“Of course.” He shoved his hands into his pockets and initiated our mute walk to the dormitories.
My fingers weresore by the time I finished writing down everything that had happened the past few days. I massaged my knuckles while I sat on the edge of my bed, waiting for my escort to arrive. I’d spent most of the day tucked away in my room, writing and reading. Doing anything I could to take my mind off of the past week.
I’d been trying not to think too hard about the situation I'd found myself in thanks to Aldous Hawthorne. I kept reminding myself that despite his new orders, I was already mandated as a soldier for a decade after graduation, anyway. Unless he died before then. One could only hope.
I looked up at the sound of my door unlocking and watched Sebastian step into my room unannounced.
“You're lucky I’m decent,” I teased, but he didn't laugh. He didn't even try to smile.
He’d been in a bad mood all day. He hardly said a word to me during combat training this morning.
“Ready?” he asked, not waiting for my answer before he walked back out of my room.
“This is gonna be a fun night,” I muttered under my breath, trudging along after him all the way to Caelestis Academy. Winter was approaching fast, and the chill of the air was unbearable to spend more than a few minutes in. I walked fast, trying to keep up with his pace.
“Training went well this morning,” I said to break the silence. “I expected to need more time to reestablish my skills after having last week off, but I feel like the movements are slowly becoming second nature to me.”
“That's good,” Sebastian grunted.
“Yeah. So if wielding goes well tonight, should I plan for the archives again tomorrow?”
It'd only been a week since we commenced our new training schedule, but we'd continue for as long as needed, switching locations on our off days to keep the suspicions from others at bay. The hope was that I’d be able to wield more powerful and more effective magic if I wasn't harnessing every single day. I was confident that the plan would work—at least for a while.
“Mhm.”
“I’m a little nervous to wield,” I said as we stepped into the warmth of the academy.
“It will be fine.”
“We’ve only tried it once since I passed out, though.” At least if anything happened tonight, he would be there.
“Yeah, and it went fine.”
I untied my cloak as we entered the arena, letting it fall to the floor along with my bag.
Sebastian unsheathed his dagger and bent down to tuck it into his bag ever so carefully. Something was wrong, and I wanted nothing more than to comfort him. But it was hard tocomfort someone when you didn't know what was bothering them. UnlessIwas what was bothering him.
“Whenever you're ready,” Sebastian said, avoiding eye contact as he took his position across from me on the mat.
The lack of communication started getting to me. “Did I do something?”
“No.”
“Why do you seem so angry then?”
“I'm not angry.”
“Did something happen with Sawyer or Kohen?” I pried, even though I knew I shouldn’t.
Sebastian rolled his eyes towards the ceiling. “No. Are you going to interrogate me all night or can we just get this session over with?”
“I might,” I retorted, crossing my arms over my chest. I knew Sebastian well enough by now to understand that his attitude was a defense mechanism. Something was bothering him, and I was going to get it out of him.
“Is it your father?”
“Oh for the love of the gods, Maeve—” He threw his arms in the air, mumbling to himself.
“Well I’ve been agonizing over it all week, and seeing as it bothered you so much when I told you, maybe you have been, too.”
