by Wendy Knight
Galvan ran a hand over his face. “I don’t think this is a good idea.”
It was really, really not a good idea.
Flint narrowed his eyes. “Why not? Is there something you’re not telling me?”
Galvan swore under his breath. “No. Of course not. But she’s probably already in The Pond.”
“Then text her. Tell her you want to talk to her. Please?” Flint had never, in all the years Galvan had known him, looked so vulnerable.
Galvan caved. “Yeah. Yeah, sure. I’ll see if I can find her.”
Flint blew out a breath and sank back onto the couch. “Thanks, Galvan. You’re the best.”
Galvan had never hated himself more. You’re the best.
Not hardly.
AQUIS hadn’t gone up to The Pond yet. She was in the courtyard when Galvan found her, playing with the river droplets. He paused by the gate, watching, trying not to be mesmerized by the way the moonlight shone off her hair and her eyes glinted like diamonds. She swirled the water through the air, making elaborate spider-webbed rivers that hung on the mist before collapsing back to the stream.
“Did Flint send you?”
Galvan started. She had superhuman hearing. Or he really did breathe like a rhino. “Yeah.”
She didn’t look up as he came in and sat on the bench across from her. “How is he?”
“He’s hurt. Confused. What’s going on, Aquis?”
She shook her head, the droplets falling just a bit as she lost her focus. “He said he loves me.”
Galvan swallowed hard. “I know.”
“What did he expect me to say, Galvan? He’s—he’s like a brother to me. I don’t—I can’t—think of him like that. He’s—He’s Flint. He’s my best friend.” She dropped the water and it splashed into the river.
“Okay,” Galvan said slowly. “But the best relationships grow from friendship. Maybe if you gave it a chance—”
She surged to her feet, pacing around the courtyard like Flint had in his room, and just as gracefully in her frustration. “I can’t, Galvan. My—my heart—” Aquis froze, turning wide eyes toward him as her hand flew to her mouth, blocking whatever she’d been about to say.
Galvan rose, as well, and crossed the courtyard to stand in front of her. “Your heart what?”
She shook her head, eyes widening even further.
“Aquis.” He should have let her drop it. He didn’t want to know what she was about to say.
Well, he did. But he shouldn’t have. And that was the problem.
“I can’t,” she said through her fingers.
“Why can’t you give Flint a chance?” Galvan asked softly. Too softly. Too intimately. Every loyal bone in his body was screaming at him to walk away from her, to let it go. To let Flint deal with this himself and stay as far away from Aquis as he possibly could.
But his legs wouldn’t move.
“My heart belongs to someone else,” she whispered.
“Who?”
She stared up at him, and he knew.
In those few seconds, she said more with a look than she ever could have with words.
“Aquis—”
She sucked in a breath. “I don’t know how. One day I hated you and the next I—I don’t know how this happened.”
“This would kill him.”
She peered up at him. “We graduate soon. Then we go to Elite training. Flint never has to know.”
Flint never has to know.
Something in Galvan snapped back into place, back where it was supposed to be and had been missing for so long.
“He’s my best friend, Aquis. He’s your best friend. We can’t do this.”
She swallowed. “That’s why he can’t find out. I don’t want to hurt him.”
“It’s too late for that.” Flint stood behind them, shrouded in shadows except for his odd glowing eyes. Galvan jumped away from Aquis guiltily, shoving his hands in his pockets like they had betrayed him. Flint shook his head, turning on his heel.
“Flint, wait,” Aquis cried. “That’s not what I meant—”
Flint stopped at the gate but didn’t turn around. “You didn’t mean you were going to hide a relationship from me? My two best friends? After everything we’ve been through, you were going to keep that from me and just let me go on pining for you, Aquis?”
“No,” Galvan finally found his voice. “No, that’s not what would have happened because there’s nothing there. I can’t stand Aquis. I put up with her for your sake. You know that.”
