I let my eyes go big and wide, aiming for something in the realm ofdoe-eyed, which I figured would piss him off even more."Youquoted Shepherd Barreth.Barreth oversaw my hall for awhile.Was he your ward Shepherd?"
Grigor glowered, jaw working.
"I justwondered," I continued, "if we came from the same ward.That's all.I haven't thought of him in awhile."
"That much is obvious.You could stand to do alotmore thinking about the Words of Wisdom.Although I don't know how much good they'll doyou."
Yes, yes,I thought,I'm very corrupted and awful and beyond saving.Yawn.
"Am I right that the numbers are for the Book of Ascension, or have there been more Books added to the litany since I left?Some Shepherd is always writingsomethingon Seraphim.They do love their bad poetry."
It was almost laughable, watching the colour flush up in his skin.Taking in the sudden spike in his breathing.Wasthiswhat it meant to be a virra?I knew how to turn people on; I knew how to get them to like me.Apparently, I also knew how to piss them off beyond reason.Was this ability to manipulate the thing that set me apart?No wonder abaya wanted to believe virra were stupid.I felt – powerful.
For a second, he leaned forward as if he was going to reach for me, but then his stare flicked upwards, hard, to where a flock of cameras were drifting throughout the training rooms on an endless circuit."You'll shut your whore mouth, if you know what's good for you," ground out Grigor, stepping in closer and lowering his voice low as if the cameras couldn't pick it all up anyway."And you'd best keep the names of the holy off of your foul tongue."
"Or…" I angled my head, studying him."I'm going to be punished?Don't threaten me with a good time.Maybe I'll see you around soon, and you can show me how you like to deal with boys who've been particularly wicked.For now, I'm going to go occupy myfilthy mouthon the roof with some company.Why don't you think about that, Grigor.Maybe if you recite the verses extra hard, youwon'tget extra hard."
I made myself wink and then I turned and walked to meet Araxis in the middle of the room while Grigor turned entirely new colours.Araxis's eyes were tight with worry, when I said, "Any chance you might take a walk with me?I'll meet you on the stairs at the end of your hall, alright?"
"I willchange and thencome to your room," said Araxis, catching my wrist as I turned to take off."And then we can go wherever you'd like."His face was serious, insistent, so I just smiled and nodded before I took off upstairs.Grigor was back to trying to murder a punching bag, his sweatshirt still crumpled on the floor.Good.
I peeled up to my room, changing hastily out of my sweat-damp clothes and into some high-waisted pants and a semi-sheer shirt that was definitely a little slutty.It wasn't arobe, but I thought it would add a bit of fuel to the fire.I was just pulling my boots back on when I heard a gentle knocking at the door.
Araxis was waiting for me when I pulled it open.I smiled, a little shakily."I thought maybe we could go to the roof," I started."There's –"
But I couldn't finish my sentence because he stepped into the room, decisive and certain, and crowded up against me.His hands caught either side of my waist, and then he kissed me, his mouth warm and slick against mine.He shifted me back against the wall, and the sound that left my throat – surprised, needy,pleased– was almost pathetic enough to make me flash hot with embarrassment.And then I felt his fingers slide into my pocket, like an arrow seeking a target.
He'd written me back.
Araxis pulled away, fingers flexing pleasantly on my hips, his forehead tipped against mine."I will go where you lead, Sashen," he murmured.
I let out a soft breath, sliding one hand up to caress the edge of his jaw."I wish I could take you somewhere more exciting than a roof.Just give me a minute, and we'll go up.The view's nice up there anyway.I know, I know," I added, shooting him a knowing look as I headed toward the hygiene room, "the view's pretty nice here too."
He trilled, and I shoved myself into the only sliver of privacy I was afforded, pulling the crinkled piece of paper out of my pocket and unfolding it carefully.On it was a looping heart –I'dtaught him that – and then, in tiny letters,I have you.I'm yours.
I exhaled hard, brushing my thumb beneath those words as I worked to steady my thrumming pulse.How could he –undome with all of five words and a doodle?Maybe all of thatAcross the Timescapereally had gone to my head.I hid the note on one of the little shelves under a decorative jar, and then I returned to Araxis's side, leading him from my room and making hastily for the stairwell.I knew it was obvious that I was in a rush; I hoped I just lookedeager for some rooftop make-out time.We headed up the empty stairwell, Araxis following a couple steps behind.
I was off-script.I was shooting from my hip, and while this had seemed like a brilliant scheme when I'd first started planning two nights ago, it was entirely possible that I was wrong about how Grigor might react or that I'd misplayed my hand and I'd just fuck everything up.
I was pretty sure I had this though.
I was a virra after all, for better or worse, and that was supposed to mean that I could get people to do what I wanted – also for better or for worse.
We made our way to the top floor, and I led Araxis toward the roof access I'd found on the first day of filming, when I'd been watching for his arrival.The door creaked as I pushed it open,and I turnedto look at Araxis.He was still following, steady, but the gleam of his skinhad faded, leaving himmatte and ivory as bone.He was upset and anxious; that was fair, because I was too.I smiled at him nervously, and tipped my head toward the stairs going up."Come on."I couldfeelthe dozen questions he wanted to ask but was unable to put to words.
"Are you certain this is within the permitted area?I should hate to run into trouble," he said once we drew near the final door leading to the roof.
That wasn't really what he was asking, and we both knew it.I turned and looked at him, my heart still pulsing nervously against my ribs."It's fine.We're okay.We won't be in trouble.We're playing by the rules."It was as close to answering him as I could come.
His head inclined.He tucked his hands behind his back."As you say, then."
We stepped on to the rooftop, which was bathed in golden mid-day sunlight.The fizzing barrier continued to pop and flicker as insects and grit were skimmed from the air.I walked to the ledge, reaching across the flat waist-height wall and trailing my fingers outwards to check the porosity of the field.It felt like touching glass, firm and unyielding.
I breathed a sigh of relief.The last thing I needed was for someone to take an accidental tumble over the side of the building.
I turned and saw Araxis watching me, his hands still folded behind his back, his stare black."Why did you want me to join you here?"he asked.
I slid up onto the ledge running around the building; the sides of the energy barrier rose up steeply so I didn't need to duck.My knuckles whitened as I gripped the lip of the wall, my stare flicking upwards, checking.No cameras.
