The little boy under Asha wasn't scared as the young woman fell toward him. But he laughed and jumped up and down as those huge turquoise wings unfurled last second, a single flap flipping Asha right side-up and had her sailing over the crowd's heads.
It wasn't quite her time to die, just yet.
Asha soared back into the air, way above the town, until she was soaked to the bone as she flew through a cloud bank, the cold, wet droplets clinging to the feathers of her wings, the wind making her eyes sting, her hair plastering itself to her skin.
She tucked her wings in as she shot back into the sunlight, corkscrewing through the air. And as she snapped her wings back open, she cast off the thin layer of moisture, making the air sparkle for a brief second before she was off again.
"ASHA!"
Asha winced, slowing until she was hovering, eyes on the school, where shouts of her name echo through the towns.
"SHUT THE HELL UP! SOME OF US ARE TRYING TO ENJOY THE PEACE AND QUIET!" someone below shouted.
"NO ONE GIVES TWO SHITS ABOUT YOUR PEACE AND QUIET!" someone from Luminine shouted; it sounded like Daniel.
Asha tittered as she hovered in the air, rising and falling with each beat of her wings.
"You're causing quite the fuss down there, now, aren't you? I thought I told you to stay out of trouble."
"Welcome back, Cress. What are you doing?" Asha sighed, feeling the air currents shift as Cress took up place beside her.
"Got back from my errand. I was going to go straight in, but I could hear them shouting from miles off. It's ridiculous. To think they're causing such a fuss for the same Queen they think is overbearing and overly arrogant. After all, it's not like they know just how many attacks you fend off to protect the school. I don't think even your Jacks know."
"What's your point, Cress?" Asha asked, eyes still down below.
"My point is, I think it's time you go back. No matter what, I truly believe the students love you like family."
"Bullshit. In this world, nobody cares for no reason. Affection with strings attached. Nothing is ever truly free."
Cress overlapped Asha's left wing with his right, placing a hand on her shoulder. "Asha, my emotions come with no strings. I care for you because you're you. I don't want anything from you. After all, what can you give me that my parents can't?"
"Right. Your parents are the Duke and Duchess of Perrenth. They outrank even me, and I'm the King's Watchdog."
"Naw, nobody outranks you when it comes to status and power. Only in title are you second-best."
"You know if you tell anyone about my title, I'll have to kill you, right?" Asha asked, eyes hard as she met his.
"Of course. But I have no interest in selling your identity." Cress reached out and took her hand. "Come on. Let's go home."
Asha thought briefly about shaking him off, his hand and his wing, but instead just sighed and tightened her grip. "Let's go back. Before they all blow a fuse." A mischievous grin. "Let's hope you can keep up."
They laughed as they shot forward, moving fast, the wind whipping their hair around.
Cress' was the same length as Asha's, and as they alighted on one of the towers of Luminine, they had to spend an extra five minutes untangling their hair from each other.
Asha tugged the last knot loose, setting them both free. "Now, don't you have somewhere to be, Cresscent?"
"See you around, Phantomhive."
"Likewise." Asha looked down, eyes tracking a cadre member as they ran through the other students looking for her. "I think it's time for me to return."
Asha jumped, her Quetzalcoatl appearing on her shoulder. Her aim was perfect, her feet landing squarely on Blyke's head.
They tumbled over the grass of the courtyard, coming to a stop, Asha's hair tangled around Blyke's arm. She looked up at his face, raising an eyebrow. "I heard you shouting," she said, a small smile twitching her lips.
Blyke glared down at her. "About time."
"What are you doing, Blyke? Are you playing around again?"
Something smacked into Blyke's back, and his arms gave out.
And Asha's eyes widened in surprise, frozen for just a second before her fist hit him in the side of his face. She dragged herself back a few feet, teeth bared, arms wrapped protectively over her chest, cheeks red. "H-how dare you!"
∽
Blyke was just as shocked as Asha. He glared at Amelia, who was standing over them, mouth open, eyes streaming with mirth.
"OHMYGODICAN'TBREATHE!" Amelia cackled, arms squeezing her sides, gasping.
Blyke looked back to where Asha was growling at him. "I-I'm so sorry. I was pushed, and I-- I can't-- I didn't-- Amelia!"
"What's going on here?" Daniel drawled, stalking onto the scene with the rest of the cadre.
"Did you just see that?" a student whispered.
