Bond training was a nightmare. By the time she finished every morning, she felt like she’d been run over by a carriage. At least yesterday, she’d gotten to take it out on Lorian. She’d fought ferociously until even Lorian seemed almost impressed. Not that he’d ever say it out loud.

“The bond is hard for me too,” she confessed. “I’ve never had anything like this. Fordham makes it look easy.”

Kerrigan glanced over to him and found him already watching her. He met her gaze evenly with an arched eyebrow until she hastily looked away. “He does, doesn’t he?”

“What’s going on with you two anyway?”

“Nothing,” Kerrigan said slowly.

Audria rolled her eyes. “Look, I made the mistake of inviting March to the Season, but you can tell me. Are you two involved?”

“No,” she repeated. “We’re really not. He’s not interested.”

Audria pulled her to a stop. “Kerrigan, you’d have to be blind not to see that he’s interested. It’s palpable.”

Kerrigan shrugged. “It’s not my story to tell. Just know that it isn’t happening.”

“His loss,” she said with a giggle. “If it’s not Ashby March, the most eligible bachelor of the Season, that you want, then we will find you someone!”

Kerrigan wanted to tell her that she didn’t need the help, but it was easier to let Audria ramble than to argue.

They finished up lunch as a team and headed into their history lesson. Luckily, it was the easiest of the three classes. Far easier than her language elective, which she’d taken to brush up on her ancient Fae. She’d had a lot of these lessons at the House of Dragons. By a lot of the same teachers too.

Kerrigan took a seat in the row of chairs before their instructor, a bubbly Fae with long, braided blonde hair, light-blue eyes, and a peach-colored pin on her black Society robes to mark her as a member of tribe Zavala, far in the northern mountains.

“Welcome back,” Mistress Movanna said cheerfully. She bounced slightly with each step and pressed thin spectacles up the bridge of her nose.

Kerrigan had rarely seen a Fae have to wear the enhancing glasses. Though Movanna joked it was because she was always deciphering tiny lines of ancient Fae.

“Today, we’re going to discuss the Irena Bargain.”

Roake groaned softly.

Movanna laughed. “I know. I know. We’ve all heard it before. Of course we know all the details. No need to even discuss it, right?”

Kerrigan wanted to nod but had a feeling that Movanna was joking.