“I honestly, truly—and let me make thisabundantlyclear to you both—do not care about what you do. If one of the competitions in the tournament was caring less about you two, I would lose because it is impossible for me. I cannot think of anything more—”
“I think we get it,” Cullen interrupted with a sigh. “We’re heading to breakfast before today’s training begins.”
“Oh, good, me too.” Noelle looked to Alyss’s room. “Should we wake her up?”
“I’ll do it and catch up with you both in a bit,” Eira offered.
“Suit yourself.” Noelle shrugged and started for the door.
“I can wait.” Cullen lingered.
“You go ahead,” Eira encouraged. “I’d like a bit of time with Alyss.”
“Of course.” Cullen squeezed her hand. “See you soon.”
Eira knocked lightly on Alyss’s door and was greeted with expected silence. She slowly eased the door open, poking her nose in and whispering, “Alyss?” The mound of covers on the bed stirring slightly was the only sign of life. Eira crept through the twilight room; the dawn was shuttered out by heavy curtains. Crawling into the bed, Eira hooked an arm around her friend.
“No,” Alyss groaned. “It’s too early.”
“It’s not.”
“Damn you morning people.”
“You don’t mean that.”
“Idomean that,” Alyss grumbled. She still had yet to surface for air and presently appeared as a talking duvet. “You are criminally insane for trying to function at this hour; go back to bed.”
Eira leaned over, whispering where she presumed Alyss’s ear to be, “I kissed Cullen.”
The covers were in the air. In a flurry of movement Alyss was upright, staring at Eira with wide eyes.
“Imsorryyoudidwhat?” The words blurred together in Alyss’s excitement. Eira grinned sheepishly. Her friend grabbed both her shoulders, shaking with reckless abandon. “Details. Details! Now!”
“I’ll tell you as you get dressed and come down to breakfast with me.”
Alyss paused, eyes narrowing. “You drive a hard bargain.”
“I know.”
“Fine.” Alyss released her and swung her legs off the bed. “I’m up, now start talking. I want every juicy detail.”
“Last night, we, well, I couldn’t sleep—”
“I was wondering if you were going to join me. I expected you to come if you needed me, but I guess you found someone else.” Alyss waggled her eyebrows as she started her morning ablutions.
Eira couldn’t hold back a laugh. There was a simmering guilt at feeling so happy. So much of the world was still at risk. There was so much she had yet to do. But she could enjoy herself for a few minutes. Eira glanced toward the window.
The Pillars had been right about something, Eira realized. The more she knew darkness, the more she appreciated the light.
“Well?” Alyss pressed. “Stop thinking about kissing him andtellme about it.”
“I ran into him last night and…how did it happen? I—we—we got to talking and it sort of came out that he had feelings for me.”
“And you told him the same, right?” Alyss pulled back her braids with a length of cord.
Eira nodded.
“And then you kissed?”
