Lisa laughed softly again, eyes glinting. “So the stone has a crack. And Azpen is standing too close to it. I wonder if he’ll peer in or fall through.”
Baron’s jaw shifted slightly, then he met her gaze. “If he falls, I won’t catch him.”
A long silence followed.
Outside, the bells of the dormitory tower struck once.
Lisa smiled knowingly and stood. “I like this cadet already. Maybe I’ll speak to him before I leave.”
Baron straightened. “Don’t toy with him.”
Lisa’s smile curled sharper. “Then tell him not to be toyed with.”
★★★
★★★
Inside the adjoining chamber, Azpen was at war—with his reflection.
He adjusted the collar of his shirt, only to tug it open again. “Too tight,” he muttered. “No, too loose… I look like a choir boy.”
He ruffled his hair, then smoothed it back. Then ru
