Shehadnoticed.
Nikias grinned, his knee bumping into hers again. “Maybe I can’t hear you.”
“Then see a healer.” Aimilia narrowed her eyes. “We can’t have you losing your hearing on us.”
“I’m touched. I would have thought you’d want anything that would make my life harder.”
She rolled her eyes and turned back to look down at the arena. “Just focus on what we’re here to do so once they’re done we don’t have to waste any more time deciding on points.”
But he could see the slight pink dusting to her cheeks.
Just a little bit of hope.
Round after round went until they finally finished all of the novices and Nikias and Aimilia exchanged their thoughts, disagreeing until they reached a consensus. Often, they agreed without much back and forth. Aimilia had a sharp eye, so Nikias didn’t usually take issue with her observations.
Sometimes he did push back in order to get her to expand on her reasoning so he could lean in ever closer until his arm was around the back of her chair and his cheek almost brushed the top of her head.
Her hair was pulled back so tightly that even as the day wore on not a single strand had escaped its confines. Annoyingly so. She was always beautiful, but he much preferred her hair looser, or at least not so perfectly put up.
Maybe it was for the best. If her hair was even slightly disheveled, he would be driven further to distraction by his desire to finally sink his hands into it.
As the last of the mages were herded away to the crowd’s cheering, Aimilia turned to him, tapping her notes. “Well, I think we have an accurate idea of where our novices stand. Is there anything else? Or are you going to continue hovering over me and ensure you wake up with a sore back tomorrow from this awkward position?”
Nikias reluctantly pulled back, immediately feeling the tight soreness Aimilia had predicted from how long he’d held the position.
“Our duties regarding the entrance exams are concluded for the day,” Nikias said, pushing himself to his feet, stretching out his back. He lifted a hand as he stood at the railing, acknowledging the crowd whose attention had started to shift back to his box now that there were no mages to occupy them below.
Right before he was about add “after they hand in their notes,” Aimilia pushed out of her seat, stretching her arms as well before gathering up her notes. “Great, maybe I can catch?—”
Nikias moved faster, blocking her exit.
She huffed. “What do you want now? Why are you acting so strange?”
The question that had been plaguing Nikias since that night by the fountain kept clawing back up his throat, and finally he was going to let it out.
“I just have one question.”
Aimilia gestured for him to go on.
He took a deep breath. This was probably going to hurt. Still, if he was going to have a hope of changing his fate, it needed to be done.
“What will it take?”
Chapter 13
NIKIAS
Nikias’ question hung in the air. Each second it remained, his heart constricted tighter.
Aimilia stared at him. “I know I’m an excellent commander—despite the fact that you refuse to utilize me to my full potential—but I’m not following.”
“You hate me.” Nikias gestured. “You’ve made thatveryclear. You’ve even explained why, but as I’ve been examining your reasoning, I’m left with more questions. I don’t know what I can do. What will it take for you to not hate me anymore?”
Aimilia didn’t move, just stared at him completely frozen in place.
“You…” She let out a soft, stuttering breath. “Why do you care?”
The scar on his chest ached. “Maybe because I’m trying to make sense of you the way you’re trying to make sense of me. I have apparently spent years digging myself into a hole with you, and I thought I had begun to claw my way out, but that was clearly not the case. So what more must I do?”
