Chapter 16
Sixteen
Kyrith
Ihave no idea how I got here. The last thing I remember is deciding to put down my work and wait for Leo to wake up so I could share what I’d discovered, and now…
I’m pretty sure the warm surface beneath my cheek is his chest. I can’t think what else would be rising and falling so rhythmically.
I’m surrounded by the crisp scent of windstorms and paper, his soft snores tickling my hair, and his arms are wrapped around me, trapping me.
The covers are tangled around us both, my leg flung carelessly over his hip as we cuddle in the intimate sleeping nook the Arcanaeum created.
How did this happen? I shouldn’t have fallen asleep. I wasn’t even corporeal the last time I checked and—
“They’re so cute,” Lambert whines. “I wish my phone worked here. I want a picture so bad.”
The Arcanaeum does something—draws power—and Lambert’s answering whoop is more than a little concerning.
My eyes have never opened so fast. I search past the soft wool of Leo’s sweater and find him blinking open sleep-crusted blue eyes. The room is bright, though the shelves on either side mute the worst of it. Magic, we must have slept most of the morning away like this.
Worse. Lambert Winthrop is now holding an oil painting of the two of us up for North to admire.
Really? An oil painting. Dear sweet stars above, I will never live this down.
I ghost free of his embrace before the Library can conjure a second copy, smoothing my clothes, which are rumpled in all sorts of places.
“It wasn’t what it looked like. I was simply…checking he was still alive.”
That is the flimsiest excuse ever, and Lambert’s face breaks out in a puppyish grin. “Alive?”
“Bullshit,” North coughs.
“He might not have been breathing!” I double down, even though it’s useless. “I…couldn’t see his chest moving from over here. Nothing untoward—”
“Yeah, I imagine you got a much better view of his chest,” North drawls. “Among other things.”
“Northcliff Ackland,” I growl, summoning his card into my hand for the dozenth time.
Lambert, as ever, rushes to his friend’s rescue. “Boss, you can cuddle Leo if you want to. He could use more snuggles in his life.”
“Indeed.” Leo finally shoves himself up against the pillows. “I’m glad you’re so concerned for my welfare, Kyrie.”
Oh, magic, this is all so embarrassing.
I need to change the subject. Distract them.
In my panic, I blurt the only thing I can think of.
“I think I figured out how to untangle the first layer of your ensorcellment. Properly this time. I’d like you to check my workings before we attempt anything, and perhaps we should consult a third party—”
“What?” Leo scrambles out of the cubbyhole, heading straight for the neatly organised papers on the desk with new single-minded focus. “What constellation was it? When did you find this? Why didn’t you wake me!?”
“Dude, manners,” Lambert says. “You forgot to start with ‘thank you, Kyrith, for your hours of hard work’, and ‘I’m sorry for being rude the last time we tried this.’” He executes a bad American mockery of Leo’s Belfast accent as he speaks, but thankfully drops it when he adds, “Then you’ve got to finish your apology with a promise to be better this time, no matter what happens. ”
Leo freezes, and I can’t help the low amused huff that breaks free as I watch it dawn on him that Lambert is scolding him.
Though Leo is undoubtedly the more scholarly of the two of them, Lambert seems to have inherited all of the emotional intelligence. But because it is Lambert, Leo actually…listens.
“I’m grateful,” he admits. “For what you’re doing for me. Thank you. But next time, wake me up. I slept too long as it is.”
“We brought breakfast,” Lambert announces, grabbing one of the brown paper bags from North and thrusting it at his brother. “You can eat it while you read. You need protein and carbs, or you’ll lose even more weight. Are you sure you don’t want to join my workouts? North loves them.”
“Fuck off,” North says, opening his own food and taking a bite of something that smells heavenly. “They’re murder.”
Lambert blows him a sarcastic kiss. “Flatterer. You still turn up every morning, and your ass is perkier for it, don’t you think, boss?”
No. Don’t look. Don’t—
Oh, stars. I can’t help myself.
North’s butt is rather nicely rounded, especially in those ripped navy jeans.
My cheeks flare with heat, and I force my gaze back to the paper that Leo is poring over.
“Two?” he whispers. “It was two constellations all along?”
“It’s very rare,” I admit. “I’ve only encountered it a handful of times before and never in this school, but I spent the rest of the holiday reading Ammie Talcott’s grimoire from cover to cover.
She dabbled heavily in conjuration, where it’s more common for complex runeforms to have both multiple layers and multiple constellations. ”
Everyone underestimates the foundation schools, but they contain some of the most fascinating and intricate runeforms and incantations.
