Yenni snapped her eyes upward, her heart fluttering in nervous anticipation as she squinted desperately through the willowy tendrils above.

Something thumped to the grass beside her. The shadows of the willows made such gorgeous patterns on him, sliding like water across his gleaming green scales as he stalked toward her. Those eyes, like brightest jade, slid first from her to Diedre, lingering and unreadable. Mysterious. So at odds with who she knew him to be as a man.

“Ahh,” Diedre began.

“Hello, Har-tha,” said Yenni. He had seemed to take mild offense to her calling him by his full name, finding it too formal, so she had taken to drawing out his first name.

He changed, and his green face looked troubled. “Good morning, Yenni Ajani,” he said, and turned to Diedre. “I don’t believe I’ve had the pleasure of an official introduction.”

“This is my friend, Diedre,” said Yenni, and the two of them clasped hands.

“Yenni Ajani, a word?” Harth said to her. Yenni took in the clouds across his normally sunny countenance and her chest tightened.

“Diedre, apologize to Professor Devon for me and let him know I’ll be late,” she said, still frowning at Harth.

“But how is this? I’m your messenger now?”

Yenni blinked and turned to her. “I’m sorry, Deedee. I didn’t mean—”

Diedre laughed. “Relax! All is well and good, mams. Is joke, I joke. I’ll tell him.”

Yenni let out a relieved breath. “Thank you.”

“See you in class!” said Diedre, and she shot Yenni a look that she knew meant she would have explaining to do later on. With a wave, Diedre took off, still chuckling.

“I like her,” Harth said with a gravity that was almost comical, then turned back to Yenni. “Look, something’s happened to Weysh. He told me not to tell you but, Byen above, I can’t stand to see him like this. Two days ago he was up at the chapelle on Mount Eglise, and he was attacked.”

Yenni gasped despite herself and listened, first unbearably anxious and finally furious when Harth concluded how Weysh had been maimed.

“What’s more, you could be in danger, too, as Weysh’s Given. Movay, he must really be out of it not to have even realized that. It’s true Noriago would have to be brainless to show up at the academy with the peacekeepers all searching for him, but clearly he’s unstable.”

Yenni gnawed on her bottom lip, more concerned for Weysh than herself. “So now Weh-sheh cannot smell?”

“No. Not now, and possibly never again.”