"What. Did. You. Do?"
Bennett lifts himself off the ground, brushing the dirt off his ass as he tries to find the excuse he wants to give her. "I made a bad joke."
"About?"
"About…" he sighs, defeated as he confesses, "about how if Rorin dies while distracted on the battlefield, that it's fine because Eveera will just bring him back."
Her green eyes widen, and she curls her lip,"you!"
"I didn't know he was there!"
She scoffs in disbelief, arms tossing out to her sides, "idiot!"
He looks at us, "I didn't know he was there." He tries again, desperately, but all Will and I can do is shake our heads.
"So you've said — would you like to tell us a fourth time, or can we move on?"
"This is really allyourfault." He tries, his finger pointing out at me. "If you hadn't been so unfocused during training, this would have never happened."That's probably true.I admit to myself. "Whatdidhave you so distracted by the way?"
Will snorts next to me, "I don't think we have to ask that question, Bennett."
"Eveera and I's… discussion last night."
His brows lift, "oh yeah? Was it any good?"Very.The word almost slips out as flashes of the two of us tangled in each other go through my mind. "Ror-in?" He pushes against my shoulder.
"What?"
Bennett laughs, and Will grimaces, "I guess that answersthat."
"I told you not ask, Haid."
While the two of them hung around to do more training, I snuck off to find Marjorie.
Some questions of mine need answers, and I have a dreadful feeling that she's going to be the only one with them.
Winding through the halls on this side of the castle was quiet — compared to the rest of it with its buzzing staff, diplomats, and their entourages.
Or itwasquiet until I turned into the alcove where the healer's quarters are nestled.
CRASH!
I flinch at the noise, hesitating to knock, when I hear Murph's familiar voice float through the wood. A small smile spreads across my lips, and the tension in my shoulders dissipates.
KNOCK! KNOCK!
"I—argh— COMING!" Murph shouts, followed by the sound of feet thudding across the floor. The doors whip open, and his eyes widen, surprised. "I had been wondering about you."
"Hello, Murph." I greet.
He returns my smile and waves me into the room.It's a mess.The entire quarter is filled with bits and bobbles, potions bubbling over, and the stale scent of dying plants has grown worse since my last visit. "You've…erm…certainly made yourself at home here."
He lets out a short laugh and waves again for me to follow after him, into Marjorie's workspace. "Murph— I—oh." The voice stops me in my tracks as my head swivels around to see Caz standing at the end of the workbench, arms filled with books, "your Majesty." He interjects, dipping his head politely.
"Caz. What are you doing in here?"
He hesitates for a moment, unsure if he wants to say. "Al—"
"The Alloy." Murph interrupts, cutting off the man’s explanation. Caz nods and confirms while the former spins around to face us, his withered face scrunching. "Well, come on, chop chop, work is to be done." He comments, completely unaware of the tension bleeding into the room. "We do not—ugh—" he snatches the books out from Caz's hands, his face quickly turning to disappointment at our lack of urgency, "have time. There is much to do, much to learn. Now, Caz here, was just about to demonstrate this alloy.”
