Page 21 of Resurgent

“Yes.” He doesn’t elaborate. Of fucking course he doesn’t.

“Heaven forbid he give me any real information,” I send Tyr down the bond, knowing he’s already listening.

“Probably rationing his words for all the lectures and insults he’s planning to spew in his classes this week,” Tyr mocks, and I’m instantly back in the arena, Korr making comment after snappy comment, ripping on my inability to fight and my proclivity for ending up on my back.

“So what, I’m just supposed to…sit here?” I gesture vaguely around his house, annoyance written on my face for him to see. "Is the plan to keep me captive so I don't kill any more of Scion's precious spoon-fed shits?"

His jaw tightens, but he doesn't take the bait, continuing as if I hadn't protested at all.

“We’ve arranged for all of your coursework to be given to Matt, who has volunteered to bring it here for you every afternoon."

At that, my shoulders relax a fraction. Not entirely cut off from the world, and not forced to find a way to sneak out of Captain Asshole's house.

"Thank you. That will really help," I say, meaning it almost as much as I meant it when he gave me the pickle.

"Yeah…" he says, before quietly muttering, “Totally not another excuse for him to be out here."

“What was that?”

“Nothing.”

The word is immediate—and a bald-faced lie.

I narrow my eyes at him, unwilling to drop something that clearly gets under his skin so easily.

“You know, for someone who seems to dislike Matt so much, I’m surprised you let him come over as often as he said you did.”

Realizing that may open the door for him to change his mind, I add, “Don’t get me wrong, I’m thankful you do, Sir, I'm honestly a little surprised you two are getting along so well.”

Slowly, he lets out the longest breath known to mankind.

“He’s not exactly easy to deal with when it comes to you, ya know?”

“What do you mean?”

His mouth tightens, and he’s obviously already regretting his slip up.

“I put runes on every door and window in this house the second day you were here,” he says, frustration settling deeper into his voice. “I was only at the arena for an hour—”

I have to fake a yawn, my hand covering the smile spread across my face, but I already know where this is going. “Uh-huh…?”

“When I got back,” he continues, voice flat in a way that says he's still pissed about whatever happened, “he was asleep next to you in your bed.”

I force my eyebrows to shoot up in surprise, but if I even try to talk, I will break any pretense of shock.

“None of the runes were disturbed,” he adds darkly. “And he refused to tell me how he got in.”

I try—and fail—to stifle my laugh this time, even as Korr glares daggers at me.

“Care to let me in on the joke?”

“No joke, but I wouldn’t recommend wasting your time trying to solve that particular mystery if I were you,” I say between breaths. “He’s been doing that since we were kids. My dad was never able to figure it out either.”

“That’s not reassuring.”

“Oh come on, Sir,” I grin. “If he wanted to murder you in your sleep, he’d already have found a way, and we’d be far, far away from here.”

Korr’s stare somehow gets even flatter.