"So what's this about you cheating on me?"

  Rather than risk being caught in the records room twice, Cal opted to take the documents and read them elsewhere.

  Fun fact number one: there was no checkout system.

  Fun fact number two: Mia didn't care and made him do it anyway.

  He had to sit there while she drew up a form for it, and then a little longer while she wrote down what he was taking out. Whether she noticed him swap labels around was an open question. She could be pretty perceptive, if the way she managed to avoid people on campus was any indication.

  However, she hadn't commented on it, and he wasn't about to point it out.

  In an effort to secure a modicum of peace for himself, he'd chosen not to return to the library. It would be crawling with students, any of whom could further complicate his day.

  He'd wandered around campus for a spell before spotting the building he and Ryan had found Gregor in. It was a modest two-story dwelling, with walls covered with sun-bleached plaster. The frame was of solid oak, and he'd perched himself on the slanted roof.

  The isolation and privacy were welcome; the splinters snagging on his blazer were not. They broke off the plank-like shingles whenever he shifted. It was moderately inconvenient, but the spot served him well—until it didn't.

  Lily stood in front of him, blocking his sun. Her hands were placed firmly on her hips, and there was a menacing scowl on her face. The protruding vein on her forehead was a nice touch, and he might have bought the act if not for the way the ends of her lips kept quirking upwards.

  "I didn't realize we were dating," Cal snarked back, closing the folder before she could see its contents. He tilted his head at her, looking at her with innocence in his eyes. "Is this the part where I get you flowers and beg you to take me back?"

  She gasped, clutching at her chest with naked astonishment on her face. A dangerous stomp followed, and her hands dropped to her side.

  "Callum Ardere!" she exclaimed, sounding aggrieved. "How dare you imply I'm that cheap. I have half a mind to actually kick your ass for that."

  Sparks flickered across her fingers, and she was rolling up a sleeve when he responded to her idiocy.

  "Half a mind is right," he said, rolling to the side as she sent a casual fist towards his jaw. He recovered in a sitting position, watching as she pivoted to face him again. "You know there's zero chance of that landing."

  Lily took a step toward him, traveling laterally across the slanted roof. Her footing was compromised as a shingle under her boot slid free. She fell to a crouch, one leg bent and the other extended with the loose roofing material. Like a cat caught tripping over itself, she smoothly transitioned to a seated position, pretending that had been her intention all along.

  "You know it's not as fun if you don't hit back," she said calmly, choosing to examine the view he'd been facing earlier rather than him.

  He followed her lead, flopping back with hands folded over his stomach, folders safely secured in them.

  All things considered, it wasn't much of a view. Most of it was treetops, with the exception being the top of the central tower peeking out at them. In the backdrop was the ever-present wall, surrounding them as always.

  "This coming from the girl who advocated having a Hand stand still while we walloped on her?"

  Lily smiled, an almost serene expression coming over her. She was an arm's length away now, and she lifted herself just long enough to fix her skirt before settling back down.

  "Let a girl have double standards," she said with a sigh, reclining against the shingles. "Besides, it's not like you'd actually hurt me."

  He knew that to be a lie, and yet a grin came over him as he reminisced about their shared antics. He let it linger longer than he felt he had a right to.

  "Pretty sure I have," he mumbled, a touch more ominously than he intended. "I mean—unless you like being thrown across a training ground."

  He focused on that imagery, thinking happy thoughts.

  "Yeah, but I have my shell for that," she said, confidence on full display. "And if it gets through, that's totally on me."

  This was more difficult than he anticipated, and he changed tactics, confronting another, altogether different issue.

  "How bad is it?" he asked, bracing himself for the answer.

  Cal was no stranger to these kinds of developments. He couldn't seem to go a week without one. Nevertheless, he was aware how this one could be more problematic than others.

  Lily reached into her breast pocket, producing an object he was familiar with.

  "Why don't you find out?"

  She weighed the phone in her hand before tossing it over.

  "They were flown in from the duchy this morning. It's about time too."

  He caught the device, turning it over in his hand to check for damage. They'd had to leave it before going into the Waste, and while it was nice to have it back, he was not eager to see how many messages were waiting for him.

  "Well, you're not actively trying to strangle me," he noted, wondering if that would be her cue to start. "So I'm guessing not that bad?"

  The bark of laughter she returned told him how strong of a hypothesis that was. She glanced at him from the corner of her eye, cheer dying.