The pain in Aquis’s eyes would haunt him for the rest of his days. He wanted to fall at her feet and beg her to understand—he’d had to choose between her and Flint, and Flint didn’t deserve that heartache. Not on top of losing his heart to her.
Tears shimmered in her eyes and she fled the courtyard, casting one last, hurt look at Galvan before she disappeared into the night. Flint, too, disappeared, but in the other direction, back toward school. If Galvan had to guess, he’d say Flint had gone to Invictus Hall to blow some stuff up and Aquis probably went to her parents’ cottage.
But Galvan himself couldn’t move. He stood staring at the gate and wondering how his whole life had fallen apart in two minutes.
CHAPTER TWELVE
AQUIS hesitated in the doorway to the cafeteria. She could see Flint sitting with Mara. He hadn’t spoken more than two words to Aquis since the night of the ball two weeks ago, although when he had been forced to talk to her, he’d been unfailingly polite.
Too polite.
Always, Mara was in his shadow, clinging to his arm and glaring sparks at any other girl who got close to him. It would have been fine if Flint looked happy. But even then, sitting at a table surrounded by Mara and her friends, he looked miserable.
He met her eyes and quickly looked away.
Twelve years of friendship, gone in an instant.
Galvan was nowhere to be seen. While she’d heard he and Flint were still on speaking terms, she never saw them together. She never saw Galvan at all, actually. Even the classes they had together, he’d stopped coming. She saw him from a distance every couple of days and then one or the other of them would run the other way.
She’d never known heartbreak before, but her heart was shattered now. Shattered for the friends she’d lost. Galvan’s confession that he couldn’t stand her paled in comparison.
She’d suspected as much, anyway.
But there had been a moment when she’d wondered—in the courtyard—it had seemed like he was as tortured as she was.
She’d suggested they hide their feelings. Flint had heard it completely different.
That they hide a relationship.
How he could think so little of her, she’d never understand.
“Aquis, ready for graduation this evening?” Ren dropped a hand on her shoulder, following her line of sight to Flint and wincing before he remembered to smooth his face into something emotionless and encouraging.
She nodded, turning away from Flint. She felt his eyes on her back as she walked away but she couldn’t make herself turn around just to see him look away again.
“Yes. My cap and gown are steamed and ready to go.”
“Elite testing in two weeks. But I already have the list of students who made officer training.” Ren raised an eyebrow teasingly, and Aquis tried her best to sound enthusiastic when she responded.
“Yeah? Any chance you could tell me who made it? Completely on the down low, of course.”
Ren laughed, and if he saw through her forced enthusiasm, he pretended he didn’t. “That could be arranged. How about lunch with your mom and me before you head down to graduation?”
Galvan came around the corner and nearly ran into them, dancing lightly out of the way to avoid burning anyone as he mumbled an apology. When he realized it was Aquis, his eyes widened and he froze.
“Hey.”
“Hey. How are you?”
Galvan swallowed. “Good. How are you?”
He
didn’t look good. His hair was more wild than normal, and his face was drawn. The laughing, sarcastic eyes were dull brown like the fire inside had died. His eyes that always glowed faintly, were quiet and ash-like.
“I’m good.” She wondered if he thought the same about her. That she was lying through her teeth. “I’m just heading to lunch with my parents. I’ll see you around.”
Galvan nodded and escaped past her. He was several steps away when she heard him speak again although he didn’t turn. It was as if he spoke against his will. “I didn’t mean it, Aquis. Everything I said. I didn’t mean it.”
She bit her lip, feeling her dad’s curious stare. Nodding, she murmured. “Okay.”
Somehow, that knowledge didn’t ease the weight on her chest at all.
AQUIS felt like a shadow at graduation, watching in a dark reality while everyone around her celebrated. She saw Mara kiss Flint and only felt pain when he looked half-alive, like her touch killed his soul.
She wanted him to be happy.
