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Hawthorn paused. “I’m sorry,” he said, with a devilish grin, moving forward to take her fingers. He brought them to his mouth and kissed them. “Forgive me?”
“Ugh!” Juliana wrenched her hand away, stuffed the knife back under the pillow, and rolled over in the bed.
“Is that a ‘yes’?”
“I’m too tired to argue,” she said. “Just go to sleep. And don’t touch me in the night.”
Hawthorn chuckled. “I’d say ‘I wouldn’t dream of it’, but…”
“No filthy thoughts in my room, thank you.”
“Not even yours?”
“I don’t have any filthy thoughts around you!” she hissed.
It wasn’t entirely true, and she thanked the stars for her mortal tongue in that moment.
Hawthorn sighed, wriggling under the covers and scooting over to the other side of the bed. “Nofilthy thoughts at all?”
Juliana pursed her lips. “None whatsoever.”
“Are you lying?”
“No.”
Hawthorn elbowed her in the back. In retaliation, Juliana placed her freezing cold feet against his warm sides.
“Witch!” he hissed.
“You deserved that.”
“I could learn to dislike you.”
“Don’t you dislike me already?”
“Not as much as I used to… although the bar was extremely low.”
“Go to sleep, Prince.”
“As my lady bids. Goodnight, Jules. I shall dream a dream for both of us and give you all the sordid details in the morning.”
“If you do that, I’m leaving.”
Hawthorn fell silent. “Jules—“ he began at last.
“Oh, what is it now?”
His silence stiffened again. “Never mind,” he said. “Sleep well.”
Miriamwastakenawayto the healer’s tent and her hearing swiftly returned to her. Juliana followed, partly to follow protocol and ensure her boon was removed in time for the next round—the final round—and partly to ensure her former instructor wasn’t angry with her.
“You did well,” Miriam said, tapping her ears to ensure their functionality. “I am rarely bested in battle. You have grown much in three years.”
“You took a vial.”
Miriam swallowed a smile. “I thought I might need it.”
Juliana could not imagine higher praise than that. She submitted herself to the routine tests, took a vial to wipe the boon from her, and allowed herself some refreshment. It wouldn’t be long now until the remaining matches were done.
