Chapter Four
The interior of the stable was dim and hot. Strong, earthy smells of horses-their feed, their bodies and their excrement-saturated the still air. Warm light streamed through the open door, casting a long shadow at Kiram's feet. All across the packed dirt floor, broken pieces of straw caught the light, glinting like flecks of gold.
From the deep, shadowed stalls, horses watched him. There seemed to be something disapproving about the way their dark eyes followed his movements, as if they knew that he was only a second-year student and not allowed in the stables unescorted. Fedeles was nowhere in sight.
He walked the long aisle between the stalls, searching for any sign of Fedeles, and at the same time too afraid of the big horses to approach any of the stalls.
"Fedeles?" Kiram couldn't bring himself to shout and risk being discovered. Instead the words came out in a forced whisper. The horses' ears pricked up at the sound.
He was rewarded with a soft, almost cooing response from farther down. Kiram hurried ahead. He saw Firaj-his own big black gelding-before Fedeles. Then, as he came closer to the stall, he realized that Fedeles stood inside the stall with his face pressed into the big horse's shoulder. With one hand, he absently stroked Firaj's neck while the other still clutched the drawing Kiram had given him at lunch.
To Kiram's relief and surprise, Firaj seemed completely at ease with Fedeles' presence. The horse lowered his head and snuffled through Fedeles' tangled black hair.
Kiram tried to sound firm while keeping his voice low. "\bu have to come out of there right now. Ybu're going to get in trouble."
Fedeles lifted his grinning face from Firaj's dark coat and shook his head. Even in the dimness of the stable, Kiram could see the wet tracks of tears on Fedeles' cheeks.
"Killing him." Fedeles' voice was soft and melodic, as if he were singing a lullaby. "Don't make me go. Don't make me. They'll hurt him."
"Someone is hurting him?" Kiram glanced to Firaj. Had Fedeles seen someone treat Firaj poorly, or simply misinterpreted the ministrations of some groom? Either way Kiram was touched by Fedeles' concern. Perhaps this was what Fedeles had been asking Kiram to help him with earlier. And when Kiram had failed to understand him, Fedeles had gone to protect Firaj alone. "Are you guarding him?"
An expression of wonder and relief came over Fedeles' face. He nodded, and then to Kiram's surprise he released his hold on Firaj and stepped closer.
"Who is hurting him?"
Fedeles opened his mouth but only a choked groan came out. A grin jerked across his face and Fedeles clutched his hands over his mouth. He leaned heavily against the wooden slats of the wall and more tears poured down his face.
"Help me," he whispered.
"I will," Kiram assured him, though he had no idea how. He wasn't sure who, if anyone, was threatening Firaj or if that was even the real problem. In the two weeks he had been at the academy he had never seen Fedeles like this.
"Don't cry." Kiram spoke in the gentle tone he usually reserved for his nephews and nieces. He wrapped his arm around Fedeles' shoulders, offering him a loose hug, which Fedeles returned. Feverish heat radiated from his body and the smell of hay clung to him.
"It's all right, Fedeles," Kiram whispered. "Firaj is fine. Look."
The horse pulled a mouthful of hay from the small heap in his feed trough. He chewed sleepily while gazing at Fedeles. Then Firaj lifted his head, studying something farther down the aisle of stalls. Kiram looked back but couldn't see anything.
Fedeles tightened his grip and suddenly Kiram realized how very strong Fedeles was.
He whispered, "Don't make me go."
"We both have to go. We're not supposed to be in the stables right now and the night warden will be calling-" The rest of Kiram's words were drowned out by a furious shout from the far west door of the stable.
"Fedeles!"
All around, horses' heads came up, their ears pricking at the sudden intrusion of noise. Fedeles released his grip on Kiram and edged back into Firaj's stall.
"Fedeles, if you make me look through this entire fucking stable I swear I will beat you blind!"
It was Upperclassman Genimo.
Fedeles caught Kiram's hand and pulled him into the shadows of Firaj's stall. Kiram wondered just how much trouble the two of them would be in if they were caught here.
"Fedeles." Genimo's voice was much closer now. Kiram could see the black silhouette of his body moving through the gloom of the stable. "If anything happens to these horses, it will be your fault. The grooms will blame you and never let you come in again."
Kiram felt Fedeles tense. His grip on Kiram's hand almost hurt, but Kiram didn't dare to pull free for fear of drawing Genimo's attention.
"If Lunaluz were to lose an eye, even Javier would hate you then. They would have to put him down because of you, Fedeles. A blind horse is no good to anyone."
"No! Lunaluz!" Fedeles bolted out of the shadows, pulling Kiram forward with him.
Kiram wanted to run for the door but Fedeles didn't budge. He stood in the center of the aisle, grinning as Genimo closed the distance between them. Kiram didn't like the way Genimo swung his riding crop as he approached them.
"What in the three hells are you doing here?" Genimo demanded of Kiram.
"I came to find Fedeles," Kiram replied.
"And what? Hold hands?" Genimo sneered at Kiram. "Practicing your filthy Haldiim seductions on the idiot, are you?"
Kiram's outrage momentarily overpowered his fear. "I just wanted to get him out of the stable."
"I don't want to go!" Fedeles gripped Kiram's hand desperately. "I don't want to. Firaj, Lunaluz, Firaj-"
"Oh, shut up!" Genimo snarled at Fedeles.
"No!" Fedeles began a panicked chant. "No, no, no, no… "
Seeming to catch Fedeles' agitation, the horses stamped the ground, releasing short nervous snorts.
"No, no, no, no." Fedeles seemed hardly aware of Kiram. He clenched his eyes shut as if focusing all his attention on just repeating his refusal.
"Shut the fuck up!" Genimo snapped. "Shut up!"
"Calm down," Kiram told Genimo. "You're only making him worse-"
"Ybu never speak to me in that tone, heathen!" Genimo lashed his black riding crop across Kiram's cheek.
The shock of being struck stunned Kiram more than the explosion of pain. He barely registered the wet heat of his own blood spilling down his jaw.
Never in his life had anyone treated Kiram with such disrespect. Pain and outrage flooded him. He jerked his hand free from Fedeles' grip and slapped Genimo's face.
"Khivash," Kiram spat.
The blow resounded with less brutality than Kiram would have liked, but it took Genimo off guard. He staggered back half a step. Then he launched himself at Kiram. His first punch forced the air out of Kiram's lungs and threw him back against the wall.
Fedeles wailed, "Lunaluz! Lunaluz!"
Kiram tried to regain his balance but Genimo was already up against him, pinning him against the wall. In desperation Kiram sank his teeth into Genimo's forearm.
"Whore!" Genimo drove his knee into Kiram's groin. Blinding, nauseating pain shot through him. His knees buckled and he collapsed to the ground.
"Ybu piece of shit," Genimo snarled. "How dare you lay your filthy, heathen hands on me?"
Genimo hauled Kiram up by his hair and punched him again, this time in the face. White flashes exploded through Kiram's vision. The sickening hot, wet sensation of blood gushed from his nose and poured over his lips. He choked as blood ran down the back of his throat. He could hardly think for the pain.
"God, you're pathetic." Genimo smirked at Kiram. "You're a worm. A piece of shit-"