Page 141 of The Amber Sunburst

He looks to Alexander for the answer, but Alexander just stares back at him with big, pining eyes, so Ophelia yells, “Another word for maze.”

Kallias beams, with dimples and everything, and points at her. “Exactly! That is so derivative. A maze and a labyrinth? What kind of lazy idiot came up with that?”

Alexander finally finds it in himself to pitch in, apparently, because he says, “A stupid one.”

Kallias laughs sweetly.

Arete chatters loudly from the corner of the room where she and Lazarus are trying to learn a new technique with their tarot cards that will manifest future success. They seem hilariously invested in their task. Maybe Arete will help Lazarus experience being the kid he was clearly never allowed to be.

Zeno raises his cup of water and the nitwit boys on the floor clink their refilled glasses. “Cheers to the stupid idiot and their stupid maze that’s going to get us the Forms out of this place.”

“Hear, hear!” Ophelia says. Her grin has been widening over the night, and despite her constant grief, it’s genuine. In fact, it’s probably blinding. It only grows when she sees Zeno drop his head on Eudoxia’s shoulder. Eudoxia melts, leaning forward the tiniest bit to look at his face without jostling him. Her smile is so soft that Ophelia has to roll her eyes.

She’s been looking at him like this since Zeno gave them a violin concert at the beginning of the night—the first one he’s given in a long time. He’s been weirdly cagey about his violin recently. Ophelia watches her best friend lean into Zeno’s ear and whisper something that makes him nod instantly.

“We’re going to do some extra training,” Eudoxia says, giving everyone a curtsy on her way to the door.

“You’re gonna train tipsy in the middle of the night?” Alexander teases.

“Gotta prepare for anything.” Zeno winks as he follows her out.

They close the door behind them, and Ophelia leans against the wall beside Zeno’s bed and groans, “They better kiss tonight.”

“You think they will?” Arete asks, jumping to her feet and displacing the tarot cards on the floor.

“We were just getting the hang of this,” Lazarus calls after her, and Arete snorts.

“You were just getting the hang of it. I’m already an expert. Right, Kallias?”

“Right,” Kallias says with a smirk, definitely just to frustrate Lazarus further.

“So you think they’re going to kiss?” Arete asks again.

“It’s about time.”

Alexander stands up with questionable stability and pulls Kallias with him. “It is about time. And speaking of time, Kallias and I are gonna use the last of ours studying the plan in the Library.”

“You’re gonna study tipsy in the middle of the night?” Ophelia echoes.

Alexander shakes his head. “No, we’re gonna study drunk in the middle of the night.”

Kallias impatiently puts a hand to the nape of Alexander’s neck and gives everyone his little salute.

“Goodnight,” he says, practically dragging Alexander out of the room. Alexander looks like he’s in paradise.

When the door shuts, it’s just her, Arete, and Lazarus left to giggle together. Well, Lazarus isn’t quite giggling—it’s more a huffed laugh—but she considers it a win.

“‘Study the plan,’” Lazarus mocks. “They’re ridiculous.”

“Very much so,” Ophelia says, motioning for Lazarus to come sit on the bed with her and Arete. It seems the three of them will be a unit while the others are off ‘training’ or ‘studying’ or whatever other coupley activities they come up with once they’ve all escaped the Academy.

“Well, what should we do?” Arete asks.

Usually she would concoct something in an instant—she’s always been good at that—but today she just stares down at her hands. They’re covered in cuts from working with the mirrors. She can only hope that her design will work, but without any way to test it, she has no way of knowing.

She’s startled out of her musings when Lazarus hums in thought. “Have you guys ever been to the cove?”

She and Arete both wince. “Yes,” Arete responds, quietly.