“Shut up,”I signed, my face on fire.
He gestured to me. “See? I don’t even know sign language, but she uses that one so much, I’ve learned it.”
This was getting tiresome.“He does not have a crush. He doesn’t even like me. He’s just keeping me here because he’s suspicious about my activities, about these sweaters I’m knitting.”
Goji studied me while Leoni translated my message for everyone, and I could tell she was unhappy about this revelation from the downturn of her lips, but I didn’t know why. Did she care about Kairoth in that way? Was I competition now? But I didn’t think that was it. From the weeks I’d spent here, I hadn’tgotten any indication she had feelings for the god. Especially not after she’d betrayed him for the pirate lord.
Jerome cleared his throat. “Well, it’s getting late. I should get back inside and attend to your rooms.”
Wesley floated up into the air. “I’m going to check on Cook, see how dinner is coming along.”
Goji rose into the air, staring at me for a few minutes. “He is not bad, but that doesn’t mean he’s not dangerous. Stay away from him, Bellamy. You will thank me.”
She flew off after Jerome and Wesley, leaving the three of us in silence.
“What in the spirits below was that about?” Driscoll asked.
Leoni shoved him. “Why did you tell them that about Bellamy and Spirit Shadow? Now they’re going to be suspicious of us, suspicious of Bellamy. They’re clearly loyal to him. They’re probably going to think Bellamy is trying to get information from him.”
Driscoll threw up his arms. “Isn’t everyone sick of all the secrets and hidden information? Can we just maybe be adults and have an honest conversation about what’s going on?”
Leoni’s mouth dropped open. “Are you serious? Us be adults? You ran away from a perfectly good man who is likely about to be king of an entire court all because you’re afraid to tell him how you feel.”
“That is not—” Driscoll held up a finger. “You do not know what you’re talking about.”
I rubbed my temples, absently cutting another stalk and dropping it into the basket.
He looked at me. “I mean, you could just ask Kairoth why he’s collecting the weapons. Why he’s keeping a prisoner below the castle.”
I bit the inside of my cheek.
“So why aren’t you?” Driscoll asked.
Leoni slowly turned to look at me. “Because she’s trying to get close to him so he will reveal everything on his own, so he will trust her enough to do so. Right?”
I cleared my throat.
“Wrong.” Driscoll looked far too pleased with himself. “You should know by now that I can sniff out sexual tension a mile away.”
Sexual tension. I scoffed, slamming the stalk in my hand down on the basket—and immediately regretted it when the thorns jabbed my hand.“You haven’t even seen us together.”
Leoni translated.
“Yes I have,” Driscoll said simply. “I have a perfect view of the terrace from my room.”
Now it was my mouth that dropped open. I jabbed a finger at him, then my eyes, then myself. He got the message.
“I was not spying. It’s not called spying when you two are right out in the open, flirting and laughing and chatting away. I’ve never seen you talk so much. Smile so much.”
I covered my face with my hands.
“She’s not faking it,” Driscoll said to Leoni. “And I think the reason she’s not asking the tough questions is because if she does, then it might ruin their little thing.”
“Bellamy, I’m not sure what’s going on with you and Spirit Shadow, but you cannot fall for him,” Leoni said. “For very obvious reasons. The first being that he’s likely planning on destroying our world, and we might be the only ones who can stop him. The second being that—” She paused. “No, I think the first reason pretty much covers it.”
“I’m not falling for him,”I signed.“And we are not having this conversation.”
“When are we ever going to have a conversation?” Leoni asked. “We’ve spent weeks together, and I still barely knowanything about you, and you definitely haven’t asked about us or our lives or how we’re doing.”
