* * * *
It was ten minutes past nine that night when Sir Albion finally returned us from Scotland to Singapore. Today’s session had been the longest yet. Eight hours of pushing the limits…the old man was overdoing it.
More exhausted than usual, I trudged toward the school gates to go home while Sasuke was heading for the hostel.
“Bye, see you tomorrow,” I muttered.
“Want me to send you home? You look like you’re about to pass out,” said Sasuke teasingly as a hint of a smile played over his face.
I would have given him a mock punch on the arm if I hadn’t been so worn out.
The old man wasn’t going easy on us at all. Instead of the usual hundred laps at the beginning of each session, he made us do a hundred kilometres—yes, a freaking hundred kilometres—this time around. I regretted passing up lunch the whole time.
I never would have made it through the killer run around the Inverness suburbs if it weren’t for Sir Albion’s and Sasuke’s constant provocations and encouragements. What made it worse was that Sir Albion ran the same hundred kilometres with us, leading the way.
Nephilim or not, the old man was seventy years old. I couldn’t believe it.
“I’ll be all right. Bye.” I sent a small smirk in his way to reassure him then turned toward the direction of the main gates. Sasuke was right, and I definitely could’ve used the lift, but I didn’t want to trouble him. He had to be tired, too. Plus, I was uncomfortable bringing friends to my house—I didn’t want to risk them running into my father.
As I exited the school, someone jumped into my path, shaking me so violently that I blacked out for a moment. Even when the faintness wore off, staying upright took way too much effort.
“Averie!” Chaste practically shouted my name.
“It’s ten o’clock,” I said with a grimace. “Shouldn’t you be home already?”
“Yes, I should, but never mind that. Remember the dream I told you about? I saw the guy! Can I ask you a favour? Would you come with me to meet him? I’ll pay for everything, I promise, so please, Averie?”
“Wait, wait, wait! You’ve got to calm down, Chaste. I’m not getting what you’re telling me at all.”
“Okay, I’m sorry. Do you remember the dream I told you about this afternoon?” She made the effort to speak slower, while her eyes pleaded for my comprehension. “You know, the one about the young couple.”
“Yes, so what about them?” I asked feebly.
“I saw the guy from my dream on TV when I got home just now. Only the guy—he looked kind of different, but it was definitely him. He’s a singer actually, and he’s holding the last stop of his Asia tour in Tokyo Dome the day after tomorrow.”
I groaned, “Don’t tell me—”
“Yes!” she cried, not calming down at all. “I need to go to the concert, Averie. I know this sounds utterly insane, but that recurring dream is driving me crazy! I’ve got a feeling I’ll figure things out if I get to see him in person. Would you please go with me, Averie? I know it’s asking a lot, and I’m really sorry, but you’re the only person I can think of asking.” She looked into my eyes beseechingly. “You wouldn’t get into trouble with your dad, would you?” Chaste didn’t know about my family’s situation. I hadn’t told any of my friends about it because I didn’t see the need to. Besides, I didn’t want anyone to take pity on me. The only friend who knew a thing or two was Sasuke, and that was only because he happened to be there once when my father was acting up.
“No, my dad would barely notice I was gone.” But two eighteen-year-old girls flying to Japan when they couldn’t even speak the language… It sounded like a bad idea. Aside from that, I’d been warned by Sir Albion not to cross the borders of Singapore.
I breathed deeply, ready to talk Chaste out of this crazy trip. However, when I looked into those desperate eyes of hers, I found myself relenting. “Okay,” I sighed, “but only if Sasuke comes with us.”
Chaste nodded fervently in agreement, seeming overwhelmed with relief. “I’ve been thinking about asking him too. And thanks, Averie.”
We should be fine; nothing happened the other time I was in Japan with Asa, and that was only a week ago. Besides, Sasuke could zap us all to safety if anything happened.
“Won’t you get into trouble with your parents?”
“I’ll worry about that when we get back.”
“One more thing,” I added, “we’ll be flying right back to Singapore once the concert is over. Even if we don’t figure anything out, we are going home.”
“Okay…” she said hesitantly.
“I’m serious.”
“Okay,” she said again, more firmly.
“Can you even get concert tickets now?” I asked in one quick breath. My mind was reeling and ready to shut down anytime. “It’s in two days’ time, isn’t it? Won’t it be sold out already?”
“I managed to buy two tickets from someone on the Internet. Not the best idea, I know, but it’s the only way to get tickets now.”
“Is it reliable?” I asked, feeling hazy.
“I checked the tickets before handing the money over,” she assured me as I slid an arm around her shoulders. I was so light-headed I could barely stand.
“Can you flag me a taxi?” I muttered weakly. “I’m fainting.”
Worry scrambled all over her face. “Are you okay?”
“Get me a taxi,” I repeated, on the verge of losing consciousness.
After stumbling our way to the edge of the pavement, Chaste managed to hail a yellow taxi in no time. She helped me in and was about to get in with me, but I conjured the most convincing smile I had in me and waved her off. “It’s okay, Chaste. See you tomorrow. Talk to Sasuke then text me the plan.”
She hesitated. “Okay,” she said eventually, nodding as she closed the taxi door. No questions asked, thankfully.
I slumped against the backseat after giving the driver my address and, for the rest of the ride, struggled to stay conscious.
The taxi pulled into my housing lane several long minutes later, and, with a great deal of effort, I managed to walk the short distance to my bedroom. I was unconscious before I even hit the pillow.