“Nothing.” Sydney shoved her phone in her pocket. Since the reception was awful and spotty, she had to go to the front lobby of the academy to check for a response. She had gotten a message out to an old friend a week and a half ago after we snuck into John’s office. He was going to look into both names, Bernila Galang and Eleanor Lee. He had found information on Miss Lee. She was an earth mage who had moved from the Philippines. There had been no red flags found. “He couldn’t find anything on a Bernila Galang.”
“I’ll just have to ask her myself.” The groundskeeper was hiding something if the headmaster was looking into her, and I didn’t have any more time to wait for someone to choke me with plants in my sleep. Her earthy scent was weak, unless she was masking it, which made her my only lead.
“That’s a bad idea.” Sydney tucked a strand of hair behind her ear. “What if her name is hidden to protect herself from someone? If there had been anything, my friend would have found it that day I asked him to look into her.”
“But then why was her picture in Ender’s file?”
“I don’t know.” She shrugged and opened the cafeteria door. “Maybe because they seem close? You did say she brought him a cupcake when no one knew it was his birthday—not even his so-called friends.”
“They have similar features.”
“And?” she asked.
“And …” It didn’t mean they were related. I was grasping at straws. This conversation would be a different story if I told her someone was trying to kill me.
“Either way, the file is suspicious,” I said quietly as we entered. No offense to Syd, but I didn’t know her friend and couldn’t trust that there had been nothing on the head groundskeeper.
Ender stood when his gaze found me. He was sitting with Viv, April, and David, but the intensity he watched me with told mehe’d been waiting for me to arrive. He wore black jeans and a black T-shirt. Typical, bland attire, but he wore it great. His dark brown eyes held my gaze as he strode toward Sydney and me, a small grin tugging at the corner of his mouth. I probably had some smug remark coming my way. And my stomach jumped with excitement at the thought.
I looked away from him and at the student in front of us, who surveyed their lunch options.
Ender came up behind me, stopping so his lips were an inch from my ear, and I froze.
“About time. I’m here for your company,” he whispered, his breath hot against my skin. His cedar and bergamot scent were starting to smell like home. “Not to hear about how makeup can be made from dirt.”
Something inside me set off, my magic danced along my nerves, and I was stupidly immobilized with no response, even after Ender had straightened, no longer at my ear. We hadn’t kissed since the Winter Ball a week and a half ago, and part of me urged to feel his lips on mine again, but I needed to focus on keeping Viv safe and searching for any clues about Mom’s killer and my assailant, so I had avoided him when possible. Classes and studying had been my main excuse, but he’d been sitting at our table, and he’d joined me on my runs since finding out about my attacks—the only reason Viv said she let me still run. That, and she hated running.
I told myself it was fine to have a friend besides Vivian … and maybe Sydney.
The wordfriendfelt weird. Ender and I hadn’t established what we were, though attending the Winter Ball together had sealed most of the other students’ assumptions of us being anitemor whatever.
“Did you hear me?” Sydney waved a hand in front of my face.
“What?” I swatted her hand away.
“I said … your stomach’s not going to feed itself. They finally made a decision. We’re up.” Her gaze flitted to Ender over my shoulder, then back to me. She smirked before going up to the counter.
“Didn’t mean to fluster you with my presence.” Ender moved so the back of my shoulder brushed against his chest.
“You didn’t.” I stepped forward. “Your breath stinks. It’s disorientating.”
“Sure.” He chuckled, a low, deep sound that had my feelings betraying my last remark.
Sydney and I grabbed our food. There were only a few students besides our table, and there was a lot less background noise. It was more peaceful. We headed to the table with Ender behind me like a tall, muscled shadow. He sat down next to me, leaning back and resting his closest arm on the table and draping the other over the empty chair on his other side, something he did daily at lunch.
“Ender.” David wiped his mouth with a napkin. “Are you heading home?”
“No. I won’t be.” The hitch in Ender’s breath was barely noticeable. I had a sense it was because of his parents, and his guardian must’ve not been available. My chair began to subtly shake and I glanced over at Ender. He was bouncing his knee.
“Sounds like there’ll be plenty of us here over break. We won’t get bored,” I added, placing my hand on Ender’s leg under the table. His gaze immediately flicked to me.
“I’ll be helping with prep around the academy, but I’ll have plenty of time to still party.” April shoulder-nudged Viv next to her, smirking. They hadn’t declared themselves a couple or committed to acting as one, but I imagined they didn’t want to get in trouble, considering they were roommates.
“The guards will need something to keep them on their toes while everyone’s gone.” Viv laughed.
Ender brought his arm underneath the table and linked his fingers with mine, his leg no longer moving. A light squeeze told me he was thanking me.
“I heard that a majority of them leave to complete academy tasks or something?” David asked.
