The doors had hardly shut before atmosphere inside House Apophis shifted.
Without Julian's cold gaze watching over us the sense of danger had wrapped itself around me like a vice. I stood in the middle of the room still looking at the table of students.
Then the hair at the back of my neck prickled. The room was silent and my senses were on edge but one set of footsteps hadn't made any sound at all. Before instinct could finish turning the rest of my body, a hand settled on my shoulder.
I flinched, half-pivoted, and found myself face-to-chest with a boy who looked as though a sculptor had been paid by the muscle. Tall, square-shouldered, sun-bronzed no robe or combat shirt on so his abs were fully exposed. His short black curls framed a grin that should have been printed on recruitment posters. The forest-green eyes were worse too bright, too friendly, as if this place were a summer picnic and I was his honored guest.
I slapped his hand away. "What do you think you're doing?"
The boy laughed in a way that suggested he'd never heard an answer he didn't like. Sharp and elongated canines flashed when he smiled, little predator's hooks that made the friendliness land sideways. The students at the table started to move a little at that.
He raised his palms, surrender-style. "Relax, man. Name's Max—Max Aquarii. Year Four. I say hello to every batch of newbies we get." His voice had that easy confidence that I easily marked as noble.
I rolled my shoulders back. "Congratulations. You've said hello You can step away from me now."
"Come again?" He laughed again. "Come on man. We're Housemates. This is your home now; no need to act like—"
"I don't know you and we are not friends so yeah, there is a need." I snap cutting him off.
Max's smile falters slightly and he shifts trying to place his hand back on my shoulder as if to give me a brotherly hug. I set my hand on the hilt, not planning on drawing it but it's enough for a message. Upstairs, half a dozen students leaned over the rail having seemingly exited their rooms to investigate.
Another voice, cool and measured, slipped into the space between us.
"Enough, Max. You know boys like that only understand one language."
A girl stepped up beside him and I grind my teeth as I didn't hear her move either. Tall as well, with pale gold long hair threaded with flowers. Her smile was a cold crescent and her eyes a vibrant byzantium and they weighed everything in front of them as though the result were already calculated.
Max threw her a theatrical grimace. "Victoria, you don't mean it."
"You heard Proctor Julian," she replied, not looking away from me. "Test and sharpen the newcomers. Some lessons require demonstration."
She smiled again and any fool could see that it was fake I'd met that kind of smile in back-alleys, the kind offered before a mugging.
Max sighed as if fate had betrayed him. "Well, I did try." Without warning his right fist snapped forward, straight for my jaw.
Cain's training kicked in as did my own battle experience. I pivoted, letting the punch glide past skin, and drove a heel into his chest. The impact thudded through both of us. Max staggered back two steps, laughing even as air whuffed from his lungs.
Gasps and cheers burst from the railings I spat onto the floor already irate at the bullshit "Try harder you pig"
Max's grin only widened. He came again jabs, hooks, leg feints all power and arena flair. I slipped two, deflected a third, felt the sting of a fourth across my forearm. He was strong and I could tell he was holding back. When he ducked for a body blow, I used his momentum to turn him sideways and sent a knee into his ribs. He grunted, but it wasn't the sound of someone out of the fight.
Max launched a sweeping kick that clipped my knee. Pain shot up my thigh, but I held balance. I feinted a draw, left hand grazing the sword hilt just enough to make him flinch back on instinct opening he'd left himself. My fist jabbed his collarbone; he hissed, this time anger mixing with the laugh.
'Oh man you're wild" he laughed.
Laughter sprinkles down from the balconies "Put him one on the floor, Max come on stop playing with the poor kid!"
He lunges. I parry a jab, slip the hook, catch the leg feint on my thigh it sting but I don't buckle. I shoulder-check him off me; he flows with it, laughing. We reset.
After another flurry Victoria's voice slices through the noise annoyed. "Max, stop fucking around."
Max's shoulders drop in an exaggerated sigh. "Boss says the curtain's closing." He flicks his gaze to me, genuine apology in the green. "Sorry, rookie."
"Don't—" I start to sneer, but the sentence never finishes.
He simply isn't there.
A pressure change brushes my cheek - air displaced faster than thought and suddenly Max is inside my guard, nothing but a flash of bronze skin I twist, just enough: the kick whistles past my ribs, so close the fabric of my robe flaps in the wind caused by it. Pain flares in my forearm where I caught the edge of his foot and my bone vibrates.
Before I can counter, he literally disappears and reappears half a stride to my left. My fist sails through empty space. He sells a straight right, baits my guard high, then untwists into a roundhouse.
There's no dodging; I haven't even finished turning. The heel slams into my head. The world jolts sideways floor, ceiling, faces a fast collage. I'm on my back, breath punched from my lungs, rage blooming hot behind my eyes.
End him, the inner voices hiss surging once again from my subconscious in response to my hate. Draw steel, show them cost for touching you. They sound eager, almost helpful.
I consider them as pain radiates from head. Max's outline blurs above me, broad hand extended.
"Oh, man, you're good!" He's breathing hard but giddy. "Holy shit guys the first year dodged three of those strikes. Nobody dodges three hell I cant even remember someone dodging one haha."
I look at his hand. Calluses. No malice, only honest excitement in his eyes. The anger surges…then breaks like a wave on rock. I exhale, force the scowl off my face, and take his grip.
He hauls me up in one clean pull and claps my shoulder. The balconies erupt in applause and good-natured heckling as house Apophis seemed to enjoy the show.