Chapter 21 #2
“Yep. You caught me, Elaine.” I rolled my eyes and slid back into my seat.
“You wouldn’t be the first charity case to nab a spot here.” She assessed me like she still had a claim over Pendragon by way of her nullified betrothal. “I’m sure you’d do well, if you curbed your mouth and kept your hands off what doesn’t belong to you.”
She smirked.
“Thanks for the tip.”
Hopefully, my dry tone conveyed how much weight I gave her opinion.
“Miss Alice can teach you the rest. It’s so great you’ll have a mentor who was also in The Quest. She’ll really ease the transition back to reality for you.”
“Can I help you, dearie?” Miss Alice greeted the newcomer as she came around the corner, but she stopped short when she recognized Elaine and the pissed-off expression on my face. “Oh. It’s you.”
“I need a snack.”
Miss Alice pointed at the fridge. “Snacks are in there, miss.”
“Great. Can you get one for me, please?”
I narrowed my gaze at Elaine’s smug, condescending smile.
She held out her hand, tapping her foot as she waited.
Miss Alice pursed her lips and set the items in her arms on the counter beside me before going to the fridge.
“What would you like?”
“Fruit, please.”
Miss Alice grabbed an apple, wiped it off, and handed it to Elaine. “There you go, miss. Enjoy your snack.”
I hated every second of the interaction. Elaine was being an ass, proving her point and using Miss Alice to rub it in my face. I seethed quietly on my stool while it played out, unsure if I should get involved.
Holding up her apple like a trophy, she smiled at me. “See, Quinn. You’re in great hands.”
I gritted my teeth, forcing my body to stay planted on the stool until she left.
Miss Alice stared between me and Elaine as she walked out, and she pinned me with her shrewd gaze the second Elaine disappeared. “What was that about?”
“Oh, just Elaine putting me in my place. Never miss an opportunity to remind someone they’re beneath you. That’s her motto.” I rolled my eyes. “I’m sorry she used you to do it.”
Miss Alice shrugged. “It is my job, dear. And most of the time, I enjoy making sure all of you are fed and full of snacks. That girl just…bothers me.”
I chuckled. “She bothers me, too.”
Turning back to the stove, Miss Alice resumed her cooking. She nodded at the items she’d set on the counter when she walked back in. “That’ll be what you need then. You’re welcome to sit there while you test it out. Tell me what Elaine meant by her last comment. If you want to share, of course.”
“She said you were in The Quest.”
Miss Alice’s back stiffened. “How—”
“I’m sorry. I—”
She set the spoon down and scooped up the items from the counter.
“I’ll need to get to work now, dear. Take these and you do the same, alright?
” All but dumping the contents in my arms, she made sure I had a hold on them before ushering me from the kitchen.
“I apologize for the abruptness, but I lost track of time. Can’t have dinner running behind now, can we? ”
Since we didn’t eat at a specific meal time, we certainly could, but I didn’t argue. I took what she’d given me and left the kitchen, turning back to find her head bent over the stove. As I lingered, her breath shuddered, her back shaking as she stirred the pot.
I didn’t know what had been so upsetting about my question, but I had a feeling Elaine did.
And I planned to find out what she’d dragged up, and why.
As I walked back to my room, thinking through Miss Alice’s odd reaction to Elaine’s disclosure, I fully distracted myself from my earlier focus. Eventually, I sat at a bistro table and hyper-fixated on her comments in the kitchen.
Fate intervened in the form of Morty, who plopped into the seat beside me. “Whatcha up to, little princess?”
Gesturing at the table, I figured that summed it up. “What are you still doing here, Morty?”
“Why are you so eager for me to leave?”
I arched a brow at him in return. “Because I don’t get you.
I can’t figure out if you’re trying to help me, or setting me up for an epic failure, or just wreaking havoc because you like to watch the chaos you create in your wake.
” When he smiled, I confirmed my suspicion. “Of course, that’s all it is.”
“Are you going to answer my question?”
“I’m procrastinating. If you’re going to stop me from doing that, can I ask you something?”
He clicked his tongue against the roof of his mouth. “Ah, sorry. You just filled my quota on sitting questions for the day.” He popped up from his seat. “Walk with me.”
He took off before I responded.
Too curious to stop myself, I booked it after him as he weaved through Pendragon, moving like a man on a mission until we reached Kingston’s office.
He knocked on the door and waited all of two seconds before opening it.
“Morty!” I whisper-shouted. “You can’t just barge into his office unannounced.”
