Page 17

She sighed and served herself several pieces of lamb, smothering them with enough gravy to make even Kipp pause. ‘Telling you won’t change anything,’ she answered. ‘But I do have to move into his cabin.’

Kipp’s eyes bulged. ‘What?’

‘That’s what he said.’

But Cal shrugged. ‘It makes sense. Youarehis apprentice, after all. You’re basically his shadow for the next year or so.’

‘Hard to be someone’s shadow when they’re not here,’ she muttered, her traitorous gaze darting to the head table. Hawthorne sat beside Osiris, his food untouched, his large hand grasping a tankard. His eyes flicked to her, as though he could sense her watching him. Gods, she could still feel his phantom touch along her ribs.

Thea looked away. That crackling anger she felt was bruised with something else: hurt. Even now it all felt so surreal. For the briefest of moments they’d been together – a team, unstoppable and fierce – only to have their connection snuffed out so suddenly. Sometimes she wondered if she’d dreamt it. But the surging energy between them told her otherwise, as did the kiss they’d shared during their sparring match. She resented him with every fibre of her being, but that hatred was entangled with something else – something deeper, something darker.

‘How’syourtraining going?’ Thea asked the others, trying to distract herself.

‘Very interesting indeed. Esyllt, as much of a cranky bastard as he is, has been very generous in his tutelage,’ Kipp replied with a grin.

After Thea had recovered from the initiation, she had been thrilled to discover that the weapons master himself had taken Kipp on as his unofficial apprentice of strategy. Her friend had taken to the role like a duck to water, though he resented that he still needed to maintain a certain standard of physical training as well.

‘I also had a meeting with the lovely Elwren earlier,’ he went on. ‘Can you pass the mead?’

After Thea’s so-called lesson with Audra, hearing her sister’s name aloud was like a knife to the heart. Wren wanted them to reclaim the damn throne. And for what? Hand trembling, she reached for the jug and passed it to Kipp —

Something crackled at her fingertips.

Kipp jumped, snatching his hand away as though burned. ‘Ouch!’

Suddenly queasy, Thea blinked at him. ‘What?’

‘You didn’t feel that?’ Kipp’s brows were still furrowed and he was examining his fingers. ‘Some weird static…’

Thea shook her head.

Cal gave him a sympathetic nod. ‘Hate it when that happens.’

Still looking a little bewildered, Kipp eventually just gave a sheepish laugh and shrugged.

‘What does your work with Esyllt have to do with Wren?’ Thea asked as though nothing had happened, ignoring the churning in her gut.

Kipp made a frustrated sound. ‘Can’t you two just kiss and make up already?’

‘No.’

‘Can you at least tell us what she did?’

‘No.’

Her friend shook his head and piled more food onto his plate. How he was still so slim was a wonder to them all.

Kipp motioned for Thea and Cal to lean in, lowering his voice when he spoke again. ‘The alchemists have been working on a special type of gas… They think it may be able to patch up the tears in the Veil.’

Thea’s mouth fell open. ‘Truly?’

Kipp jutted his chin towards Wren’s usual table. ‘Maybe you should talk to her about it.’

‘Maybe you should just tell me.’

But this time Kipp waved her off. ‘Can’t say more. Strategy meetings areveryconfidential.’

Cal rolled his eyes. ‘You couldn’t keep a secret to save your life.’