“Two of those are true at least.” Byron licks his lips as he looks me over. “How are you feeling?”
“Like I fell out of a floating building and got dropped by a dragon, so in other words not the best. But I’ll survive.”
“You’d better,” he replies as he snags my hand; he rubs his thumb over the curve of my knuckle as he shakes his head. “I probably lost a year of my life for every moment I thought you were gone. I’m going to die young now because of you.”
“You’re not going to die because of an academy you’re in falls out of the sky though,” I say lightly. “So, I at least bought you a few extra days.”
He shakes his head, leaning his head down until he buries it into the mattress. He lets out a loud groan before he raises his head. I notice that he still has my hand firmly clasped in his as he looks me over with those shockingly blue eyes. “What am I going to do with you? Because part of me wants to kiss you passionately and never let you go, and the other wants to wring your neck for what you put me through when I thought you were gone.”
“Do I get a vote?” I ask.
His mouth twists wryly.
“Because I vote for the kissing.”
“I guess you would with the other option being strangulation.”
“No,” I say with a swallow. “Not because of that. It’s because I…. well, I—” I pause my stuttering and raise my hand to pinch my nose. I want nothing more to tell Byron how I really feel and yet the words are getting all clogged and jumbled in my throat.
“Because, why?” he breathes moving closer, his thumb starts stroking the back of my hand more quickly.
“Where’s Marvin?” I ask instead.
“He had to go lay down after everything that happened. I think he lost some years of his life too. Now, what was it you were saying?”
“I spoke with Menavillion. He’s leaving without choosing a knight,” I say because that’s somehow easier to admit to than that I like Byron.
Byron’s eyes flick back and forth as if he is looking for some sort of answer as to how he should respond to that. Shock, remorse, and finally frustration wells in his eyes. “I suppose neither of us are getting what we want from him then.” He bows his head, finally releasing my hand. “I don’t even know what to think of my brother at this point. What he did, it was despicable and yet… he did it because he wanted to protect me. I think he would have continued to be Menavillion’s pawn all his life but then I wrote him and told him that I was going to come and take his place. He wrote back, he was always adamant that he didn’t want me to make that sacrifice for him and yet I forced his hand. And people nearly died because of it, you nearly died. And oh, Maker… now what will become of him.”
“Menavillion offered me a favor in return for saving his life,” I state slowly, still unable to believe what I actually did with that favor. And yet I can’t find it in myself to regret my actions. I’d do it again if I had to.
The corner of Byron’s mouth hitches up. “Did he? Well, it’s deserved, don’t you think? You did nearly plummet to your death for him.”
“I technically did it for the whole academy,” I say. “For Marvin and…you.” The last part comes out in a whisper that is so quiet I’m not sure if he even heard it. I press my eyes shut inwardly groaning. I can’t believe this, I never had a problem speaking to Byron when I thought I detested him, but now that I want to admit that he is my sun and my stars, and the words die on my tongue.
“So, what is your new magic like?” Byron asks, leaning back in his chair. He braces his hands on the arms as if waiting for a good display.
“I didn’t ask for new magic.”
He arches his brow. “You’re jesting with me. I know you too well, Willow, you wouldn’t give up your opportunity to be as powerful as me.”
“I asked Menavillion to free your brother from his service to him,” I say, glancing down and picking at a loose string on my bedsheet.
He flinches slightly. “Willow, please, don’t do that. This is far too sensitive a subject for you to tease me on it.”
“I’m not teasing you.” I force my gaze to rise as I look at him.
“But he nearly killed you!”
“I didn’t do it for him, I did it for you.”
“But you wanted your magic.”
“I wanted…” my voice fades out before I can sayyou. I clear my throat. “I wanted to do this for you more.”
“But… but…” Byron pushes to his feet, his chair nearly capsizing as he stands. “You hate me.”
“I don’thateyou, Byron Coalbiter. I don’t even dislike you. Quite the contrary, actually. I, well… you know how you said if we were back home how you would have handled your feelings for me? Well, if we were back home, I’d have followed you from the harvest festival and let you kiss me by the lake.”
