Commander Ravel sure worked quickly. He'd said he would see about arranging for Alar to move in with me, but I hadn't expected him to move so fast.
"This was unexpected." Shovia finished reading her letter, folded the paper, and put it back in the envelope.
I had forgotten to tell her that I'd discussed that with Commander Ravel on the way back from my vacation, and the truth was that I hadn't been expecting him to do it so quickly. He'd also promised to supply me with a weapon, but the letter hadn't said anything about that.
Codric looked pleased as he turned to Shovia. "Finally, it's official. You are moving in with me."
Jarren regarded us with a curious expression on his face. "This is highly unusual, but my opinion is irrelevant. The reassignment is effective immediately."
I was happy that Alar and I were going to share quarters, but I wasn't happy about the other cadets having even more reason to treat us like we didn't belong.
"Thank you," I told Jarren.
"Enjoy." He gave us a tight smile before turning on his heel and walking away.
"Did anyone see this coming?" Morek asked, having read over Codric's shoulder.
"I asked Ravel about it on the way back," I admitted. "After the attempt on my life, I thought it would be a good idea for me to have a weapon and suggested that Alar move in with me because he had military training and could protect me, but Ravel didn't seem too keen on the idea. He said he would discuss it with the head of the Dragon Academy and let me know. Apparently, the general agreed with me."
Shovia sighed dramatically. "I'm going to miss you in the mornings, Kailin." She jerked her thumb at Codric. "Now I'll be stuck with this one and his stinky socks."
"Hey," Codric protested. "My socks are not that bad."
"They are, and if you leave them on the floor even once, I'm requesting relocation," she warned, and she didn't sound like she was joking.
Codric rolled his eyes. "You've been sleeping in my room for weeks, and it never bothered you that much before."
"That's because I could escape back to my own clean, nicely smelling room in the mornings," Shovia shot back. "You've been put on notice, Codric. I refuse to be trapped with your disaster zone permanently."
I wasn't sure whether she was seriously upset or was just teasing Codric.
"You two will be fine," I said before their bickering could escalate. "You practically live together already anyway."
"That's different," Shovia said. "Having an escape route changes everything."
"I promise to make an effort." Codric wrapped his arm around her shoulders.
Alar stood, picking up his tray. "We should get moving if we want to transfer our things before curfew."
I nodded, standing as well. "I'll help you pack your things."
"There isn't much to pack," he said.
We disposed of our trays and headed out of the mess hall. Shovia and Codric peeled off toward our room, while Alar and I continued to his.
He chuckled. "I wonder whether they are allowing it because you are the Hero of Elucia."
"I hate that title," I muttered.
"I know." He took my hand, interlacing our fingers. "But if it comes with these kinds of benefits, it's worth it."
As we entered his room, I remembered what I'd meant to tell him earlier. "I contacted Nyxath today. I asked her to arrange a meeting with Saphir."
Alar arched a brow. "That was brave of you. Was it difficult to find her among all the dragons?"
"It took some effort." I frowned, thinking about it. "Actually, quite a lot. I didn't know what I was doing, and I'm still depleted from that dream."
He looked worried. "I thought you were getting better."