"Did that really just happen? Did Blyke…"
"OMG, I can't believe it…"
"Do you think that was her--"
Asha glared at him. "T-that was my first kiss, you jackass!"
Blyke grimaced. "It was mine, too, so we're even."
"Oh my god, he's such a jerk!"
"He practically deflowered her, and he's not going to take responsibility?"
"No wonder that was his first kiss."
Daniel was trying to keep his laughter under control. "I wouldn't say deflowered… it was just a kiss…"
The student body's glares turned on him now. "HOW CAN YOU SAY THAT?! HE STOLE AWAY HER INNOCENCE!"
"This is Asha we're talking about. She already has blood on her hands. How exactly is she innocent?"
"The whole cadre is evil. They don't care that their Queen just got violated."
The whispers continued, and Blyke could feel the stares boring into the back of his head. He stood from where he'd landed after Asha'd punched him, dusting off the grass. He walked over to her, and Asha looked at him warily. Blyke just bowed, offering a hand up.
Asha looked at his hand, then at him, then back to the hand. And to Blyke's complete mortification, she reached into her jacket and removed a black silk glove, placing over her hand before taking his, letting him help her up.
Blyke tried to ignore the fact that she ran away almost as soon as she was on her feet as he watched her retreating form.
"That was amazing!" Amelia laughed, slapping him on the back. "I'm not one of her Jacks, so I'm not going to see how this goes, but I bet it's going to be hilarious. Keep me posted, Ethelyn."
Ethelyn smiled a small smile, but it was full of a wicked delight as if she was going to love conveying Blyke's most humiliating few days to someone who was going to spread it like wildfire.
He shivered. "What should I do now?" he asked Daniel. "I don't think she's going to talk to me for awhile…"
"Why would you want to talk to that, first of all, and just let it play out. It's not like she can ignore you forever, not when you work together nearly every day."
Blyke looked at him in anguish. "So I'm just supposed to watch as she avoids me all the time? And the looks I'm undoubtedly going to receive from both her and the students?"
"Suck it up, Blyke. You're a man, after all. Or are you part Chihuahua?" Tim asked, smirking.
Blyke just looked after where Asha'd gone, already dreading everything to come.
"Asha, are you hiding in there?" Blyke asked, rapping his knuckles on the door to dorm room 108.
The door opened, and Catherine looked at him. "Hello, cradle-robber."
"I didn't mean to kiss her-- anyway, do you know where she is?"
"No idea. She may even be in Sophon at this point. Now go away." Catherine slammed the door in Blyke's face.
Blyke dragged a hand down his face. God, why were girls so worried about their first kiss? Given, Blyke would have preferred to kiss someone else for his first, but what was the big deal? He turned and walked out of the girls' dorm. Asha's only female friends were those three, Catherine, Caprain, and Leana.
Then something hit Blyke. They weren't Asha's only friends. In fact, they weren't even her best friend. Asha's best friend was a boy two years older than her, some strange loner with a high-tier Amora.
"By order of Blyke Hagani, Jack of Luminine, Cresscent with the Amora Snow Owl, come forth!" Blyke called.
There was a flash of light, and that weird, girly-looking guy appeared before Blyke. "Hello, Jack of Luminine. What do you need this time? A kiss under the moonlight?"
Blyke hissed at him. "I need to find Asha."
Cress pouted. "I'm sorry, but she expressly said not to tell you where she was hiding. And she outranks you, both in school title and aristocracy title. What are you again? Right, the son of a Marquess and Countess. Aren't you the Marquess Hagani? Lucky the King gave you that title instead of Earl. Then you'd be even further down the ladder."
Blyke growled in frustration as Cress walked away. "I still outrank you!" he snarled before turning away and running toward the school. Blyke ignored the mutters that followed him as he ran through the halls, trying to locate the elusive Queen.
Blyke knew from experience that Asha had a very potent skill: hiding. It was near-incredible how easily she could sneak around the Academy.
Blyke was muttering under his breath as he passed a group of giggling girls, but one of them was twisting a strand of hair around her finger. That action made Blyke stop and turn. "Asha…"
The girl took off, sprinting down the halls.
"Asha, wait!" Blyke used his Amora's second form and ran after her. He lunged for her, hand closing around her wrist. But he was thrown into the air, landing on the rafters, but he refused to let go of her hand.
