“Dude, manners,” Lambert says. “You forgot to start with ‘thank you, Kyrith, for your hours of hard work’, and ‘I’m sorry for being rude the last time we tried this.’” He executes a bad American mockery of Leo’s Belfast accent as he speaks, but thankfully drops it when he adds, “Then you’ve got to finish your apology with a promise to be better this time, no matter what happens.”
Leo freezes, and I can’t help the low amused huff that breaks free as I watch it dawn on him that Lambert is scolding him.
Though Leo is undoubtedly the more scholarly of the two of them, Lambert seems to have inherited all of the emotional intelligence. But because it is Lambert, Leo actually…listens.
“I’m grateful,” he admits. “For what you’re doing for me. Thank you. But next time, wake me up. I slept too long as it is.”
“We brought breakfast,” Lambert announces, grabbing one of the brown paper bags from North and thrusting it at his brother. “You can eat it while you read. You need protein and carbs, or you’ll lose even more weight. Are you sure you don’t want to join my workouts? North loves them.”
“Fuck off,” North says, opening his own food and taking a bite of something that smells heavenly. “They’re murder.”
Lambert blows him a sarcastic kiss. “Flatterer. You still turn up every morning, and your ass is perkier for it, don’t you think, boss?”
No. Don’t look. Don’t?—
Oh, stars. I can’t help myself.
North’s butt is rather nicely rounded, especially in those ripped navy jeans.
My cheeks flare with heat, and I force my gaze back to the paper that Leo is poring over.
“Two?” he whispers. “It was two constellations all along?”
“It’s very rare,” I admit. “I’ve only encountered it a handful of times before and never in this school, but I spent the rest of the holiday reading Ammie Talcott’s grimoire from cover to cover. She dabbled heavily in conjuration, where it’s more common for complex runeforms to have both multiple layers and multiple constellations.”
Everyone underestimates the foundation schools, but they contain some of the most fascinating and intricate runeforms and incantations.
As a generational ensorcellment, Leo’s curse will have three layers. We’ll have to break each individually to rid him of the magic.
Leo traces the inked diagram with a fingertip. “It… It looks good.” He chokes out. “How soon are you willing to try again?”
“Please,” Lambert corrects, smirking. “Come on, dude. Surely your grandpappy taught you some manners. Old people love whining about that shit.”
Leo’s mouth turns down. “He left most of my upbringing to nannies, actually. And none of them cared to interact with me beyond what they were paid to.” He takes a deep breath before that hawkish gaze pins me to the spot. “Please, will you try again? I’ll understand if it doesn’t work, and I won’t take it out on you this time. I…regret how I reacted before. I’m sorry.”
“You understand that it could?—”
“Completely activate the curse, or lead to my death?” Leo huffs under his breath. “At least then, the Damoclean Sword will have swung.”
The forced lightness in his tone doesn’t fool anyone, but Ioffer him a nod of acknowledgement, anyway. Living under the curse must be draining. I understand craving relief.
“First, eat your muffin,” Lambert reminds him, pointing at the unopened paper bag. “Boss, I got you a hash brown. They’re greasy but good.”
To my embarrassment, he plucks out something crispy and golden and holds it out at head height like he expects me to eat from his hand.
Absolutelynot.
I pluck it from his fingers with a raised eyebrow and bite into it, and then instantly forget my irritation.
Fluffy, crunchy, onion-and-potato heaven.
“Did you happen to get any more?” I ask three bites later, when the little triangle of joy has miraculously vanished.
Lambert’s wide grin lights up the room as he pulls a second from the bag. “You can have mine if you cuddle me next.”
In answer, the Arcanaeum adjustsmybed, shifting my shelves and extending it until it’s more than large enough for an entire magiball team. Thankfully, none of them have the ability to see directly into the Clock Tower, but Lambert takes advantage of my distraction, pressing the second hash brown into my hand.
“And now that you’ve slept on it,” he continues, “how do you feel about my plan? Did Leo show you his contract?”
