Free Fear Me Not (The EVE Chronicles) by Sara Wolf Page B

features, as if I reminded him to compose himself. I regret it instantly as he looks me over with bored, listless eyes.
    “Is this any better?” He asks, voice laced with venom.
    “Look, no,” I scrabble. “It wasn’t bad. Shit. Shit . I didn’t mean it like it was bad.”
    “I wanted to show you this.” He sighs. “So come now. Let’s have it done with.”
    “No.” I plant my feet. “I’m…I’m not going down there unless you go back to the way you were.”
    “And what way was I?” He asks coolly.
    “Happy. Happier. Not-bored. Whatever. Just don’t put that cold face on again. Go back. It was nicer.”
    “I’m sorry I don’t cater my facial expressions to what you consider nice,” He snarls.
    “Jesus, okay, okay! You win. I’m sorry I ever brought it up. Be nasty. Be mean. Just don’t be surprised if it doesn’t get you a lot of fans.”
    “I don’t need fans. I have an entire faction at my command when my father dies.”
    “Then don’t be surprised if it doesn’t make me like you.”
    I brush past him and descend the steps into the warm basement. The air is hot and nearly suffocating with so many people inside. They gather in a circle around an empty space of concrete, musty barrels and broken boxes pushed away to make room. There’s gotta be at least forty people in here, all of them Gutters. They cheer and shout louder than I’ve ever seen them be at school. They’re smiling more, too.  
    Two female Gutters face off against each other in the center of the crowd-circle, wearing flowing silver clothes that almost look like judo uniforms, but with sweeping sleeves that extend well past their fingers, and high collars. The female Gutters are fighting, but it’s like no fighting I’ve ever seen. Their strikes are lightning-quick, too quick to follow with the naked eye, and they sway in a strange dance-like stance. One girl throws a chop forward, but the other girl ducks, moving like water to evade. She crouches, and in the blink of an eye leaps to the ceiling, and hangs there. By her palms. My eyes bug out. The crowd cheers wildly as she peels away from the wall and descends with a sweeping kick that the other girl dodges.
    Shadus walks down, and closes the hatch behind us. Several Gutters stop to look at him, but most are riveted to the fight. Two boys walk over.
    “ Raj-ilmai .” One Gutter says to Shadus in Rahm, and makes a small bow.
    “ Raj-sutuya .” Shadus nods back. “I came to observe the fight.”
    “Of course,” The other Gutter says, shooting me a wary look. “But, sotho , you must understand. No humans are allowed here. It’s the last and only place we have to ourselves on this restrictive campus. If word got out -”
    “I will take the responsibility,” Shadus says. “It will be mine alone.”
    The Gutters look unconvinced, but finally relent, and go back to the circle. Gutters ask them what’s going on, and they assure them everything is fine.
    “You wanted to show me this girlfight?” I ask.
    “It’s patra. A battle for honor. Look at the girl in the middle, with the short hair.”
    I squint, taking in the girl’s familiar face.
    “That’s Melune,” I say. “The girl who started that fight on the first day.”
    “Yes. She’s defending herself against Gira, who insists she had no right to confront her Illuminator friend. This is how our personal disagreements are settled, through observed combat. The winner is the correct one.”
    “Last time I checked, being a human gecko is sort of a special ability.” I motion to the girl who clings to the wall this time, her feet and hands seemingly acting like suction cups. She jumps off and swipes at the other girl, who dances out of the way and counters with her own attack.
    Shadus’ smirk barely blossoms. “Noticed that, did you?”
    “What are the rules?” I ask. “Do you guys just beat each other into the ground, and whoever can’t get up is the winner?”
    He shakes his head. “It’s much