Page 26 of Black Ledger

“Dandelions again?”

“Yep. Do you want one?” I held out a small flower for him.

“Sure.”

“You know what I just saw on my way over here?” I asked, dropping my voice into a secretive whisper.

“What?” he asked, too loudly.

“Shhh,” I reprimanded. “I saw Mikhail kissing a girl behind the training center.”

“What?” Severin asked, his voice dropping to an excited whisper.

“Yeah. And his hands were on her, too.” I put my fingers back into the dirt and pulled out another dandelion by its roots. “It was fascinating.”

I held the dandelion to my lips and blew the seeds out into the field.

“Kiss me.”

My head whipped to him. “What?”

“Kiss me.”

“Why?”

“You’re a girl, and I’m a boy. If it’s so fascinating, I’d like to see why.” He raised a dark eyebrow in challenge.

I frowned. “Aren’t you supposed to like the person you’re kissing?”

“You like me.”

I scrunched up my nose again. “I guess, but I think it’s different.” I pursed my lips and stared at him. He really wanted to try it. “Fine.” I huffed.

“Here.” He got on his knees in front of me, and I mimicked him, so we were facing each other.

He placed his hands on either side of my face. I giggled. It was so silly. “Now what?”

“I guess we just touch lips…”

“Ok.”

Severin leaned in and placed his lips on mine, his soft skin touching me, and just holding there.

It was… boring… and not at all fun. I waited for a moment for anything to happen. Mikhail had seemed to enjoy what he was doing. But I was not enjoying this.

This was awkward.

I pulled away, and my brow furrowed. “That was boring.”

Severin nodded. “I know, I don’t get it.”

“Well”—I shrugged—“I have a better idea. Let’s fight.” I jumped up and threw my hands up like the way I’d seen the guards do during training.

“You’re a girl. I can’t fight you,” he said, standing too.

“Yes, you can.”

“No, I can’t.”