  "Between the nobodies who posted it and the post itself being deleted, it's not as bad as it could be. Still," she clicked her tongue, wagging her finger at him. "Sloppy, sloppy, sloppy."

  Why did everybody in this school have a compulsion to gossip? He'd been hoping those two wouldn't post anything to the forums, but from their reaction at the time, he knew it was a long shot.

  "You can delete posts?" he asked incredulously.

  Did they, in a moment of clarity, value their lives enough to remove it themselves? Or did that cesspool have moderation?

  The author's content has been appropriated; report any instances of this story on Amazon.

  "Apparently," she said, scoffing. "The problem is, I'm sort of a big deal, and with all those previous pictures…"

  She let that hang, trusting him to fill in the blank. It wasn't hard to, and he wished with all his heart to know who had posted those damn pictures in the first place. He closed his eyes, ramping up his senses. Tree by tree, branch by branch, he felt no one near enough to snap an incriminating picture of them relaxing on a roof together.

  "Do you think Lucas is going to cause issues again?" he asked, annoyed at the very prospect.

  He'd attempted to goad Cal into a fight once already over his supposed involvement with Lily. Was cheating on her better? Or worse?

  "I warned William. He should have told his little brother to back off by now," she said, pausing to let out a breath of frustration. "But he's so damn non-confrontational. Who knows how that conversation actually played out?"

  That attitude was somewhat refreshing in his mind. People at that level were often at the opposite end of the spectrum, forcing their whims on those around them.

  "Any updates on him?" he questioned, having a vested interest in keeping tabs on the warrior. "Last time you said his insides were all mushy."

  Lily held her palm out, rocking it back and forth.

  "They're taking it slow," she explained, her tone not entirely indifferent but not quite concerned either. "The only thing worse than having to rebuild a lung, is having to do it again after the first one was messed up. Toss in a bunch of other organs that are meant to be vital, and no one wants to play chance with the future of the youngest Finger."

  Fair enough. With the number of heavy hitters on campus, having one invalid for a while longer was a blessing.

  "Speaking of," Lily continued, eyes drifting to his face before falling lower. "That's a new uniform you have on."

  It was, and he was betting she knew where he got it from.

  "Oh, right," he replied casually, tugging on the sleeves. "When were you going to tell me our tailor is an assassin?"

  A literal jolt went through her, and she froze, still seated, but with her back halfway lifted off the roof. Cal tore a splinter free and tried to flick it into her gaping mouth. He hit her nose instead, and she frowned, appearing more regretful than mad.

  Shifting to fully face him, she sat cross-legged, hands resting on her knees.

  "After what we went through, I definitely would have, but it completely slipped my mind," she said, remorse heavy in her tone. "She didn't, uh, do anything to you, did she?"

  Cal tapped his chin, pretending to think hard about it. He squinted his eyes and inclined his head in an uncertain manner.

  "You mean like trying to kill and flay me? Not necessarily in that order."

  She winced, hunching over and shrinking in on herself.

  "Yeah, that."

  Guilt struck him, and he backpedaled swiftly.

  "She only stabbed me a little," he said, knowing that claiming he got away unmaimed would be a stretch. "And like two-thirds of that was to get my measurements."

  Grasping for a way to turn things lighthearted again, he recalled why the tailor felt the need to be extra thorough.

  "Did you know I grew between the beginning of the term and now?" he eagerly asked, succeeding in distracting one of them.

  Cal was of average height. However, after going through years of craning his head to look at people, it was nice to know he might someday surpass the average.

  "Is that really what you want to focus on?" Her eyes narrowed, and she leaned a little closer. "Ancestors, it is. Congrats? You realize that's not an actual accomplishment, right?"

  Those were the words of someone who wanted to be thrown off this roof.

  "Says the short person," he said mockingly, channeling comebacks from his inner child.

  Lily pulled her leg closer and was in the midst of undoing the laces when she stopped, abandoning the effort.

  "Nope. I know if I try to measure against you now, some idiot with a camera is going to happen by."

  He had not stopped scanning for that, but their luck was pretty bad.

  "Going back to serious mode," she said, slapping her hands against her knees. "I know you can bounce back, but are you okay?"

  There was sincerity in her voice, and he wished he could answer it in kind.

  "It was an aggressive fitting, but only marginally worse than the first." That was his honest assessment of it. "Maybe wait a little longer before trying your own luck. I don't think she'd be as forgiving with you two."

