Page 398

Rhyven isn't at dinner. Again. I notice. Again.

This time, instead of wondering— I take an extra roll.

Then immediately stare at it. No. Absolutely not. Cassian looks at my plate. Then the roll. Then me. I narrow my eyes. He looks away. Smart.

After dinner, I have no reason to go to operations. None. So I don't. The roll comes with me anyway. That is unrelated.

At twenty-one hundred, Caelen finds me in the corridor. He stops. Looks at my face. Then my ribs.

A bruise has already started appearing beneath the edge of my shirt. His expression hardens. "What happened to you?"

"Dax."

Caelen stops completely. "Do I need to kill him?"

I stare. "Seriously?"

"Yes."

"We were assigned."

"Still."

"We drew." Silence.

Caelen blinks. "You what?"

I smile. "We drew."

"With Dax."

"Yes."

"Dax Thorne."

"Do you know another one?" He stares at me. I can see him recalculating something. Excellent. "Getting slow." I remind him.

Caelen's expression goes flat. "Fuck off." I laugh. He points toward my ribs. "Vayne."

"Already checked."

"Sure?"

"Yes."

"Nothing broken?"

"No."

"Manifestation?"

"Controlled."

"Head?"

"Attached."

"Eirea."