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For a moment I’m caught on the view of his profile, serious and sad. “Ah... right. I think that deserves some... chicken.”

His head swings back. “Chicken?”

“I want to eat roast chicken. I’d like a few of them, to share with the other scholars.”

“You could ask for anything.”

“I’m asking for chicken.”

Quin blinks, baffled. “I’ll... have my cooks send some.”

I nod and my gaze sweeps over the pearl hearts.

When I glance back, expecting Quin to be watching me, he’s disappeared.

As I row towards the scholar quarters, a flicker of movement startles me; a hooded figure, leaping from the bank. His hood falls back, and the fright that had lurched wildly in my chest... doesn’t completely disappear. “Nicostratus.”

He lands on light feet. “I was worried.”

I speak rapidly. “I had a spontaneous trip into the capital. Quin—Constantinos—the king—will tell you all about it.”

He blinks and inclines his head. “I’m glad you made it back. Officials are headed towards King’s Island now. I was on my way to stall them when I saw you, I had to check...”

Despite my assurances, he looks me up and down, gently cataloguing any changes.

“In fact, I need to thank you. Your shield training saved us.”

Relieved, he takes my hand. “Only a fraction of the population can use magic to fight, so you’ll be better off knowing how to use a sword.”

I squeeze his hand and wriggle free from his hold. “I don’t want to harm. It goes against my instinct as a healer.”

“But what if—”

“I can shield now. Or use my own defences.”

Nicostratus looks intrigued.

“Sleeping spells.”

“That works?”

“Well, it won’t if you’re expecting it.”

Nicostratus laughs and leans breath-catchingly close. “Alright, alright. But I’ll teach you how to disarm an opponent at least.”

“Well, you’re very good at disarming me.”

Raindrops fall from the sky and we turn our heads up at the sudden thickening downpour. We hurriedly row under the canopy of a weeping willow.

“Veronica tells me you’re a natural at drakopagon.”

“Reluctantly,” I say. “She used to force me to side with her against her brothers.”

“I was hoping, for me, you’d be our third player? The summer game—the one in the royal belt.”

I raise a brow and he laughs. “You, the queen and me, against the mysterious black knight.”

“Black knight?”