I pretend to think about it. “No. Definitely not a butterfly.” Her brows draw together warningly. “A hummingbird… hmmm. Can that long beak on a hummingbird be used as a weapon? Maybe poke some innocent animal’s eye out?”
“No!” She’s appalled, “What’s wrong with you! Hummingbirds are not bloodthirsty.”
Laughing, I lean over and kiss her. “You are. Talk to you later.”
Lucca’s just gotten out of the shower when I open the door, a towel wrapped haphazardly around his waist as he pours a cup of coffee. At least he’s wearing one. It took me a year to convince this asshole to keep his pants on in the common area.
“Hey Tati,” he shouts, “Kon’s home. My robe’s on the back of the bathroom door.”
There’s a muffled “Thank you!”
He grins insolently as I grab a coffee mug. “Tatiana thought we should be considerate and stay here since you and Mariya were obviously having a ‘deep discussion’ about your relationship.”
“Quantum physics,” I said, burning my mouth on the coffee, “we were talking about quantum physics.”
“Yeah, okay.” Lucca’s trying not to laugh.
“Hold off on your usual smart-ass remarks or I’m punching you in the dick,” I warn, glaring at him.
“Oh you will not, youterrorizirovat',you bully!” Tatiana is fully dressed and glaring at me. “You are not allowed to damage something of his that can be considered community property.”
Lucca chokes on his coffee and I roll my eyes, heading for the safety of my bedroom.
Mariya…
“Where were you all night? I tried to find you at dinner.”
Leif Aaberg is one of the less-annoying students in the Leader’s division, but he’s seated himself - uninvited - at our table. This speaks of a serious lack of self-preservation.
“I was already selected for the Leader’s Challenge,” I said, trying to head him off at the pass. Maybe he’ll take a hint and leave before Konstantin or Lucca shows up for breakfast.
He scowls. “Who? Turgenev?”
“No,” I drawl, already tired of this game. To make it worse, there are three Leader’s Challenges each year, and if you’re asked to join a team, you’re required to do so. Even if Konstantin swoops in and gets me for the next one, that still leaves me wide open for the third challenge at the end of the school year. “Lucca Toscano picked me. Look, I’m going to finish breakfast now. See you in Interrogation, okay?” Leif looks put out, but at least he leaves before anyone else shows up to ruin my meal with a protective round of chest-beating.
“You look rode hard and put up wet,” Meiying observed as she threw herself into the chair next to mine.
“Thank you for your refreshing honesty,” I said acidly.
“Ignore her,” Jun said, sitting across from us, looking exhausted and desperately signaling for tea. “She’s been seeing that cowboy asshole Chuck from the Spies division.”
“Really,” purrs Tatiana joining us with Lucca in tow, “and what other charming Western sayings hasChuckbeen teaching you?”
“No one really names their child Chuck, do they?” Lucca yawns. “Who looks at a baby and thinks that this poor kid needs to be named after an inferior cut of beef?”
“It could be worse,” Jun volunteers, “he could be named Rawhide, or some shit.”
Meiying carefully gives us the middle finger with both hands.
“Here’s the warm and supportive environment the Academy is known for,” Mala snarks as she and Liam grab the last two seats.
“We were discussing why sweet Mariya here looks like she’s just coming off a two-day bender,” Meiying says, grinning at me evilly.
“I love you, sister, but I’m fine with giving you a really fierce boob punch right now,” I said sweetly.
“Now that the pleasantries have been shared,” Tatiana breaks in, thank god, “who’s already been picked for the Leader’s Challenge?”
I mouth ‘Thank you!’ to her. I’m not ready to talk about…this. Whateverthisis. I still don’t trust Konstantin to not do some unhinged move and pretend that last night didn’t happen.