She saw Galvan with his parents, but she stayed away. She listened to her mom’s speech—a speech she’d heard a thousand times—she listened to her dad talk. Shook hands, greeted Elite representatives who winked at her because she had made it into officer training, and she should be so thrilled. Through it all, she felt like she watched from a distance.
Galvan and Flint had both made it as well. Which would surprise Galvan but not Flint. Galvan never realized how powerful he was. Not when his best friend was the freakish Pyra who had strength the likes that no one had seen before.
That meant she wouldn’t be saying goodbye to either of them, although Amazis and Pyras didn’t train together. The thought, which would have brought comfort once, now just made her nervous.
But maybe it would be a good thing. Maybe it would give them more time to get past this and get back to where they were.
Something told her that nothing would ever be the same. Not when her heart was so traitorous.
“Aquis, let’s go to dinner. Somewhere fancy to celebrate. I’ll invite Flint and Galvan along,” Cora said. She was beaming with pride, surrounded by all these Elite commanders who were excited about her daughter. It felt a little like she was prouder of her achievements than Aquis herself, but Aquis couldn’t quite find the will to care.
“No, Mom. No Flint and no Galvan. Just me this time.” Aquis wasn’t sure how her mom hadn’t realized there was a problem before now. Her dad knew—at least she was pretty sure her dad knew. She hadn’t spent a lot of time updating them on the situation, but the whole school knew. As the headmistress and assistant headmaster, they had to have heard the rumors.
Apparently not, judging by the look on Cora’s face.
“Really? I thought this would be a great opportunity for all of you to get to know your new commanders.”
“Really, Mom. They’re not interested.”
Cora and Ren exchanged a look over Aquis’s head, which was difficult because she was as tall as they were. But neither said anything, instead deserting her to talk to students’ parents and families and take pictures with outgoing seniors. Aquis wandered away to the edge of the crowd. Into the shadows.
“Congratulations.”
She looked up, surprised to see Galvan standing next to her.
“Thanks. You too.”
“My mom made you this. She thinks it’s really impressive that we stayed friends so long when we wanted to kill each other for most of it.” Galvan thrust a small silver box toward her, and their fingers almost brushed. Aquis jerked away from him, almost dropping the gift.
“Thank you. Er—your mom. Tell her thank you.” Aquis peered around him, looking for his parents because she couldn’t bear to meet his eyes.
I didn’t mean it, Aquis. Everything I said. I didn’t mean it.
He hadn’t said a word to her since.
“They went to get the car. I’m heading out. I just wanted to say goodbye. And good luck at officer training. I’m sure you made it.” He shoved his hands in his pockets, taking several steps away.
She nodded. “You too.”
Galvan laughed. “I’m not going—” He paused, reading her eyes as his jaw dropped. “I made it? Your parents recommended me?”
She nodded, smiling. “Congratulations.”
“Did Flint—?” He didn’t really need to ask. They both knew he did, but Aquis nodded anyway.
“Well, then I guess this is only goodbye for now. I’ll see you in a few weeks.” Galvan’s cheeks were flushed with barely concealed pride. “My parents are going to be shocked.”
She waved as he backed away from her. “See ya.”
He stopped, just out of reach but still within distance, and she thought for a moment that he had something else to say. Her heart raced in her chest as she instinctively leaned toward him.
But he shook his head, losing an internal argument with himself, and waved before he jogged away, disappearing into the crowd.
Aquis felt Flint’s eyes on her before she could drag her gaze from Galvan. Somehow, she’d always known when she had Flint’s attention. But his face was full of pain and betrayal and he only shook his head and walked away.
She dropped her attention back to the silver box, slowly untying the ribbon. It was a framed picture of her and Galvan, one his mom had taken on the last day of school a couple of years before. Galvan was laughing at something off camera, probably Flint, and Aquis watched him with a mixture of amusement and annoyance.
And a longing she probably didn’t understand then, but she certainly did now.
