“So do you think I’m the spy?” Aaron asked.
Call remembered Jasper’s words in the Refectory: Aaron told you two different stories about his past. That’s pretty suspicious. We have no idea where he came from, or who his family really is. He just shows up out of nowhere and then, boom! Makar.
Jasper looked over at Call. He was probably remembering them, too.
“I don’t think so,” Jasper answered. “I wondered, after the rumors got started. But the only person I ever told that I thought you might be is Call.”
Aaron turned a stricken look on Call, before turning back to Jasper. “You don’t think so?”
“No,” Jasper said. “You’re not the spy, okay? I don’t believe you’re the spy, and I am sorry for telling Celia about your dad. And for what it’s worth, she’s sorry, too. She never thought things would get so out of hand. She only told two people, and she swore them to secrecy, but then it spread.”
Aaron sighed and the fight went out of him. “I guess it’s okay. You really didn’t start the rumor about me being out to get Call?”
Jasper pulled himself up in a weirdly formal manner and placed one hand over his heart. “I swear it on the deWinter family name.”
Call snorted and received a very enjoyable glare from Jasper. Things felt almost normal.
“Oh, no,” Tamara said. “If you want things to be okay, you have to do something for Aaron. And Celia has to help.”
“What’s that?” Jasper looked at Tamara worriedly, which was pretty much always a good idea but was an especially good idea now, when she was staring at him with a glimmer in her eye.
“Celia’s on the rumor circuit,” Tamara said. “Find out if there could be another Makar at the school, or anywhere. Someone operating in secret. And see if there’s anyone Drew talked to a lot, okay?”
“And find out who did start the rumor,” Call put in.
Jasper nodded, holding his hands up to ward away their being mad at him. “Done.”
“Good. Apology accepted.” Aaron flopped down on the couch. “You’ve got bigger problems than us anyway. Gwenda was here because she wants to move out of your rooms.”
“Because of me?” Jasper said. “That’s ridiculous.”
“Maybe she’s not a big fan of romance,” Tamara said with a sly smile.
Jasper took a seat next to Aaron without being invited. “She’s just jealous because she doesn’t have a boyfriend like me. I am a great boyfriend. I know exactly how to keep a girl happy.”
Tamara rolled her eyes. Call was glad she didn’t find this convincing. After Celia’s defection, he wasn’t sure what impressed girls.
“As a proof of how sincerely I am sorry, I could give you some of my best romantic tips,” Jasper offered.
Call, who’d been about to perch on one of the arms of the sofa, started laughing so hard that he fell. He hit his bad leg against the floor — which hurt — but not enough to keep him from howling with mirth.
Tamara was smiling, but clearly trying not to. Her lips kept twitching up and down at the corners.
“Are you okay?” Aaron asked, leaning over to help Call up.
“Yes!” Call managed to say before he started laughing again. He dropped onto the couch on Aaron’s other side, still wheezing. “Fine! I’m fine!”
“Number one,” Jasper said, with a frown at Call, who clearly didn’t appreciate the wisdom that was about to be dispensed, “when you talk to a girl, you have to look her right in the eye. And you can’t blink. That’s very important.”
“Doesn’t that mean your eyes start watering?” Aaron asked.
“Not if you do it right,” Jasper replied significantly. Call wondered what that meant. Were you supposed to develop a second eyelid, like a lizard?
“Okay, so tip one is that you stare right at a girl,” said Call. “If you like her.”
“Tip two,” Jasper went on, “is to nod at everything she says, and laugh a lot.”
“Laugh at her?” said Tamara dubiously.
“Like she’s hilarious,” said Jasper. “Girls like to think they’re charming you. Tip three: Smolder at her.”
“Smolder?” Aaron echoed in disbelief. “What’s that, exactly?”
Jasper straightened up, tossing his hair back. He lowered his eyelashes and stared directly at the three of them, his mouth turned down in a grim scowl.
“You look mad,” Call said.
Jasper squinted even harder, closing one of his eyes and staring meaningfully out of the other.
“Now you look like a pirate,” said Tamara.
“It works on Celia,” said Jasper. “She melts when I do that.”
“She must like pirates,” said Aaron.
Jasper rolled his eyes. “Tip four is to have the right haircut, but that’s obviously hopeless for both of you.”
“There’s nothing wrong with my hair!” said Aaron.
“It’s all right,” said Jasper. “Call’s looks like he cut it with a sharp rock.”
“Is there a tip five?” asked Tamara.
“Buy her a cat calendar,” said Jasper. “Girls love cat calendars.”
Havoc barked. Tamara burst out laughing. She rolled to the side of the sofa and kicked her heels up. Call didn’t think he’d ever seen her have such a good time.
“Oh, and if your mind wanders while she’s talking, you should tell her you were distracted by how beautiful she is,” Jasper added. “And whatever she’s wearing, tell her it’s your favorite color.”
“Won’t she notice you have different favorite colors?” asked Aaron.
Jasper shrugged. “Probably not.”
Tamara’s giggles were trailing off into hiccups. “Jasper,” she said. “Do me a favor.”
“Yes?” Jasper said.
“Never like me like that.”
Jasper looked indignant. “None of you get it,” he said, rising to his feet. “Well, my mission here is done. I’ve apologized and I’ve given you tips.”
“And you’ve promised to have Celia look out for useful information,” Call reminded him.
Jasper nodded. “I’ll talk to her.”
“Don’t forget to smolder!” Tamara yelled from the couch as Jasper walked toward the door. He made a face at her as he pulled it open, then frowned.
“There’s a note stuck to your door,” he said, detaching a piece of paper. “It’s addressed to Call and Aaron.”
It was a folded note, with spidery handwriting across the front. Callum Hunt and Aaron Stewart.
“I’ll take it,” Aaron said, bounding to his feet. But Jasper, with a sideways smile, was already trying to flick it open.
“Ow!” he said. A small spark, like a jolt of static electricity, had leaped from the paper and shocked his hand.
“It’s got a spell on it,” said Tamara, sounding pleased. “Only Call or Aaron can open it.”
Jasper looked grudgingly impressed. “Pretty cool,” he said, grabbing up the note and tossing it to Aaron. “See you later.”