We were rescued by Cara. The Watcher wove her way through the tables to us, and stopped.
“I would like to borrow Bree and Riggs,” she said.
It was worded as a polite request, but I witnessed the glint in her eye. The Watcher was up to something. It was a thought worthy of Caliel, but the Gryphon stayed oddly silent. Or had he actually said that? We were now meshing so well that I couldn’t be sure.
Leah was so preoccupied with what Nar was doing beneath the table that she barely noticed us leave, but Adilyn watched us go with speculation in her gaze. The Faerie was too shrewd. Both Riggs and I needed to watch our step around her.
Once we were out in the hall, Cara turned to us. “We have received official notice of the deaths.”
We both nodded.
“The Emperor has granted Tyrez a stay of exile in order to attend the funerals.”
Riggs stiffened. “Is he going to go?”
Cara shook her head. “We have not yet decided.” She rubbed her hands together. “For now, I would like you two to demonstrate how you work together. It would really help me structure your training.”
That meant calling on what was deep inside me. I sent a wordless query to Caliel, who remained stubbornly silent. What was wrong with him? I pondered it as we followed Cara out the back of the building and surveyed the field with interest. I hadn’t been out here yet. It was evening, and quite a few students were spread around on the mowed grass. A group was playing a game involving a lot of shapeshifting and a ball.
She led us straight across the field and to a wrought iron opening in the fence, then down a path to a gateway.
I surveyed it with surprise. “There are two gateways here?”
Cara smiled. “Fringe benefit of having Watchers on staff.”
Riggs arched a brow. “Are we visiting the beach?”
She nodded. “Thought it would be a good, safe place for this.”
Safe. Nothing about the thing inside me was safe. And the fact Caliel was sulking wasn’t helping.
I am not sulking.He sounded indignant.
Then why aren’t you answering me?
Am I not entitled to my own thoughts? Or do I have to jump whenever you snap your fingers?
I didn’t know the origins of this odd phrase, but it was easy to interpret, and I retreated, stung by the accusation. Yet he wasn’t wrong. I did expect him to be there whenever I called. So I squelched my reaction, and said,I’m sorry. I just needed to know if you are ready to call on the monster.
Never. But always.
He was in a right and proper mood today. I took Cara’s proffered hand, and then Riggs engulfed my other in his own.
Big. Like the rest of him, his hands were huge, swallowing mine. I glanced up at him, and his eyes glowed metallic.
Okay, that was sexy as hell. And somehow, with him there—I felt like anything was possible.
It came from out of nowhere. One minute I was gazing at Riggs, the next, I burped. Not just any burp, either. A full-on, warrior-worthy, explosive belch.
“Oh, excuse me.” My face instantly flushed red.
Riggs’s eyes danced with amusement. “Must have been the pastry.”
I smiled back at him. Not even an unmaidenly burp turned him off. But as we waited for the gate, I had a sneaking suspicion as to the instigator of that eruption.
Dammit, Caliel. Was that you?
Would you rather belch, or pass wind?he asked, unrepentant.