As a generational ensorcellment, Leo’s curse will have three layers. We’ll have to break each individually to rid him of the magic.
Leo traces the inked diagram with a fingertip. “It… It looks good.” He chokes out. “How soon are you willing to try again?”
“Please,” Lambert corrects, smirking. “Come on, dude. Surely your grandpappy taught you some manners. Old people love whining about that shit.”
Leo’s mouth turns down. “He left most of my upbringing to nannies, actually. And none of them cared to interact with me beyond what they were paid to.” He takes a deep breath before that hawkish gaze pins me to the spot.
“Please, will you try again? I’ll understand if it doesn’t work, and I won’t take it out on you this time.
I…regret how I reacted before. I’m sorry. ”
“You understand that it could—”
“Completely activate the curse, or lead to my death?” Leo huffs under his breath. “At least then, the Damoclean Sword will have swung.”
The forced lightness in his tone doesn’t fool anyone, but I offer him a nod of acknowledgement, anyway. Living under the curse must be draining. I understand craving relief.
“First, eat your muffin,” Lambert reminds him, pointing at the unopened paper bag. “Boss, I got you a hash brown. They’re greasy but good.”
To my embarrassment, he plucks out something crispy and golden and holds it out at head height like he expects me to eat from his hand.
Absolutely not.
I pluck it from his fingers with a raised eyebrow and bite into it, and then instantly forget my irritation.
Fluffy, crunchy, onion-and-potato heaven.
“Did you happen to get any more?” I ask three bites later, when the little triangle of joy has miraculously vanished.
Lambert’s wide grin lights up the room as he pulls a second from the bag. “You can have mine if you cuddle me next.”
In answer, the Arcanaeum adjusts my bed, shifting my shelves and extending it until it’s more than large enough for an entire magiball team.
Thankfully, none of them have the ability to see directly into the Clock Tower, but Lambert takes advantage of my distraction, pressing the second hash brown into my hand.
“And now that you’ve slept on it,” he continues, “how do you feel about my plan? Did Leo show you his contract?”
North coughs. “The one for submissives?”
“It clears up misunderstandings,” Leo dismisses, around a mouthful of breakfast muffin.
“The last thing I want is a potential partner thinking that feelings are allowed to enter into the equation, or worse, that anything long-term is an option.” He pauses.
“Setting out expectations early also tends to eliminate anyone unsuited to my…preferences.”
“So?” Lambert pressed. “Did he show you? What do you think?”
I scrub my hand down my face, then glance at North and Leo, who oddly seem just as interested in my answer. This is the part where any sensible woman would say no. I should take Jasper’s advice and tell him I’m not interested, bluntly.
“Lambert…”
He bounces on the balls of his feet again, eyes big and bright with eagerness.
He’s so earnest and open, and my gut turns at the idea of lying to him.
“Perhaps,” Leo interjects, swiping crumbs from around his mouth. “You could design your own contract. Set out your terms, even if they’re that we limit ourselves to platonic interactions and Lambert never brings this foolish idea up again.”
It’s an offer of space. An obvious reprieve from Lambert’s endless prompting and a way to kindly let all of them down. But it also…intrigues me. The mere idea of having this messy situation clarified on paper is so tempting. With that, there could be no misinterpretations.
Before, everything was so spontaneous. Unplanned. I felt so guilty afterwards for not discussing terms or exclusivity with Jasper or Lambert. A contract sounds like a way to take control of this whole crazy relationship.
I can’t believe Leo is the one to suggest it.
My brow furrows. “I thought you wouldn’t consider sharing with Dakari.”
He taps the paper in front of him, already reinforced by the runeforms necessary for me to cast it. “This is faultless work. And I also said that if the ensorcellment was broken, I’d reconsider.”
I’m not imagining the flare of hope in the depths of his expression, and my heart clenches a little.
“A contract sounds great!” Lambert says, but his smile falls a second later. “Wait… How long is it going to be? Can you give me the short version? I hate reading the terms and conditions.”
“I’ll think about it,” I settle. “Regardless. I’m ready to attempt this when you are.” I wave my hand at the runeform. “And then, provided all goes well, the Solarium awaits North’s first destruction tutoring session.”
Despite how late we slept in, North and Lambert are still early, which gives us some time before the others arrive.
“I’ll watch the stairs,” North grunts. “Stop anyone coming up and distracting you.”