Kingston responded for him. “Oh, not to worry, love. Morty does it so often it’s practically predictable now.” He smiled at me from his desk, waving me inside. “Come on in, you two. Morty, what is it now?”
Morty had already taken a seat in front of Kingston’s desk and propped his feet up. “I heard you’re the guy to see about special permission for off-campus lessons?”
I closed Kingston’s office door and froze halfway to taking a seat in the chair beside Morty and side-eyed him. “I’m not leaving Camelot Court with you.”
“Who said anything about you?” He gave me a saccharine smile before turning back to Kingston. “I have a date.”
“Again?” I asked.
“Shh. Quiet, you.” Morty waved me away before turning back to Kingston. “I need to borrow your bike. Figured I’d ask permission, so you didn’t see me drive off past the gate.”
Kingston stared at Morty for a full minute, saying nothing.
As the silence stretched on and his blue-gray eyes didn’t waver, even I got uncomfortable at the intense scrutiny.
Morty acted like he wasn’t, but his body twitched as he tried not to fidget.
I darted my gaze between them. “This is a really weird game of chicken.”
Morty cracked under the pressure.
With a pleased sigh, Kingston dropped his gaze and nodded. “You can borrow the bike, but be discrete this time?”
Morty held out his hand. “Key, please.”
Kingston didn’t look up. “Why would I give you my key when we both know you have a copy?”
“Drats.” Morty snapped and swung his arm across his body. “I thought you’d missed that one. Alright then, carry on! Wish me luck!”
He twirled on the ball of his foot and headed for the door.
I met Kingston’s amused gaze. “Is he always like that, or is that because of what happened, too?”
Huffing a quiet laugh, he gestured for me to come closer, which I gladly did. “Yes. He has been more odd this year at the start of The Quest, but he’s always been eccentric. Long before what happened.”
I sat on the edge of Kingston’s chair.
“I’d say his poor parents but I’ve met Merle so…”
“A bit like Karma, really.” He leaned back in his seat, staring up at me and pushing a lock of my hair behind my ear. “How’s everything going on your end?”
“I’d say fine, but I’m sure you heard about my run-in with Elaine yesterday.” When he nodded but didn’t press for details, I leaned into his touch, grateful for the closeness and the private moment with him. “I am fine, though. And I have a theory.”
“I’m not surprised at all.” He swiped his thumb across my cheek. “I’d love to hold you up on exploring that theory, but…”
“If I’m being strategic, the sooner I solve these clues, the sooner we have all the time in the world, right?”
“That’s the idea.”
I closed my eyes, thoroughly distracted by his touch. “I should be asking how it’s going for you.”
“Easier, now. Although slightly tense. It’s out of my hands from here. Unless any surprises occur, I simply wait and see.”
“Ah, how the tables have turned.” I teased, but it had to be hard for him. “How are you doing with that?”
“I understand why you hated how often I said you’ll see, but aside from that, it’s the way it goes.” He winked at me. “And I have faith in my choices.”
My heart swelled.
Between his unrelenting faith and Landon’s unwavering support, the dark cloud of where things were with Max cleared slightly.
“Did he talk to you?”
“Not yet, but he will when he’s ready.” Kingston’s expression tightened just slightly, but he smiled. “You go on to your lesson, and leave that worry to me. I need something to do, and it sounds like you’ve been busy enough.”
“That would be great. Thank you.” Leaning down, I pressed a lingering kiss to his lips and donned my best posh accent. “Well, darling, I must be off. Say you’ll wait for me?”
“Always, love.” He smiled, and since that had been the effect I was going for, I headed to the door.
Before I left his office, the first time I’d called him darling at his secret overlook triggered my memory, following the conversation with Morty.
“Kingston?”
He paused with his hand raised over the old-fashioned phone on his desk. “Hm?”
“Morty turned me away at the gate when I arrived for the Maiden Introduction, but his first night back was the Maiden Selection, wasn’t it?”
“It was.” Kingston didn’t meet my gaze when he said it, but his lips twitched. “Was that all?”
When he lifted his head, I winked and blew him a kiss. “For now.”
Kingston had known that Morty was the second person I met, even when I hadn’t known it myself.
With my first two clues being the people I’d first met in order, I had a new theory.
Progressing down the line, the pledges who’d guarded the door came next.
But since I didn’t expect them to be hanging around Camelot Court, that brought me back to Max Dread.
Today, whether I was ready or not, I’d have to face him.