  She would, because otherwise he'd tear the assassin limb from limb, but keeping them away from an intersection with his other identity was prudent.

  Lily studied him for a bit before relaxing, leaning back against the shingles again.

  "One day I'll wipe the floor with her wrinkled face," she commented wistfully. "Maybe it will be my first assignment as a Finger. It's more of a lefty job than a righty, but I doubt anyone would complain."

  The terms took a second to connect, and he recalled their conversation in the cabin.

  "If there's anything I've learned about noble society, they absolutely would," he said, finding some amusement in it. "And I hate to burst your bubble, but being assigned to the Right likely involves a lot more diplomatic work. Are you sure that's what you want to do?"

  Having seen glimpses of her in more formal settings, he didn't doubt her ability. He simply thought it was something she'd get bored with quickly.

  "It's that or the Left."

  Her tone suggested it was no real option, and his questioning look prompted her to continue.

  "The Left is a living legend, but he's old—older than Ferguson. He's past his prime and becoming grouchier by the year. I'd guess that's part of the reason William's retinue decided to keep him here. Easier to heal up when you're not getting verbally lambasted by your boss."

  Sometimes, it seemed like it was a race to the bottom with how important government institutions were run.

  "At least it's just words and not being crushed by an ocean," he morbidly mused.

  Cal tried to think if Aegis would ever yell at him for screwing up, and could not form the picture in his head. The First Seat was too nice for that. Fortunately for him, the likes of Oracle and Olivia had him covered.

  "For now," she said, cracking her neck and bringing up a hand to massage it. "Who knows how next year will be, or the following? The Right's in her prime, and while I heard she can be a hardass, she can't micromanage me if I'm a country away."

  Her point hit a little close to home.

  "You don't think you'd get lonely? It's not like you'll be able to text Alice whenever you're bored."

  The hand stopped for a moment, and her eyes fell to the edge of the roof as she contemplated his question.

  "I probably would," she responded, resolve building in her voice. "But I can't rely on Alie forever. It's not fair to either of us." Lily clenched her fist, holding it tight before releasing it with a soft laugh. "Besides, I'm a friendly gal. I'll find someone to bother wherever I go."

  There were many things he could say to that, but one stuck out, and the solemn mood was nudged.

  "Are we going to ignore the fact that I've never seen you with another friend?"

  His blunt question was met with a sharp jerk of her head, dead eyes staring at him.

  "If you're smart," she retorted in a monotone.

  As an alleged genius, Cal's loophole was a smug smile, and he kept it on his face while gazing out at campus. They sat there in silence, the gentle rustle of leaves being their only companion.

  "Riddle me this then," he continued, his tone as light as could be. "Say that happens and you get attached to someone, or someones over there, what then?"

  She matched his smile, but unlike his, hers was predatory in nature.

  "Ohh, look who's jealous. I'm telling the prin~"

  Her song was cut short as a folder collided with her throat, the unexpected blow giving her a coughing fit.

  "Not," she said between rasps. "Cool."

  He could say the same, but that would be petty.

  "You dodged the question," he accused hotly. "If war were to ever break out, friends you make one day can be strangers the next."

  Her boisterous laugh dwarfed any humor she'd previously shown today.

  "For a guy who survived while being locked in with a category five demon, you sure do worry a lot," she said, rising to her feet.

  She didn't bother to smooth out her clothing, chin high as she took a fortifying breath.

  "I am Lilliane Arcutien," she said, almost as if she were convincing herself of that. "That name represents something, and it's not the Marquess title it's attached to. I'll fight for my freedom, I'll fight for my friends, and anyone who stands in the way of that will learn the meaning of thunder. That's my pledge, that's my promise."

  Lily turned on her heel, quirking her head towards him.

  "Do you like that? I try to say it once a day in the mirror, or whenever I'm feeling down."

  He moved not an inch, staring at the girl who'd provided such a frank admission. Without much conscious thought on his part, his lips started moving.

  "And you called me stupid."

  She did not kick him, but he could tell she wanted to. Instead, she reached for the folder that had fallen to her feet. She leafed through it, eyebrows raising.

  "Why do you have Everannoying's employment record?"

  Contrary to what one might think, he had not thrown it at her with complete randomness.

  "Remember how you said she was up to something?" he asked, receiving a nod. "Funny coincidence, so am I."