‘I am,’ he says, rolling his eyes. ‘My magical sight is handy for more than just spotting tells.’
I draw in a long breath as jealous understanding dawns. ‘You could read an entire library in a week.’
‘Three,’ he tells me. ‘That’s how long it took me to get through the ones in Brandish, anyway.’
‘Wow.’
He grins. ‘It has its uses. But on the battlefield, people don’t really care about reading speed, so my talents are disparaged.’
‘That’s a mistake,’ I murmur.
He grins. ‘I know, but let’s not tell my enemies, hmm? It’s useful to be woefully underestimated.’
I mime buttoning up my lips.
I thought I knew all about Benny’s powers, but there’s so much more to magic than what you see on the outside.
The smile on his lips fades as he scratches the side of his cheek, and I can tell there’s something he wants to talk to me about, but I’ve no idea why he’d be having difficulty saying it.
‘Do you really trust him?’ he asks finally.
‘Kyor? Yes,’ I say without hesitation. ‘He’s known about me since it happened, and he’s not said a word to anyone. I know he made some mistakes when he was younger, but he wants to put them right.’
Benny’s only reaction is a single nod. ‘Okay, next question: do you think he’ll be a good king?’
I shrug. ‘Honestly, I don’t know. But I know he’ll try to be. Is that the same thing?’
‘Maybe,’ he says wistfully, offering me another smile.
‘Sorry, but there’s nothing in here that sounds like what you’ve been able to do. No creating ice or talking to krakens. Seems like you’re even more special than we thought, Rosey.’
My disappointment is palpable. Still, I go to thank Benny for his help, only for my words to get lost in a yawn.
‘Maybe it’s time we head to bed?’ he suggests.
‘It’s probably a good idea,’ I agree, rising to my feet. ‘See you at breakfast in the morning.’
‘See you at breakfast.’
Giventhat I’m now a familiar face to the kitchen staff, there’s no real need for me to go upstairs for breakfast, other than the fact that I don’t want to leave Benny on his own. However, five minutes after tucking into my pastries, I thoroughly regret my decision.
‘Any chance one of these seats is free?’ Jonas asks.
Given that the only reason they are is because our friends are dead, I don’t bother smiling at his attempt at a joke.
‘I think you’ll find there are plenty of other seats,’ Benny says. ‘Might even find one or two where you’re welcome.’
‘Benny, it’s fine,’ I say. ‘If this is where he wants to sit, then I’m not going to stop him. I’d hate him to feel pressured to do something he really doesn’t want to do.’
My less-than-subtle dig hits exactly as I hoped it would, and Jonas inhales stiffly.
‘How much did you tell him?’ Jonas asks, nodding at Benny.
‘Everything,’ Benny replies for me. ‘She told me every part. And guess what, I didn’t try to blackmail her because of it, because that’s not what friends do.’
‘I wasn’t blackmailing her,’ Jonas hisses back as he sits down. ‘I wastrying tohelpher. Long term. My proposal would keep her safe.’
‘Well, your proposal sucked. And it sounds to me like you were trying to get one over on the prince by, well, literally getting oneoveron Rose.’
