Nazirah watches as Grum gets into afighter’s stance. But her thoughts remain on Adamek. He told herthe first rule is to always know your enemy. And Nazirah does knowGrum. She knows he’s big and threatening, but that makes him slowand cocky. She knows he has a huge ego, is not particularlyintelligent, and would never imagine he could be outsmarted by alittle girl. Nazirah knows he thinks she’s scared of him, is scaredof fighting, and that she couldn’t possibly defend herself.
Nazirah knows Grum.
But Grum doesn’t know her.
Nazirah stands in her normal passiveposition, waiting for him to attack. No, Grum doesn’t know her atall.
His fist flies at Nazirah’s face, fast, butnot fast enough. She dodges it easily. That alone shocks the entireclassroom, since Nazirah has never defended herself before.
Enraged and embarrassed, Grum pounces. Hefakes with his left and then jabs her with his right. Nazirah isn’tquick enough this time. She tries to block, but Grum’s second blowhits her square in the face. Her lip splits open. Nazirah tastesiron, but refuses to concede. This isn’t about standing up to Grum.This is about standing up to herself … for herself. This is aboutproving she can still be the person she once was.
Grum punches her again, this time in thestomach. Nazirah keels over, coughing up blood. She vaguely seesNikolaus stepping forward from the wall on her left. Adamek holdsonto his shoulder, stopping him. Nazirah stomps into Grum’s instep.He shouts out in pain and Nazirah throws his clipboard at him. Sheknows it will have no effect, but she needs to buy time. The classwatches them silently in horror. Grum catches the clipboard easily,cracking it in half over his knee. He flings it carelessly to theside. A few recruits jump out of the way, narrowly avoiding gettinghit by the pieces.
Think.
Nazirah glances at Cato, who appears readyto cry. She remembers a time several years ago, when a bullycornered her in a back alley back home. Nazirah remembers watchingas he slowly unzipped his jeans, leering at her. Nazirah dealt withhim. She looks into Grum’s face, suddenly calm. She can’tphysically overpower him, but that doesn’t mean she won’t win.
Nazirah takes a small step backward, awayfrom her classmates and toward the open space behind her. She triesto look frightened, ignoring both the screaming agony of herabdomen and the blood streaming from her lip. Grum lumbers forward,attempting to close in on her. Nazirah backs up again, morequickly, makes sure Grum is following her. Taking her one chance,Nazirah turns and runs full speed straight at the empty wall.Grum’s heavy footsteps are right behind her. Nazirah jumps as highas she can and launches herself at the wall, kicking and propellingoff it. She turns in midair and slams her foot hard into Grum’shead. He falls to the floor, completely unsuspecting, knockedunconscious.
Everyone in the room stares at the two ofthem, mouths slack, eyes bulging. “The first rule, professor,”Nazirah deadpans, spitting blood, “is to always know yourenemy.”
It’s not Grum she is looking at.
Her classmates circle her, breaking out oftheir spell. They cheer, hugging her and patting her on the back.Even Aneira congratulates her brightly. Cato is the first one byher side, rushing over to hold her up. “It’s good to see you again,Nazi,” he laughs.
The endorphins that kept the pain at bayduring the fight are quickly dying. But Nazirah feels amazing. Apart of herself that she hasn’t seen in months has resurfaced. Andshe welcomes it back like a long lost friend … like a blessing.
Aldrik, who apparently went to get help as aprecautionary measure for Nazirah, returns with Bilungi at hisheels. He enters the gymnasium then halts in his tracks, staringuncomprehending at the unconscious fighting instructor.
Bilungi nearly trips over him. She shootshim a dirty look and rushes over to assist Grum. “Mr. Caal, pleasetake Miss Nation to my quarters.” Bilungi waves some smelling saltsunder Grum’s nose. “I believe you are familiar with the way.”
Cato nods, helping Nazirah slowly out of theroom. Nikolaus walks over to them and gently touches her shoulder,relief clear on his face. “Thank you,” he whispers in her ear.
“He deserved it,” she replies.
Nazirah looks around, searching for thereaction that she really wants to see. She spots him, exactly wherehe has been all along, leaning casually against the classroomwall.
He’s looking at her, too.
And he’s smiling, genuinely smiling.
Chapter Eight
Summer transitions into autumn without anynoticeable temperature change. The days pass by uneventfully.Nazirah attends the majority of her classes, throwing herself intowork to distract from reality. She even willingly participates incombat training, doing the bare minimum to placate an even morewretched Grum, who hasn’t acknowledged her presence since gettingknocked unconscious. She rarely sees any of the rebel leaders. Theyare usually on recon missions or in private meetings all day. IfNazirah closes her eyes and doesn’t think about it too much, lifeseems unnervingly peaceful.
Nazirah lies on her stomach, on the worn rugof the library. Her bare feet wave casually in the air, shoeskicked off hours ago. Her ball of hair is knotted in a loose bun,piled high on her head and secured by two pencils. Her face is bentlow, buried in a thick textbook. Books, maps, and various otherarticles are strewn around her in a protective circle. Almost donewith all of her makeup work, Nazirah is currently finishing anessay Bairs assigned her on Medi life and culture. Nazirah doesn’treally want to learn about the luxurious Median lifestyle, but shehas to admit that the subject is riveting.
The library is quiet, nearly empty. It oftengoes unused, since most intermix cannot read and most rebels cannotbe bothered. Riva taught her children the alphabet at a young age,and Nazirah always loved engrossing herself in fantastical stories.Intermix are not allowed to use the public libraries in Rafu, butNazirah would often sneak into the main school from the annex. Shewould read on the floor of the school library after everyone elseleft, until Riva would find her and scold her and drag herhome.
Nazirah imagined she was a princess in thecold north of Zima, or a bootlegger from a faraway land, or even abird soaring over Renatus. She imagined she was anything other thanwhat she actually was. Reading was her escape. It still is. WithNikolaus always gone, training intensifying, and unrest eruptingaround the country, Nazirah knows that her hourglass of safety isrunning out.
Nazirah finishes reading about hilariousMedi fashion trends throughout the decades. She starts on thebullet train system, which carries goods from the outskirts of theterritories to the capital at rapid speed. Nazirah looks out thelarge window beside her and spots Taj and a few others kicking aball around outside. She wants to go watch, but wills herself tofinish working first.
Nazirah casually flips through somephotographs of Mediah, completely mesmerized by the sheer size ofits gleaming skytowers, its power, and its technology. She wonderswhat Niko’s grand plan is to overcome these obstacles and she praysit is a good one.
“So she’s literate.”
Adamek slumps down in a chair before her. Hedrops a pile of strategy books on the table to his right and restshis hands casually behind his head.
“Yes, she is,” Nazirah huffs.
He glances at the books scattered around thefloor. “I know this is probably a foreign concept to you, Nation,but we have these things called tables and chairs for areason.”
“I know what a chair is,” Nazirah snaps,sitting up. “I just exercise my right, as an intermix, not to useone.”
“I see.”
“What are you doing here anyway?” Nazirahasks, annoyed. Someone shushes her. Nazirah turns to see Aneiraglaring at them, several tables away. Nazirah rolls her eyes. Shereturns her attention to Adamek, speaking more quietly. “I wouldthink a place like this was beneath you.”