“Eww. Hard pass. Anyway, we were going to sneak up and scare the aether out of you two, but Master Corinne beat us to it. She wasfurious.”
“‘Such shameless behavior,’” Castor mimicked Master Corinne’s high, breathy voice. He punched Beni’s arm, and Beni punched him back.
“I thought she was going to drag you two before the Council.” Adrianna cackled. “Butthen”—Adrianna’s eyes glittered as she got to her favorite part of the story—“Lucburstinto the lessons room through the other door, and she nearly jumped to the ceiling. Her wings came out!”
“‘Why are you out of bed?! Are you involved in this?!’” Castor mimicked.
“They were both half-dressed. I’ll never forget the look on Luc’s face. He said he only wanted to borrow a polishing stone, but Master Corinne didn’t believe him.”
“Of course she didn’t! Studying when you should be eating, sleeping, or fucking is unnatural!” Beni popped an orange slice in his mouth.
“Well, she mainly didn’t believe him because Felix lied and said Lucwasthere to meet with them. He got all thespian and whined about Luc being ashamed of them. And Luc was just standing there all flustered and red.” Adrianna chuckled, red-faced herself, and slapped the table. “Sweet aether, it was hilarious.”
“I don’t think it was right of Felix to lie about that,” Eva chimed in. “I mean, I know Luc is insufferable, but still…”
“It’s the only time he waseverpunished for something.” Adrianna shot Eva a look. “I say he deserved it.”
“It wasn’t theonlytime,” Eva argued. “He used to be late to every dinner, remember? That’s why Master Tabitha made him eat with the instructors.”
“That wasn’t a punishment,” Castor said. “He ate with the instructors because no one else would eat with him. Look at him allpuffed up over there, the smug bastard.” Castor pointed across the room, and Lila followed the line of his finger to where Luc stood, greeting and shaking hands with a crowd of older masters at one long table. Some of the masters were instructors; others were guild council members. Two or three she recognized from the Council itself.
In his high-collared white robes and the gold circlet that crowned his chin-length, feathery blond hair, he was the most radiant angel in the room, though that might have been due to the shaft of light angled right toward his person. He always carried himself in a courtly manner, as though he’d been created for the sole purpose of being superior to every other angel in existence, and he did so as he spoke with the master nearest him.
Yet Lila discerned the fatigue in the slump of his shoulders and the dimness in his normally bright eyes. For a foolish moment, she wished he would look her way so she could smile at him.
Instead, she looked away.
“Poor Luc,” Eva chided. “I bet he hasn’t sat down the entire banquet the way the masters are parading him around. No wonder he doesn’t have any friends.”
“You thinkthat’sthe reason he doesn’t have friends?” Castor replied.
“I bet he won’t get to eat any of this delicious food.” Pouting, Eva gestured to their half-eaten dessert plates.
“Eva.” Adrianna smirked. “Do you have a crush on Luc?”
“What?!” Eva whipped her head around. “No, no, no, I was just saying…I mean, I think that…Well, it’sawfulthat?—”
“I’m joking.” She pinched Eva’s cheek.
Eva slapped her knuckles.
“You have the sweetest heart to think of Luc’s poor stomach.” Adrianna cocked her head. “Better?”
“Hmm.” Eva pursed her lips and gave her a dramatic side-eye. “Perhaps.”
A weighted stare passed between them.
“Cheers.” Adrianna lifted her cup, and Eva’s along with it. “To no more lessons.”
“And no more Luc,” Castor added.
Lila fought the urge to elbow him.
“Cheers,” she responded along with everyone else. They clinked their cups together and took long draughts of the sweet wine.
Adrianna brought one cup to her own lips, then the other cup to Eva’smouth. Eva giggled when Adrianna tilted the goblet, but she opened her mouth and drank the wine down, still side-eyeing her eternal companion. Her eyes gleamed with unspoken secrets and inside jokes, with the gratitude that must come from knowing she belonged to the one she loved.
Lila smiled at them, burying her jealousy with practiced calm. It didn’t help—everything stung more than usual on this occasion.
