Page 89 of The Last Hope

“What happened?”

Court does most of the talking. Once she’s up to speed, she sighs out a worrisome breath and says there’s now more reason than ever to find answers and safety.

She’s still thinking about us when we’re concerned abouther.

I flip a pebble in my hand and come right out and say it. “You were mighty hot last night.”

“As I said this morning, I wasirritated,” she snaps, lowering onto a silver bench beside a pink blossom bush. Before Court and I left the dining hall, she’d been telling us about the Prinslo Tape she found and how the dead admirals ordered Stork to keep these secrets. “Try sleeping in the same room with Stork and you’d feel the same.”

I choke on a laugh. “That’d be some surprise.” I chuck a rock into a pond. “Seeing as how I’ve only felt that way with Court.”

Her brows furrow, and she whips her head to Court for explanation.

He pushes aside moss that shields his view of Franny. “Last night, you had affections for—”

“Irritations,” she corrects too quickly. “And Ifeltyou both.” She springs to her feet. “You were angry every time I was flustered or my breath was shallow. You didn’t want to feel me touchinganyoneelse any more than I wanted you two to experience that—”

“No,” Court cuts in sharply. “No.You are so wrong.”

I rise, just as upset that she drew that sort of conclusion last night. “We felt you smothering your desires, and we grew cross.”

With a faraway gaze, Franny slowly sits back down. “I have a hard time believing… that you wouldn’t care if I bedded someone.”

I look to Court. Hoping he can do better at speaking than I.

“We care if you’re hurt,” Court says smoothly. “We care if you’re unsatisfied.”

“I’mfine,” she snaps. “I don’t need to go to bed with anyone. I don’t need another person to keep me warm. I’mfine.” Maddened tears surface.

I rub my eye before any water drips. “You’re lying to yourself, you realize?”

“My life has changed.” She breathes hotly, pointing at the grass. “I used to love Juggernaut and now that I’m linked, I don’t want to take a fykking pill.”

Court steps forward. “This isnotthe equivalent of giving up Juggernaut for us.”

“Yes, it is!”

“No, it’s not!” he yells, pained. All of us, breathing in knives. “You can’t push aside passion and love for the rest of your life when Mykal and I are allowed to feel those emotions.” He fights a tremor in his voice. We’ve just barred ourselves from our affections a bit, but that’ll be changing in time. I keep hope for us both. Court finishes, “It’s not fair to you, Franny.”

“It’s not fair to you that youfeelanother person in bed.” Her voice shakes too, and she rubs her eyes quickly.

“We’ll concentrate elsewhere as you’ve done with us,” Court nods, assured.

That works better than my words yesterday.

Franny pants like she’s being chased around the garden. She stands still, wide-eyed. “I don’t… I don’tloveanyone like you’re saying…” She trails off, mist steaming overhead from invisible spigots.

I whip from side to side, toe to head, searching for thedamned source. A swelter suddenly brews, fake sunlight brightening. And then the doorwhooshesopen and in struts Stork.

Kinden, Zimmer, and the Soarcastle sisters aren’t far behind, none adopting the human wardrobe. All stay in slacks and shirts found on their starcraft.

Franny flushes and drags her gaze along the grass. While Court is a stone statue, unmoving and unbending, I hike over to the wall and uncover the sword I left underneath a bed of ivy.

Stork ties longish pieces of his hair back, and his gaze darts between us like he can sense something is off. I’m not looking at Court one bit.

He’s doing his best to keep wide distance between our stances.

Making no noise about it, Stork tells everyone, “For training, I’ve set the atmospheric conditions in the garden to Saltare-1’s climate.”