The Spy by Sophie Lark

35

Nix

After a week of recovery, Leo, Hedeon, and Kade are finally ready to fly back to Dubrovnik.

Adrik Petrov drives us from the airport down to the dock where the Chancellor’s boat still waits. We’re returning at night to try to avoid the uproar of students witnessing us sneaking back onto the island, though it can hardly have passed unnoticed that we’ve all been missing for a week.

“Just tell anyone that asks that you were holed up in your room with the flu,” Leo says.

“Yeah? And how’s Hedeon gonna explain why he’s hobbling around like an old man, and why Kade’s missing half an ear?” Dean snorts.

“You better just worry how you’re going to explain to Cat how your ‘quick and simple field trip to help Ares’ turned into a week-long excursion that almost got us all killed,” Anna says to Dean.

“Don’t remind me,” Dean says, miserably. “She’s gonna fucking kill me.”

“Don’t worry,” Anna says, sweetly. “I’m sure you won’t even see it coming when she does.”

As we pile out of SUV, Adrik grabs Sabrina by the arm and pulls her back.

“When am I going to see you again?” he growls.

“What makes you think you’re going to see me again?” Sabrina says, tossing back her mane of dark hair.

“I AM going to see you again,” Adrik informs her. “I was simply offering you the courtesy of choosing the time and place.”

I can see the temptation to smile tugging at the corners of Sabrina’s full lips as she attempts to scowl instead.

“I’ll think about it,” she says.

“Not good enough,” Adrik retorts. “I’m picking you up on this dock on the last day of school. Wear something nice.”

“That would be a first for both of us,” Sabrina snorts, with a contemptuous look at Adrik’s torn jeans, t-shirt, and uncut hair.

She turns away from him, ready to board the boat, but Adrik can’t stand letting her have the last word. He seizes her arm, whips her around again, and aggressively kisses her.

Then he lets go and stalks off back to the car.

Sabrina is stunned to silence—perhaps for the first time in her life. She stands there for a moment with a slightly dazed expression, then follows Anna and Leo onto the boat.

“That good?” I ask her.

“He’s definitely . . . something,” Sabrina replies.

I can’t help grinning, thinking how nice it would be if Sabrina became a Petrov, too. Assuming her and Adrik don’t kill each other first.

The ride back to Visine Dvorca is much more pleasant, by virtue of not being handcuffed to the railing. On the other hand, without the distraction of kidnapping and romantic betrayal, navigating the treacherous currents around the island is stressful. The water is so rough that Hedeon gets sick over the side of the boat, and Rafe looks traumatized by the time we finally pull into the Chancellor’s private berth once more.

“I’m never fucking doing that again,” he says.

While the others intend to finish the school year, Rafe and I only returned so he could navigate the boat, and so I could pack everything in my dorm room. We plan to leave on the supply ship in a few days’ time.

Rafe is anxious to go back to America with his family. I don’t think any of them will feel this is over until they’re all back in their mansion on the sea cliffs of the Oregon coast.

I’m equal parts nervous and excited to join him there.

I haven’t spent much time in America.

But after all, I came to Kingmakers to meet new people and become more independent. Even though I stayed less than a year, I’d say I accomplished those goals more than I ever could have imagined.

And anyway, I meant what I said to Rafe: home is with him. I want to be wherever he is. Inside, outside, all over the world . . .

The long, limestone staircase back up to the Keep reminds me uncomfortably of the mine. I don’t know if I’ll ever enjoy being unground after that particular experience.

By contrast, the interior of the Keep feels deeply nostalgic, from the scent of the dusty carpets to the golden glow of the lamps in the wall-mounted sconces. I’m glad to be back, if only for a short time.

“Thank god we made it back for the Quartum Bellum,”Leo says.

“Oh Jesus,” Kade groans. “Don’t remind me.”

Anna asks, “What did Adrik say about you trying to beat his record?”

Leo grins. “He said he’d never forgive me if I win. But he won’t respect me if I lose.”

“That’s as close to a blessing as you’re gonna get from him,” Kade laughs.

“If you hadn’t pulled Leo out of the water, it would have been down to Kade and me,” Sabrina says to Dean, sourly.

“Well, I sort of owed it to him,” Dean says.

Leo gives Dean a fist bump. “We’re even. ‘Til the next time I need your help.”

As we come out onto the dark lawn, we all stand awkwardly in a group, hesitant to part ways after a solid week in each other’s company.

Leo, warm and affectionate as ever, pulls Rafe into a hug.

“What should we call you now?” he says. “Is it still Ares while you’re here? Or just Rafe?”

Rafe smiles, his face more relaxed than I’ve ever seen it.

“I don’t care what you call me,” he says. “As long as you call me.”

Anna hugs him, too. “You can count on that,” she says.

“Oh, get the fuck over here,” Rafe says, pulling Dean into a hug too, and then Hedeon. I think he holds onto Hedeon the longest of anyone.

“Come see us in the summer,” Rafe says.

“I will,” Hedeon promises.

Then, finally, we’re all walking to our respective dorms. Kade and Hedeon split off in the direction of the Octagon Tower. Dean heads to the Undercroft to grovel for forgiveness with Cat—I assume he’ll be successful, as I’ve been told he has some experience with that.

Leo is walking Anna to the Solar, strolling along a few yards ahead of us. Sabrina stays on Anna’s other side, trying to avoid Leo’s teasing on the subject of Adrik Petrov.

Rafe likewise escorts me, his arm around my waist. I lean against his shoulder, looking up at the stars.

“Do you think you and I ever looked at the same star at the same time?” I ask him.

“I’m sure we looked at the moon at the same time.”

I laugh. “It’s funny to think that the Oregon moon and the Kyiv moon are the same.”

“The wind that touched your skin might have blown all the way across the world to me,” Rafe says. “Maybe that’s why you smelled so good to me, the moment I got near you.”

We stop on the grass so he can kiss me.

When we break apart I say, “You know . . . I kind of like the way we met. It will be something to tell our kids someday.”

“Yes,” Rafe says. “Only we’ll tell them all of it, the whole thing. The good, the bad, and everything in between.”

“That’s right,” I nod. “The truth is always the best story.”

* * *