Page 100 of The Amber Sunburst

She wants to push him on it, but something in her says don’t scare him off! so she hums in acquiescence and relaxes into the comfortable silence. It’s quite a while later that Kallias stands and starts for the stairs to his dorm.

“See you tomorrow,” he calls behind him.

“Goodnight,” she replies.

Something in her feels responsible for him after this. He has Alexander, she knows that, but the two of them are clearly in love. She thinks maybe Kallias also needs a friend. And that, for some reason, it needs to be her.

26

LAZARUS

Remarkably, Lazarus remembers to eat lunch today. Well, technically he doesn’t remember—Zeno drags him to lunch—but what’s really the difference in the end?

Trial Two is in three days. Meaning, he decides as he shoves soggy potatoes and overcooked chicken into his mouth, he needs to stay focused on the theme to come. Which is considerably more difficult than usual because Zeno shepherded him to sit with his notoriously distracting friends.

Only he and Kallias—who somehow materialized at the table where Zeno, Alexander, and Eudoxos sit, first for breakfast and now for lunch—are silent, listening to the others ramble on.

“Duo challenge. Who are your bets for partnerships?” Alexander asks with a grin at Zeno, who immediately slings an arm around Eudoxos’ shoulder.

“Obviously the two of us,” Zeno says, ignoring Alexander’s affronted squawk.

“You don’t think I’m in the running at all? I’m your best friend!”

“I’ve known him for longer,” Eudoxos shoots back.

“Sorry, Alex. I can’t say no to this one.” Zeno presses his cheek to Eudoxos’ head, and Lazarus looks away because he feels like he’s intruding.

“Well, it doesn’t even matter,” Alexander says. “I already know who I’m going to be partnered with.” He smiles at Kallias, and Kallias returns it with a glare. “This tall drink of milk over here.”

“I hate you,” Kallias responds, more fondness than fire in his voice.

It’s sort of nauseating to see Kallias act this way. Lazarus always thought of them as the same—immune to obnoxious charm. Obviously not.

“So you agree that we’ll be paired?” Alexander asks, ruffling some of Kallias’ hair out from under the glasses perched on his head. Kallias doesn’t move as Alexander artfully arranges his hair, just keeps eating, angled toward him to give him access.

“I agree that you’re stubborn enough to make sure that the Guardians put us together.”

“Good enough for me.”

They might as well be making out on the table for the amount of intimacy on display here. Not that Eudoxos and Zeno are any better, now play-fighting over Eudoxos’ last potato.

“What about you, Laz?” Zeno asks right when Lazarus finally manages to zone out of their chatter.

Lazarus ignores the stupid nickname and hopes that no one decides to use it again. “What about me?”

“Who do you think you’ll be paired with?”

“Hopefully Theokleia,” he replies honestly.

Alexander gasps. “Does someone have a crush?” he asks, turning to Lazarus, but still leaving a hand at the nape of Kallias’ neck.

“No,” Lazarus says, rolling his eyes. “She’s smart and I think we’ll work well together.”

“Right,” Alexander responds, playfully suspicious.

As if Lazarus could have a crush with the Trials in progress.

In the company of his new idiots, he’s one minute late to the meeting.