Asha leaped back, landing on a different beam. She glanced down at the crowd that was starting to gather below.
"Asha Phantomhive, I offer an invitation to dance," Blyke said. He hid a smirk as her head snapped up in surprise. "If I hit the floor, I will take responsibility for you, and if you are caught, you have to be my date to the Interschool Dance!"
Asha's jaw dropped.
Blyke bowed and extended a hand. "May I have this dance?" Blyke felt a fleeting brush of fingers across his palm before raising his head. He smiled when he saw she was gone.
Game on.
~
Challenging Asha to a contest of speed was gutsy, even for Blyke, but he was smart to limit her to the rafters. The Headmaster would forgive her for destroying a few doors and windows, and even her own little house, but destroying the main hallways was too much of an offense, even for her.
She moved quickly, feet barely touching the wood beams before she was in the air again, hair streaming behind her. She jumped again, turning around to look behind her.
Asha's eyes widened as the hand nearly closed around her face. She landed before putting more force behind her steps.
"Don't count me out just because you're the fastest."
She snarled, using the wind to speed her up and shove Blyke back. He was in his Amora's second form, borrowing power right off the bat. She debated switching into her second form, but just sped up. Blyke was no challenge, not three years ago, not now. He was nothing compared to what she'd been running from.
Asha picked up her pace, zipping from one beam to the other, the only time she was visible when she landed and pushed off. She had run faster before.
~
Daniel ran into the massive hallways leading to the different branches of the school. "What's going on?" he shouted at the nearest student.
"Blyke just challenged Asha to a test of speed," he replied, awestruck, eyes still on the ceiling. "Look! They're already back!"
Daniel's eyes snapped up, seeing the near-teleporting Asha and the black streak that was Blyke. "Oblivern, Second Form!"
The crowd backed up as he spread his huge black dragon wings into the air, one flap sending him straight onto the rafter Asha was about to make contact with. "Enough screwing around," he hissed, reaching for her with clawed hands.
But she twisted, landing in a crouch just off to the side of him before vanishing again.
"This is no fun," Rosaria remarked from behind Daniel, perched on a high windowsill. "New rule!" she shouted, drawing attention to her. Even Asha solidified, perched on a beam at the end of the hallway. "Only this hallway can be used. Requirements for winning stay the same."
Daniel watched Asha's face carefully. He'd learned over the past three years she'd been there how to read her slight expression changes.
But she just nodded, face totally blank, before straightening.
No, thought Daniel as he watched. That's not quite true.
Because the corner of Asha's lips were curling up, into a smile.
∽
Asha took one step, to the edge of the beam, and her form changed into one with black feathered wings, Quetzalcoatl's twin, Tezcatlipoca. God over time. Asha was done playing this little game of cat-and-mouse.
She crouched, then sprang, shooting straight past Blyke to the wall behind, landing before pushing off again. She created duplicates she moved so fast, several Ashas jumping from beam to beam to roof to wall, then back.
This was breaking her limit, a bit, but this was far too fast for Blyke to catch. His eyes tried to keep up with her, but were soon lost.
This game was over.
Asha flew at him next, feet connecting with his back, and she smiled as she watched him fall. "See you never, Blyke."
But then she was falling, too, falling straight through her own shadow, appearing below Blyke. "Goddamn you, Blyke Hagani," she swore as he pulled her to him.
Asha extended her wings, slowing their fall so they landed gently on the floor. "Can you let go of me?" she asked.
"Nope," Blyke answered. "You're my girlfriend now, Phantomhive. Get used to it."
"Asha Phantomhive lost!" Rosaria announced.
"Does this mean he takes Daniel's spot as King?" Asha asked.
"No. This wasn't a battle of actual strength. This was just a brawl," replied Blyke. "Technically, I'm your King now, so--"
Asha just shoved his face away, a look of growing torment and annoyance on her face. "Say it again, Hagani, and you won't have a mouth to say it the third time."
Now Blyke was teasing her. "Oh, come on, just one kissy, Ashie," he whined, making embarrassing smooching sounds that made Asha's face turn pink.
"Why you… SHUT UP!" Asha wrapped her leg in wind, sending a hurricane-level blast through the hall as she kicked Blyke through one of the windows. She grit her teeth as everyone laughed, stalking away. The wind turned into a storm around her, until it obscured her from view.
When the white wind vanished, Asha was gone.