“How do you even know about that?”
“We cats know the gossip at this academy.”
“Right,” I said slowly. “Well, I was thinking I’d talk to him—”
“I can deliver a message,” Atticus offered excitedly.
Who knew cats liked to play matchmaker as well as gossip? I stopped at the bottom of the stairs leading up to the Delhoon girls’ dorms. “If you insist. Tell him I’ll meet him at his sparring practice.” I was pretty sure that the seventh year tournament competitors started to practice an hour after classes.
“Certainly, Princess.” Atticus darted through a cat hole.
When I arrived in the common room, I grabbed a snack and sat on the sofa. Propping my feet up on the armrest, I munched on a handful of nuts. Just when I thought I could relax and try to think about nothing while staring at the enchanted butterfly ceiling, a pair of nearby cats argued about their charges. I turned my head slightly to see them.
“My Elora is so much better at magic than your Penelope,” said the short black-haired with white feet.
“How dare you!” the orange tabby growled. Paws started batting faces and high pitched growls filled the room, I giggled quietly to myself even though I probably should have tried to break them up.
Atticus jumped on my lap and began purring. I petted his head and he sat on my belly. “Connor is excited but nervous. You did not give an answer, you only said you would meet him.”
“I plan on saying, yes.”
“Prince Zyacus will be there too.” Atticus smiled. “Not that you would care to know that bit of information or anything.”
Oh, Atticus. After lying on the sofa with Atticus for a while, I got up and made my way to the sparring area. My eyes searched through the crowd and I found Zyacus before Connor. He was talking and laughing with a boy I didn’t recognize from Hesstia.
Connor stood with a group of three others. Everyone looked to be waiting for Madison and the other instructors to arrive. I wouldn’t be permitted to practice with them so I sat in the grass off to the side. The boy talking to Zyacus pointed in my direction and the prince turned. They exchanged a few more words and then he headed my way.
Moments later Connor took notice of me and at a much faster pace, jogged over and Zyacus stopped at the halfway point and turned around. I’d be lying if I said I wasn’t a little disappointed.
Connor sat down beside me. “Hello, Princess. Did you get my rose? The pixie was already a little tipsy so I was worried she might not make it.”
“I did get it,” I said and giggled, remembering how the pixie crashed into the door. “And I accept your invitation.”
“Really?” He seemed genuinely shocked. “I was a little nervous. Will your parents, I mean the king and queen, be accepting of my invitation? Should I have asked your father first? Will he be upset? Uh, I’m talking too much.”
I arched my eyebrow. Maybe he is sort of a bumbling buffoon. And it’s not like this is a marriage proposal. “They’re not as conventional as you might think.”
“I know I was completely shocked when I saw you were on dish duty. Even my parents don’t make me.” He nudged my arm with a half-smile. “Of course I don’t get into trouble either.”
Did everyone notice when I was on dish duty?
The line of five professors walked from the academy in our direction, and Connor hopped to his feet. “I have to go. Are you going to stay?”
I nodded. “I’ll watch for a little while.” I didn’t have anything else to do except study and that could wait.
When the matches began Zyacus seemed to be in a particularly foul mood, hitting harder and grunting more than I’d ever seen him. Connor’s grin hadn’t seemed to fall once. I hoped they didn’t go up against one another. Ugh, this seemed like a game, where I was only using Connor to make Zyacus jealous. But I’m not, am I? Zyacus said it and I agreed; he and I shouldn’t be anything more than friends— allies. We are in line for the throne for both our kingdoms. This is the best decision. I felt like I was reciting lines from a book that had no meaning. At this point, I couldn’t lie to myself anymore and say I didn’t like him. Good phoenix flying, did I not hate him. I wasn’t even sure when that changed but it became apparent to me as I watched him grappling with another boy on the grass.
My grandmother made her way over to me and curled her fingers, telling me to stand up. I did and she folded her arms watching the practices. “What are you doing here?”
“Connor asked me to winter formal. I came to tell him I’d go and thought I’d watch.”
Madison gave me a sideways look. “Connor Goldheart? The kid is good but he annoys me. He rambles like an idiot half the time.”
I blushed and cleared my throat. “I don’t know him very well.”
“Next time come to me first, if you don’t know the boy asking,” Madison said. She dashed forward and broke up a fight that was getting out of hand between two girls. Bloody faces and hair-pulling had gone to the next level. This was supposed to be practice. During the commotion Zyacus appeared at my side.
I jumped and let out a squeak. “You scared me.”
“I’m assuming by Goldheart’s stupid grin, you said ‘yes’.”
I folded my arms and nodded. “I did, now you don’t have to take me to save me from Kyan.” I glared at him. “Like I needed saving in the first place.”
He clenched his jaw. “You are just,” he huffed a short breath, “damn it, you piss me off sometimes.” And then he disappeared and went back to sparring. Oh, like you don’t piss me off? I sighed and walked back into the academy.
Chapter 26
With crisp, cool evening air, I went for a run. The cold bit at my cheeks as my feet pounded on the ground. The whistle of the breeze in the treetops, the chirp of the crickets, played a relaxing melody. A pixie fluttered next to me for a moment then with trailing glitter, sped off. Despite the burning in my legs and lungs, I ran until I reached the edge of the lake and looked out over the water. I removed my boots and dipped a toe in, a chill ran up my body. Thinking back on it, it would have been funny to see Zyacus jump into such cold water after losing the bet. His lips would have turned blue.
Crunching footsteps caused me to turn. A pair of Collweyan girls waved as they jogged by. I sat on a patch of grass and picked up a rock and with a flick of my wrist, flung it. The pebble bounced once and then sunk.
A second pebble hit the lake top and bounced four times before it went under. I turned to Zyacus, who tossed another rock, I didn’t look to see if it skipped.
“What are you doing here?” I asked, not unkindly.
He sat beside me and gazed at the water. “Looking for you.”
“Is something wrong?”
He smirked, looking down at his hands. “Why would something have to be wrong for me to look for you?”
I tapped my foot against the rocky, muddy shore of the lake. I supposed I always expected the worst of him. “It doesn’t, I only thought—”
“You thought that I couldn’t possibly want to find you simply to enjoy your company.”
I wasn’t sure where the sudden turn of behavior came from. I’d seen glimpses of this but I’d always thought he had an ulterior motive of some kind. Maybe he didn’t. Maybe I should actually give him a chance. He was at least making an effort.