"I've already told you, we had nothing to do with it!" The shout came from a tall boy with sandy hair, his face flushed with anger. Two of his teammates were holding him back, though they looked just as furious.
"NOTHING TO DO WITH IT?" Emrys's voice cracked with disbelief. He too was struggling against the three classmates that were restraining him. "The horse was fine during practice! FINE! And suddenly, right before the final leg, it goes crazy? Do you think we're idiots?"
"Maybe your friend's just a terrible rider!" one of the boys shot back. "Not everyone can handle a spirited horse. If you can't even finish a simple race—"
"I'll show you spirited, you piece of—" Emrys lunged forward, nearly breaking free.
This was the scene Astra, Ziyan, and Rowan walked into. The angry shouting died down to nervous murmurs. Several students took unconscious steps backward, their eyes darting towards Ziyan who had his hands tucked casually in his pockets, his expression one of mild interest.
Astra's gaze flickered to Ziyan for a moment.
[They're not just afraid of him, they're terrified.]
"What's going on here?" Rowan asked, looking between Emrys and the other team.
Silas pushed his glasses up his nose, his eyes narrowed at the opposing team. "We found evidence that someone tampered with your horse's gear. There was a nail embedded inside the belt on the saddle"
"That doesn't prove we were the one behind it!" one of the other team members protested, though his voice wavered slightly.
"I'll fucking kill you, you lying sack of shit!" Rowan's face darkened.
"Watch your mouth, Lennox," another boy from the opposite team sneered, though he took a small step back.
"Or what? You'll try to murder me again?" Rowan lunged forward, only to be caught by Silas. "Let me go! I'm going to beat the shit out of these assholes!"
"Getting into a fight won't solve anything," Silas said.
"Like hell it won't!" Rowan's voice echoed across the yard. "Do you have any idea what could have happened if my sister hadn't been there?"
Someone from the opponent team sneered, "What sister? Oh, you mean daddy's new wife's kid? How touching—"
He didn't get to finish. Rowan's fist connected with his jaw, sending him stumbling backward. Chaos erupted as both teams surged forward, shouting and cursing.
"Get him, Rowan!" Emrys cheered, finally breaking free from his restrainers to join the fray. "I've been wanting to punch this asshole since freshman year!"
Silas pinched the bridge of his nose, muttering something that sounded suspiciously like "Neanderthals" before wading in to separate them.
Through it all, Astra remained still, her silver eyes fixed on a small figure lurking at the edge of the commotion. A boy, shorter than the others, was slowly backing away from the scene. Beside her, Ziyan shifted slightly. She could feel his attention follow her line of sight.
The boy must have felt their gazes. He looked up, made eye contact, and his face went white. Without another moment's hesitation, he turned and bolted.
"Idiot," Ziyan muttered, shaking his head. He raised his hand, and with one casual gesture to the ranch workers standing nearby, they nodded and quietly dispersed.
In front of them, the fight was still going strong. Rowan had someone in a headlock, while Emrys was gleefully trading punches with another opponent. Silas had also somehow ended up with someone's shirt collar in his grip.
"Shouldn't you stop them?" Astra asked, watching as Emrys successfully ducked a swing only to trip over his own feet.
Ziyan shrugged, looking far too amused. "They need to get it out of their system. Besides..." His smile widened slightly. "The real fun hasn't started yet."
A wave of anticipation rolled off him, strong and predatory. Astra found herself taking an unconscious step away, even as her eyes were drawn back to him. For a moment, she glimpsed something beneath his lazy smirk, something that explained why those students were terrified of him.
"You're going after him," she stated.
"We're going after him," he corrected, finally turning to meet her gaze.
Before Astra could respond, Ziyan grabbed her wrist and started running. She opened her mouth to protest but then glanced over her shoulder. The shouting, the chaos, the charged emotions from the crowd – it was suffocating. She clamped her lips shut and let him pull her along.
They ran for a while and somewhere along the way, Astra realized their fingers had intertwined. She frowned slightly at the thought but said nothing.
Eventually, they reached a quieter part of the ranch where the staff had already caught the boy they'd been after. He was sprawled on the ground, his face streaked with tears and dirt. They both stopped with the staff parting to give them a view.
Not wasting another second, Astra pulled her hand free. Ziyan gave her a side glance, his lips twitching slightly before he looked away and turned his attention to the boy.
"You don't look so tough now,"
"I-I didn't mean to..." the boy blurted out, his voice cracking. He tried to scramble to his feet, but one of the workers pushed him back down. "I swear, I didn't mean it. It was just supposed to slow them down a little... I didn't think..."
"Didn't think what?" Ziyan crouched down, leveling his dark eyes with the boy's. There was a lazy smirk playing on his lips but it only made the boy tremble more. "Didn't think you'd get caught? Or didn't think I'd find out someone tried to harm my best friend on my family's property?"
The temperature seemed to drop around them. Astra stood a few steps behind him, her silver eyes locked on his profile.
"It wasn't my idea!" the boy stammered, his hands flailing in desperation. "They—they made me do it! I didn't want to!"
Ziyan tilted his head slightly, "You'll need to be more specific, kid. Who's 'they'?"
"I-I can't! They'll…"
Ziyan's smirk vanished, and for the first time, Astra saw a flicker of something darker cross his face. He leaned in so close that the boy flinched. "Let me make something very clear to you. Whatever you think they'll do, I promise you'll wish for it if you don't tell me the truth."
Astra had seen people wield power before, but Ziyan did it with such an ease that was both fascinating and unsettling. He was the kind of villain people would fall in love with, the one who had a separate fan base of his own even when they knew how terrifying he was.
And as much as Astra hated to admit it, she couldn't look away from him.