“Just wanted to see what was cooking.”
She gave me a long, measuring look. “You look like someone who’s thinking too hard about something they weren’t supposed to hear.”
I blinked at her. “What?”
“Nothing.” She smiled and handed me a warm biscuit wrapped in linen. “Eat. You’re better with food in your hands.”
I took it, mumbling a thank you, and tried to ground myself in the moment.
The kitchen. The warmth. The laughter from down the corridor. The knowledge that lunch would be served soon, and with it, a short, sweet hour of normalcy.
But inside, the worry grew like a knot that had been pulled too tight.
Nova and Twobble were keeping something from me.
And whatever it was, I had a feeling it was about to find me before they could speak another word.
I filled a cup with tea as Twobble burst into the room like he’d been launched from a catapult.
His coat was rumpled, one boot was half-laced, and his hat was sliding so far to one side it looked like it was trying to escape. He stomped up to me in full goblin fluster, fists clenched, eyes wild.
“There you are!” he snapped, huffing like he’d climbed five flights of stairs even though we were on the main level. “I’ve been lookingeverywhere!”
I blinked. “Twobble?”
“Where have you been?”
I stared, mildly stunned. “Uh, here?”
He panted once, dramatically, and added, “I stepped on a squeaky floorboard that summoned a cleaning sprite, and it threw a dust bunny at me. I amnotin the mood to play hide and seek.”
I coughed into my hand to hide a smile. “I… apologize?”
“Accepted, provisionally,” he said, pulling his hat straight and squinting up at me. “Because now that I’ve found you, I have something to say, and I don’t care if it ruins your first day of school mojo.We’ve got business. Serious business.”
I straightened, relieved that Twobble was coming to me with whatever he’d spoken to Nova about.
“I wasn’t having…okay, yes, fine.”
“Of course it’s fine,” he muttered. “I’m fine. You’re fine. The Academy is fine.”
“Twobble,” I said gently, putting a hand on his shoulder, “what’s going on?”
His whole body seemed to deflate a little then, though the stubborn furrow between his brows remained firmly in place.
“I need to tell you something. About last night.”
That got my full attention.
I stepped back and gestured toward the bench beneath the window. “Sit.”
“Iwill, thank you,” he said, climbing up and huffing indignantly. “And I won’t be interrupted by anyone this time.”
I raised an eyebrow. “This time?”
He waved me off. “I was on my way to tell you, and ran into Nova first. She told me not to tellyouuntil she could investigate, which isn’t how this goblin works.”
I liked him even more and tried not to smile.
