Page 83 of The Amber Sunburst

Lazarus can’t dignify that with a response. He just walks away, watching them from the corner of his eye. When Alexander sits down, he taps on his desk, and Kallias covers his mouth like he’s trying to hide a smile. What that means, Lazarus has no idea, but he absolutely refuses to let it freak him out—at least, for now.

He takes the seat next to Zeno, trying not to begrudge the fact that it’s too close to the front.

Guardian Anaximander enters not a moment later, and Lazarus prepares himself to zone out and let History of the Republic pass him by. But every time he starts to spiral into comfortingly familiar doubt and oblivion, Zeno turns in his seat to make a silly face at Alexander or whispers something to Eudoxos, and he’s dragged back to the unpleasant present.

He’s rolled his eyes fifty-eight times—yes, he’s keeping count—when a small object taps him on the head and falls to the floor behind him. He turns around to check what it is, and is met with the sight of Alexander, who’s clearly trying to hold back a laugh, and Kallias, who’s incessantly tapping at his desk.

Lazarus glares at them both and then looks down to see a paper airplane. Before he can snatch it up, Zeno takes it and mouths Sorry, then smiles at Alexander over his shoulder and shakes his head.

Plato and his prophecies, these people are so stupid they’re going to kill him.

Maybe he’ll just let them.

And there he goes again, musing on his own death. It can’t be healthy. But he feels like Icarus, plummeting at speed toward the sea. At some point, he’s going to reach the waves and his body will shatter, but he has no idea when. And he’d rather it be now than keep fretfully wondering.

Ten minutes later, he hears the rustling of more paper, this time a note being slid to him on the desk. He picks it up to pass it back to Alexander, but before he can, he notices his own name on it.

I’m always here for you, man; we’re friends. And sorry about the stupid boys back there. They mean well.

Lazarus isn’t sure what the function of the note is. He looks to Zeno for a clue and receives a wink. He doesn’t know how to respond, so he settles for folding up Zeno’s note and putting it gently in his bag. He can tell that Zeno notices.

20

OPHELIA

The pressure on Ophelia’s lungs is becoming unbearable, but the stakes of taking a breath are too high to justify it.

She squeezes her eyes shut and pinches her wrist, but even then, it’s a losing battle. She’s done for.

She exhales a huge breath and gasps, “Okay, I give up.”

Arete smiles victoriously, maniacally coughing and laughing at once. The bright, mid-afternoon light turns her curls into a halo.

“Zeno never lasts that long! I almost died,” Arete screams once she has enough air back in her lungs.

“Oh, Arete, I am a fantastic breath-holder. You’re only the second person to ever defeat me.”

Arete looks very pleased by that. Hopefully she doesn’t ask who the first person was. Ophelia still can’t talk about Aika without wanting to cry.

“What do you think your sister urgently wanted to speak to me about?” Ophelia asks. Eudoxia ran out to class but told her that they needed to talk and she only uses that tone of voice when she’s thinking about Zeno.

Arete huffs a sigh. “Not sure,” she says, unusually stilted. Ophelia would ask what’s wrong, but Arete immediately follows up. “Did you bring any candy?”

“Did I bring candy?” She rolls her eyes dramatically. “Of course I brought candy, you silly, silly girl. But you don’t get any unless you really show me how much you want it.”

Arete beams at her and climbs up onto the bed.

“Candy! Candy! Candy!” she chants, jumping up and down.

“I don’t know if you’re enthusiastic enough.”

“Caaaandy! This is the candy song. Sweeeet sugar candy song,” she sings, falling into the covers and scrambling back up again.

Ophelia tosses candy in the air so that it rains down on Arete until her giggles are so sweet Ophelia would be remiss not to break down into laughter with her.

Once Arete has candy hoarded in piles around her, she settles down and unwraps her first piece, tapping her chin like she’s thinking.

“What’s on your mind?” Ophelia says because it’s clear Arete wants her to ask.