“Whatever you do, don’t tell any of the professors or they’ll send us all home,” Zyacus said. “And I don’t want to go home.” Moments before we walked inside after Aric and Legacy, he grabbed my arm and stopped me. “Maybe—maybe you should go back to Delhoon until we can figure this out.” His eyes showed real concern, another glimpse of the kind boy I knew lurked beneath his arrogance.
“I’m not leaving.” I felt the urge to lean in, to let my guard down with him. “What sort of princess would I be if I ran away because someone threatened me? It’s different in Delhoon than Hesstia. Queens in my kingdom aren’t meant to only be pretty and quietly agree with their husbands. We rule.”
He stepped closer, close enough that I felt his hand brush mine. “You can’t rule if you’re not alive.”
“Then help me make sure my heart keeps beating,” I breathed. His hand slowly trailed up my arm and by the way his lips inched closer to me, I thought he might lean in and kiss me. My heart was definitely beating. Definitely. I was scared and nervous. I wanted to shove him away but yet, energy shot through me at the thought of his lips on mine.
Peeking her head back through the doorway, Legacy said, “What is taking so long?”
I stepped away from Zyacus, awkwardly pushing a stray hair behind my ear.
“We were talking.” He gestured for me to go inside first. “Your timing is phenomenal by the way,” he said to Legacy as we went inside.
Chapter 20
When Legacy and I split off from the boys and made our way toward the girls’ dorms, Bindy appeared in front of us. Literally appeared using magic. I nearly screamed.
“Busy night?” She tossed an apple into the air and caught it with the other hand.
Dang, we were caught out way past curfew. Neither of us responded.
“You realize I’m aware of the majority of your movements.” One thing about Bindy was she’d never been angry with me but tonight might have changed that.
Tentatively, I started with, “We went to an after-party—”
“Did you not hear me? I said I was aware of your movements. What concerns me is that you’re so reckless with your safety. Both of you. You saw Finnick die, same as me.” Her steel gaze went from me to Legacy. “I see you’ve made up with Aric.”
Legacy blushed, I could see it even in the dim orange light from the torches. “I made a mistake.”
“And you.” Looking at me, Bindy tossed her apple again and again before she spoke. “There is something off about those boys from Collweya you were with. Not just the one who threatened you. They’re dangerous, and not the sort of company you should keep.”
“I understand that now.”
She chomped into her apple and we waited silently for her loud crunching to stop. “I understand this academy is about unifying the kingdoms but if someone threatens your life, you don’t let them get away with it. You are the Princess of Delhoon. You have to prove you’re worthy to rule one day. If people see weakness they’ll be all over you like flies on shit. It’s the only reason I didn’t step in.” I now understood Bindy’s anger stemmed from her worry about the danger I’d been in. She surveyed Legacy and me for a moment before continuing. “Luckily Zyacus and Aric showed up to assist.”
“I didn’t let that boy totally get away with it. I challenged him to a duel,” I argued.
“In my day you’d have cut his throat and been done with it.” Bindy bit into her apple again. “But things are less… intense with your mother as queen.”
“Students did not kill each other at the academy when you went,” I said, as dramatic as her statement sounded.
“You bet if a student threatened the life of our future ruler like that, at the very least a beating. Our people have respect for their princess. Apparently Collweya and Hesstia do not. Perhaps it’s time you earn it.”
“How?” I asked. I didn’t like being called weak.
“That girl that came at you tonight threatening to scar your face and the other who said she’d slit your throat—You should have beaten both of them bloody and set the tone. You too, Legacy. You left the door open for others to come at you and then the men, by nature, came to your defense. Don’t let that happen again.”
I hadn’t even realized my leniency had made me look like a victim, which was probably why Senica pounced as quickly as he did. The memory of the girls threatening me made my blood hot. Not the actual threats so much as how I’d responded to them. Bindy was right. “It won’t,” I promised.
∞∞∞
The next morning Legacy and I met our friends and the four of us headed to the horse barn. My stomach fluttered as we began saddling our horses. I hadn’t ever been to the city nearby and I was excited to see what had been built there. I picked a golden gelding with a black mane and tail. He was beautiful, with a shiny coat and long flowing hair that made him majestic. When I put my foot in the stirrup and swung my leg over he started off. I gently tugged back in the reigns. “I know you’re ready to go but we have to wait for the others,” I said and patted his neck.
The stable master stood beside me with a saddle under his arm. “His name is Proud Boy. He’s fast and eager to go but minds well.”
“I like him already.” Running my palm along his soft neck, I cooed, “We’re going to have a wonderful day, aren’t we, Proud Boy?” He nickered as if to agree and dug his front hoof in the dirt. “Hurry up,” I called to my friends. “You all are so slow.”
“I’m struggling to get this tight enough,” Lora said with a grunt.
The stable master set down his saddle and went to help her. I rode out of the barn and into the fenced field where a few other horses grazed on the green grass. A cool breeze slithered over me but the sun warmed my face. I wore all-black riding leathers except for the crimson phoenix design that took up the majority of my back. I had a cloak stashed in my bag as well just in case the weather turned bad. By the current look of the blue sky, we would be fine but in the distance dark clouds threatened.
I asked Bindy to be part of our group instead of hanging back in secret like she usually did. She rode her horse up beside me and shoved a fuzzy hat down on her head. “Once we get out in the open that breeze is going to be cold.”
“Have you been to the town yet?” I asked.
“I haven’t,” she answered, her eyes searching all around us. “They’ve named it Henalae. There are people from all three kingdoms living there. It’s an experiment just like this academy.”
“Have there been any fights?”
“Not any more than any other town or so I’ve heard.”
When the others were ready, we rode out of the protection of the fence and enchantments that surrounded the property. To my surprise, Madison sat on a horse picking at her nails. “It’s about time you showed up.”
“Professor Magnevera!” My friends exclaimed excitedly. “We didn’t know you were coming with us,” Freya said.
“All students must be accompanied by a professor when leaving the property. Although I’m sure Bindy would have been sufficient, she’s not a professor. Rules.” She picked up her reins and led the way.