep talk me. I get it, I do. We can’t give up. We have to pass, stay under cover. But…” I banged my head on my knees, holding my hands above my head.

  “Roz,” he was laughing, pulling at my arm to see my face, “what did I do?”

  “We were flirting. More than flirting. Ash, we kissed,” I shouted. The shame flooded through me like a bucket of ice. I hid my face in my hands.

  “Glad you noticed. What’s the problem?” He scooted closer and I edged away. “Roz, will you just tell me what the problem is?”

  “Bree’s my friend.”

  “She’s my friend too.” He froze. “Hang on; you think I’m with Bree? Where did that come from?” He erupted in laughter.

  I stared at him, my mouth hanging open. Where had I gotten that from? “Well, you were upset when she was drugged.”

  His grin faded. “Of course I was upset. My friend had been drugged.”

  “And,” my mind fished for any memory of the two of them being close, “you’re very touchy feely with each other.”

  He laughed again. It boomed around the clearing and vibrated my eardrums. “Are you serious? We’re partners. We train every day together. After throwing each other around, blocking and tackling, I don’t think there’s an inch of each other’s bodies we haven’t touched, at least accidentally.”

  “Well that’s, unnerving to know.”

  “You miss my point.” He scotched closer. I didn’t move. “We’re partners, which means, we can’t be any sort of a couple in any other way.”

  “Why not?”

  He shrugged, his smile dropping a little. “We train together. Hard. In training, you can’t hold back. I punch, she blocks. I tackle; she finds my weakness and takes me down. You just can’t do that with a person you care about in any other way than a teammate.”

  “Wouldn’t being closer make it easier?”

  “The opposite. I protect Bree by fighting alongside her. If you needed protecting, I would stand in front of you, fight for you.”

  My mouth was dry, my throat clamped shut. I gulped, unable to say anything. I reached forward and silently placed my hand on his cheek. He shrugged, like he was embarrassed by his admission. I lowered my hand and placed it in his.

  He cleared his throat, nervously. “So you see, the relationship I’m hoping for with you is worlds apart from what I have with Bree.”

  I forced my voice to come back to life. “You’re hoping for?”

  He lifted our entwined hands, kissing the back of mine. “No pressure. Just letting you know how I feel. And, apparently letting you know how I don’t feel about Bree.”

  “Teammate,” I said, more to myself.

  “She’s the best sparring partner I’ve ever had,” he grinned.

  I stared at him trying not to imagine him aiming a punch at Bree. “But, she’s so small, how can you be her partner in training and not hurt her?”

  He smirked and began to unbutton his shirt. I leaned back, staring around to make sure no one was looking. He pulled down his collar to reveal his shoulder and upper arm. I watched his muscles flex with the movement. Running from his neck and down the front of his chest was a long black bruise with purple blush around the edges.

  “Believe me, she’s one of the best. Training with her puts me to the test.”

  “She did that? How?” Without thinking I reached forward and touched the bruise. My fingers stroked over his taught muscle. His skin was warm and soft, making the electricity surge through me once again.

  “I wasn’t paying attention. She d
ecided to wake me up with a flying kick.” He laughed like he was recalling a fond memory.

  “So, you’re really not with Bree? All this time I thought you two were together, you weren’t?” I felt ridiculous asking such a childish and needy question. Our worlds were crashing in around us and I was worrying about kissing a guy.

  “I’ll prove it to you. Let me take you out?”

  I shivered involuntarily. “I’ve not got a good track record with going out. And besides, do you think they’ll let us?” I nodded toward the far off security guard.

  We both watched him as he sat in the booth by the front gate. His feet were propped up on the desk, paper held open in front of him.

  Ash was quiet for a moment. Then shook his head and laughed. “We’re forgetting that we’re not supposed to know about the danger. We’re students here, why would they stop us from going out?”

  I didn’t have the same confidence. I thought back to my night out with Mark. We had only needed our student cards to leave. But, now that I was learning more about this organisation, I didn’t know where the boundaries were set.

  “Alright. Just let me know when is good for you. I need to get back for now.” I stood and brushed myself down. The dew had soaked through my jeans, making me feel like the material was matted to my skin.

  I knew there was nothing to rush back to the house for, other than processing everything that Ash had revealed tonight. Ash and I had seemed to make a crucial step.

  A step I hadn’t planned on.

  CHAPTER TWENTY-TWO

  I laid awake for most of the night re-playing everything Ash had said. He wanted a relationship? Did I want that? In all honesty, I didn’t know. I definitely liked him, and I knew I wanted to see him again. Could I see him out of a teammate function, in a relationship? I hadn’t considered him in any other way until now. I hadn’t allowed myself to. Having thought of him as Bree’s boyfriend for so long, it felt strange to be able to think of him in a romantic way. I had chided myself every time I found him attractive, every time I caught myself watching him. Could I now accept those feelings, when I had banished them for so long?