CHAPTER THIRTEEN
ONE year later
Officer training wasn’t at all the exclusive experience Galvan had expected. It had been damn hard work all day every day with little downtime.
Which was exactly what he needed.
It gave him no time to think. No time to search for Aquis among the Amazis or wonder how she was doing. If he did have time to watch for her, she was usually outperforming everyone else in her class.
Because of course she was.
Competing with Flint even when they weren’t in a competition at all. Galvan heard rumors, whispers, every time he turned around. Aquis had been known for her strength before graduation. Now, she was approaching legendary status. Elite commanders were all waiting anxiously for her to graduate and lead their teams.
Flint was also a star. He was like a celebrity, and everywhere he went, people fell all over themselves to get his attention or stand by his side. At first, he’d seemed to enjoy all the attention, but the last few months, he’d withdrawn into himself. While he was still kind to Galvan when they crossed paths, they weren’t friends by any stretch of the imagination.
Acquaintances, maybe.
But he saw Flint watching Aquis as well. When they had a chance to breathe.
Still.
So Galvan threw himself even harder into training. He could never be as good as Flint, but he could be better than everyone else.
That was his goal.
Right then, however, he was particularly exhausted. He’d worked late, going over drills they’d started that morning until he mastered them.
Flint had done the same, so they found themselves awkwardly alone in the cafeteria. The Elite training center was in the middle of headquarters, which was a city in itself in the middle of nowhere, accessible only by pod. There were no roads, so it was uncommon for a normal human to stumble upon it. The only non-Elementals they saw were government officials, there to see how their money was being spent.
Because officer training was by invitation only, the cafeteria was small. It was impossible to pretend not to see Flint.
“Hey. How’s it going?” Flint asked as they faced each other across the table. He smiled, but it didn’t reach his eyes. He’d been brutal that day in practice, nearly killing everything around him.
“I can’t complain,” Galvan said, which was a lie. He could complain that even after all this time, his heart hadn’t let A
quis go. It still hurt to breathe without her, it still hurt when someone said her name—like he was being punched in the chest with a fireball.
But he couldn’t tell Flint any of that, so instead he said, “How are you?”
“Good,” Flint said.
His voice broke.
Galvan slid into a seat, dropping his tray. He didn’t really have an appetite, but he had to refuel.
Flint sat across from him, dropped his head in one hand, and poked at his food with the other.
No appetite either.
Galvan finally gave up, pushing away from his tray. “What’s going on?”
“Hm?” Flint glanced up but didn’t raise his head.
“I know you well enough to tell when something’s bugging you. The only time I’ve seen you fight like you did today was when you were pissed off about your mom or—” Or when Aquis rejected you, “—or something,” Galvan finished lamely, although they both knew what he was going to say.
Flint flushed but didn’t answer.
“So what’s going on?”
Please don’t say it’s Aquis.
Please.
Flint blew out a breath. “Mara had a baby.”
Galvan’s jaw dropped. He couldn’t help it. Of everything he’d been expecting Flint to say, that hadn’t been it.
“What?”
Flint raked a hand through his hair.
“Is it yours?” Galvan asked, shock making him drop his voice, even though they were alone.
Flint nodded miserably.
“And... you’re not happy about it? When did she have it?” Galvan could barely believe the words sounded so calm to his own ears.
Flint stared at the ceiling, at the table, at his food, everywhere but Galvan.
Even still, the pain was there in his eyes. So overwhelming it was all Galvan could see.
“I did want it, yes. But Mara found out—” He hesitated, toying with his fork before he finally, finally met Galvan’s eyes. “She found out I was still in love with Aquis,” he said in a rush. “And she took the baby before I ever got to see it. I don’t—I don’t even know if it’s a boy or a girl. I don’t know its name. I don’t know where they are now. I don’t know how to find them. Her mother has basically threatened me into leaving them alone, and I—I don’t know what to do.”