“Yeah, I’m with you on that, although I won’t pretend to understand how the Fates think.”
Reyes grunts a quiet agreement. “We’d have to travel to one of the rifts to test the theory, and honestly… I’m not sure I’m ready for that.”
“I don’t blame you,” I say, smiling to myself as Bash asks another question and Nyx nods enthusiastically. “Though if his hypothesis is correct, it wouldn’t have to be Nyx. It could be any of us.”
He hums thoughtfully, but before he says anything else, movement in my periphery catches my attention.
Cameron swaggers over with his usual troublemaker grin in place. “Hey, you two.”
“Why do I feel like you’re up to something?” I ask.
He scoffs. “I am simply minding my own business.”
I roll my eyes. “You’re the last person here to mind your business. Ever.”
“That is an insult,” he argues, “and although it ispainfullyaccurate, I’m still choosing to be offended by it. And here I came, a noble knight riding in on his steed, selflessly bearing this incredible, world-changing good news just for you ungrateful peasants.”
“Peasants?” I ask, hiking a brow.
“Oh, right,” he drawls. “I forgot you’reliteralroyalty. My apologies, Your Highness. Shall I bow? Kneel? Kiss the ring?”
“You could fetch me a snack?”
I haven’t had breakfast yet, after all, but Cameron only snorts.
It was worth a shot.
Reyes shakes his head, far better at ignoring Cameron’s theatrics than I am. “What good news?”
“Has August agreed never to cook dinner?” I ask, because that would benefit the entire village.
Cameron snort-laughs and shudders, undoubtedly remembering the soup August attempted last night. “Guess again.”
“Okay… have Sprocket and Ego gotten more solar panels running?”
“Ugh, no. Damn. That’s actually a better surprise than what I have, but no. Not yet.”
The two of them have been hard at work adding some modern conveniences to this place and have been joined at the hip. Ego had a breakdown a couple of weeks into our time here when she realized she no longer had access to hair dye, but Sprocket recruited Nyx to help her find some plants with strong colors. While it’s not as bright as it used to be, she’s pulling off the tamer blue with just as much… well, ego.
“I give up,” I say, distracted by the approaching footsteps.
Bash walks over and wraps his arms around my waist. “Hey princess,” he murmurs as he drops a kiss on my lips. “So nice of you to grace us with your presence before lunch.”
I wave my arm along my frame, gesturing at all of me. “This requires a lot of beauty sleep,” I argue, and Bash chuckles as he squeezes me in another hug. “We’re waiting impatiently for Cameron to tell us his surprise.”
Cameron bounces on his toes, nearly vibrating with excitement. “I’ve convinced them to have atournament.”
“Atournament?” I repeat, brows high.
“Yes!” he squeals so loudly my eardrums flex. “So, me and August were talking, right? And he mentioned this tournament thing that Elas used to take part in on the other side. Something to do with boulders, but I’ll admit I wasn’t really listening to the details.”
Bash has his signature expression of alarmed and intrigued on his face, and he leans forward as I try not to laugh at him.
Cameron’s whole body lights up, shoulders bouncing in a little victory dance while he claps his hands together, barely able to stand still.
“They’ve agreed to a fighting tournament,” he says. “I was trying to plan this thing so I could, like, steal the water hose from the garden to get them all wet—”
“Hey,” Reyes argues, “that isnotwhy that spigot is there.”
