Briar grins. “Do they know you’re a halfling?”
“How can they, when they do not live at court?”
I laugh. “Congratulations.”
He nods, then his attention falls to Briar. His cheeks flare with color.
“Briar.” He bows. “I wanted to confirm…”
“Of course we’re still on for lamb chops tomorrow,” she says.
I glance between them. “What’s this now?”
“I like to cook—”
“A date,” Briar declares, laughing. “It’s a date!”
Silas blushes harder, and he wipes the fog from his glasses. When he puts them on again, he looks to me. “Have you seen Benji yet today? He was just looking for you.”
Perhaps to show off only his one arm of debt.
“I’ll find him, thanks.”
I leave the halfling and faerie together, Silas making small, quiet comments, and Briar cackling with an ease that fills my heart.
If joy is like a rebellion, then perhaps a rebellion is like joy: contagious.
—
I find Benjiplaying jacks with a friend in a hallway off the common room. For a moment, I just watch, my heart brimming with an unspeakable emotion, as the children bounce a rubber ball on the ground between the jacks.
Benji’s gangly limbs have grown, and it is the most beautiful sight in the world. His debt only goes up to one elbow. I kick off the wall.
“Hey, Bee,” I say.
Benji looks up. “Hi, Avery!”
“So who’s winning?”
“Me!” the friend shouts.
“No, he’s not, he’s lying.”
I throw Benji a skeptical look.
He crosses his arms.
“Okay, so maybe he’s winning, but just a little.”
The other child beams up at me. “Benji says that you can light your arms on fire.”
“Only sometimes.” I laugh, then brush Benji’s shoulder. “Is everything okay? Silas said you were looking for me.”
“Yes!” He bounces on his heels, sticking out his arm. “The creditor said there was something in my account. All of my debtwent away except for Reign. But there is an offer on my account that even that could be forgiven!”
Kassandra?My heart cracks in relief, and I scream, scooping Benji up in my arms.
“Put me down!” he giggles. “Put me down!”
