“Hmph. Sit out for five minutes, then rejoin the line.”

“Yes, General,” he groaned.

Weysh stumbled off behind the line and plopped down on the grass, head bent, fantasizing about ways he could kill Noriago and get away with it.

Once class was ended and General Sol dismissed them, Weysh took off without waiting for Harth, begging Byen to keep Noriago away from him. He was in his last year; he didn’t want to get kicked out and throw away everything he’d worked for over that pig’s dunghole. He took to the white footpath that ran along and between the academy’s many buildings, absently following it to the lecture halls as he’d done a million times before, letting his feet lead the way.

Harth rushed up next to him. “Weysh, what was that? I have a reputation to maintain. You can’t be my unofficial brother if you’re going to be falling for basic tricks.”

“Shut up, Harth. I can’t focus today.”

Zui glided up and took Harth’s arm, falling into step with them. “Are you still having trouble with your Given?”

Weysh grunted.

“Well, have you spoken to her since?” she asked.

“Yes.”

“Oho! And how did that go?” asked Harth.

“Badly,” Weysh said.

“What happened?” asked Zui.

Reluctantly, Weysh recounted all that had passed between them.

“Weysh,” said Harth once when Weysh was done. “Are you trying to make her hate you?”

“I was in dragon! One minute I caught her scent and the next she was in my arms.”

“I can’t believe she actually threw you out of that cave. By Byen! I like her more and more. I think you’ve literally met your match, Weysh,” said Harth.

“I hope you apologized for snatching her off the ground like that. She must have been terrified!” cried Zui.

“I tried! But she wouldn’t have it. I can’t afford this nonsense right now! This year is pivotal. I need the highest marks I can get to achieve the highest rank possible in the army, more so now that I have a Given to take care of. Perhaps if I explain that to her—”

“No, no, no. If she’s two seconds away from putting up Wanted posters you should leave her be,” said Harth.

“This is all so ridiculous. She would go to the peacekeepers and charge me with what, exactly? Loving her too much?”

“Then you love her?” asked Zui.

“Of course!”

Zui paused and squinted at him. “What was her name again?”

Weysh and Harth stopped with Zui. “Yena, Ajaya . . . something like that,” said Weysh.

“You don’t even know her name?”

“I, well, we have the rest of our lives to learn each other’s names!”