Before I could say anything else, April appeared behind him like an annoying gnat that wouldn’t go away.
“Jesper!” She leaned around him and blinked at me. “Rune.”
“April,” I replied flatly.
She grabbed Jesper’s arm, but he stepped back like she burned him, his voice firm but kind. “We’ve talked about boundaries. I am your mentor. You can’t touch me without asking.”
My brows shot up. The way he just spoke his boundaries clearly made my heart soar. I wasn’t sure why I cared, but I did.
April flushed and turned away. “Sorry.”
Dimitri nodded toward our house. “We’ve got strategy work to do. Let’s move.”
Jesper smiled at me, and it was so cute. “See you around?”
“Definitely.” I flashed my fangs with my smile. “Maybe you can be my mentor one day.”
“If you end up in House of Fortitude, I’ll talk to Sabine.” He blushed.
April looked like she wanted to scream at me, but if she did, I’d make her shit herself again. Clearly, she thought about that, too, because she kept her mouth shut.
Just as I took a step, Darian’s voice struck me.“Rune!Look what I brought you.” He ran over to me from the direction of the houses, flowers in his hand. He stopped right in front of me, offering me the bundle of roses. “See? I’msorry, okay? Can you stop your tantrum now?”
My golden scales scattered over my skin before I took a deep breath, feeling Slater and Zuko step closer beside me. “I don’t accept your apology.”
Darian looked at Jesper and sighed. “Hey, cousin. Can you believe this?”
“Wait,” I gasped, staring between them.“You’re cousins?”
Jesper paled. “He’s...my mother’s sister’s son.”
My heart twisted painfully in my chest at the revelation.
Darian grinned. “A lovely reunion, huh? You and me, Jesper and me.”
“Ew!”Snatching the bouquet from his grasp, I flung it to the ground, the blooms scattering before I ground them into the dirt with my heel. “Go fuck yourself, Darian. Leave me alone!”
I stormed off, my limbs shaking as I kept comparing Jesper and Darian in my head. They were nothing alike but clearly related.
If Darian was that bad, what did that make Jesper?
“Don’t even try to follow her,” Dimitri snarled at him from behind me. “She clearly isn’t interested.”
I was appreciative.
Zuko and Slater flanked me within seconds.
“Burn his pants off?” Zuko offered. “Koa?”
“If she tells me to, I will.” Koa shot me a soft smile.
“I still think we should just kill him,” Slater grumbled.
I did, too, honestly.
“Just leave it alone,” I bit out. “If he keeps harassing me, I’ll tell my parents that I won’t hold back again.”
If anyone was going to kill Darian, it would be me.
