“Are you jealous?”Why did I pick that one?! The attention of one boy doesn’t justify being so brazen!
An abrupt laugh interrupts Reid’s breaths. “Definitely not. He’s like a brother to me. If you’d seen the things I’ve seen, you’d never let his honey stick anywhere near your beehive.”
My… what?I prop myself up on my elbows to better look at Reid. “I don’t think that metaphor works as well as you think.”
“Sure it does. He puts his stick in your hive and gets the sweet, sweet honey.”
If I weren’t already burning up from exertion, I surely would be now. “And then what?” I ask. “He gets mobbed by a swarm of angry bees?”
“That’s women for you.” He drags himself to his feet, then pushes a window open, letting the brisk air in.
“Clearly, you’ve only been with the wrong type of women,” I mumble.
“None, actually. Not interested. But I’ve witnessed plenty of men court my mother.”
“Wait. What?” I sit up further and quickly review all our earlier interactions. Hewasrather nonchalant with Alexis, and I never did catch him looking at either of us the way Caeo looked at me.
“Which part wasn’t clear?” he asks. “That I prefer men, or my mother’s promiscuity?”
“I…”No wonder he was so casual about us stripping out of our uniforms.“Never mind.”
I clamber onto my hands and knees, preparing for the next round of push-ups in an attempt to escape this conversation. It’s a perfectly acceptable way to live, but if he makes the connection—
“Wait,” he says, eyes narrowing. A second later, a grin breaks across his face as his laughter fills the room. “You thoughtIwas jealous of Caeo for getting withyou?”
Darn it.I lower my chest to the ground and light the stupid candle. My arms scream in protest as I push myself back up and extinguish it.
“Wow, you must feel dumb now.”
“Shut up.”
* * *
By Fortune’s favor, upon arriving to our water incanting class as a cramping, disheveled mess, Professor Merriweather, a kindly-looking woman in her mid-fifties with graying hair, decides to test our abilities by having us clean ourselves up as best we can, without any instructions or components.
Thus, we’re both clean and well-hydrated when we arrive at the dining hall. Rows of faded wooden tables and benches sit under a gabled ceiling, but at least everyone’s uniforms fill the space with splotches of various purple tones. Thankfully, it’s significantly tamer than the Kettle Maker was, but my insides still itch regardless. Lunch is served buffet-style, and I fill my plate with a bit of everything, hunger gnawing at me like never before. We eat in silence, then I wilt against the table with my head buried in my arms.
“You two look terrible.”
My heart flutters at Caeo’s voice. Before I know it, his hand rests on my shoulder, tracing gentle circles with his fingers. Goosebumps dance across my skin as I melt into the tabletop. I should look up, I really should, but my nerves keep me pinned down.What if he only liked me when I was drunk?
“Professor Beckwith had us incanting while doing push-ups for the entire period,” Reid says. “And then made us stay late to run through a dozen tests to see what we know. I despise that man.”
The bench shifts as Caeo sits next to me, pulling his hand away and leaving a cold emptiness behind. It’s an effort not to slump in disappointment, but I keep my head down, dreading a knowing look from Reid after our moment earlier. Their conversation wafts over me, and by the time Alexis chimes in, I’m drifting away, lulled by the dulcet tones of Caeo’s voice. The next thing I know, a hand’s gently shaking my shoulder.
“Wake up,” Caeo whispers, close to my face. “It’s time for History.”
I lift my head, blinking. His gray eyes have specks of blue in them that I hadn’t noticed before, like a warm sky peeking through heavy fog.
“History…” I say breathlessly, completely lost in those clouds.
“I told you I’d find you.” He brushes my hair out of my face, his fingers lightly grazing my skin.
He did.A heat unfurls within me, remembering that moment.
“We should go, or we’ll be late,” he adds.
My pulse quickens as I shove all thoughts of kissing him out of mind, then gather my things. Reid and Alexis must have gone ahead; it’s the only class that all the first-years have together, so most of the students filing out of the dining hall are heading there. My leg muscles burn with a dull ache as we follow, and while it isn’t far, I still make a fool of myself by attempting small talk.
