Page 90 of The Amber Sunburst

Kleitos smiles at her like he knows he’s won. Eudoxia can hardly blame him—he has won, hasn’t he?

“You said you wanted to talk.”

Kleitos nods.

The letter was not at all descriptive. In fact, he didn’t even sign his name, egotistical bastard. All it said was: 1:00 AM, Training Room, Alone, Let’s Talk.

If she wasn’t so terrified, she’d be annoyed at how lacking the letter was.

“So talk.”

“I saw a little brat running around,” Kleitos responds.

“Did you?”

“She looks just like you.”

Eudoxia glares. “Weird.”

“And that reminded me of something,” Kleitos continues. “In the first few days we lived together, I remember hearing an impossible noise come from your side of the room. You were asleep, but someone was humming. I shrugged it off as a trick of the night. But now I’m not so sure.”

“What do you want me to say? Wow? I’m sorry?”

“Don’t play dumb, Eudoxos. You know what I’m saying.”

“I really don’t.” She knows it’s a long shot; he’s not that stupid.

But maybe he is? He’s definitely not, like, smart…

“Your little sister.”

Shit.

“You’d get in trouble for having her around, wouldn’t you, Eudoxos? And you’ve been hiding her for what, years? Since your first day?”

“Kleitos—”

“She’s a cute kid. But she’d have to be a lot cuter for them to want to keep her alive. Or you, for that matter.”

And with that, Eudoxia has had enough.

“What do you want, Kleitos? You would have turned me in already if you weren’t going to ask for something.”

“It’s simple. You help me with something, and I keep this to myself.”

“Help with what, exactly?”

Kleitos smiles cordially. She wants to rip that smile right off his smug face. “Glad you asked, Xos. I don’t have many people on my side. Especially not in our cohort.”

“I’m not gonna disagree with you there.” Asshole, Eudoxia doesn’t add.

“But Lazarus is Forms-bent on bringing us all to the end. And once we make it? I want to be the one who finishes on top.”

Even in such a dire situation, Eudoxia struggles to hold back a laugh. Kleitos wants to be the Educator? Kleitos?

“What does that have to do with me?”

“You’re going to make sure I get there.”