Natt came into the room crying. She rushed over to Basque and smashed into him. Grabbing his Hianbrun robes, Natt cried into his chest, and he wrapped his arms around her.

  “Banca?”

  She nodded. “Reianna told her.”

  Basque’s stomach lurched. “What?”

  Pulling away, Natt rubbed her eyes. “Reianna told Banca that she’s a mage.” Natt rolled her head back and looked at the ceiling. “Yani. Here I was thinking I was making progress.” She rolled her head forward and shook it.

  “Do you want me to say something to her?”

  “No! Goodness, no. She hates all of us right now.”

  “Still I—”

  “No, Basque. Just…give her time.”

  He nodded. He closed the distance between them and rubbed her arm. She leaned into him.

  “What are you going to do about the break then?” he asked.

  “Hunting break?”

  “Yeah.”

  Natt sighed. “I don’t know. I was thinking of taking her with us when I took Reianna to see her parents, but now…”

  “You can leave Banca with me.”

  Natt tilted her head up to look at his face. “You can’t be serious.”

  “Why not? The last teacher’s meeting made it clear that students are not allowed to remain on campus, right? She has to go somewhere. Why don’t I take her to the Hianbrun compound?”

  Pushing away from Basque, Natt walked over to the wardrobe and opened it. With her back to him, as she pulled out a dress, she said, “You have to take Yesenia with you. Do you really think you can handle two teen girls?”

  “But Yesenia’s not a student.”

  “She’s also not a Dyntril maid, remember?” Natt took a dress out and held it up to herself, then threw it over the back of a chair.

  “What, Sophia’s going to kick her out?”

  “She doesn’t have a choice.” A second dress joined the first.

  “I thought she was the head maid? What are you doing?” Basque asked as a third dress joined the first two.

  Natt was now holding a fourth dress. It was a long, white evening gown that looked very form-fitting. She held it with one hand while her other lifted her hair. She looked at herself in the mirror and twisted left and right.

  “I’m choosing a dress. What does it look like?”

  “Why?”

  She turned to him, dress draped over her arm. “Because I’m hungry?”

  “Didn’t we miss our reservations?”

  She walked over to him and patted his cheek twice. “I was able to change them.” She looked his robe up and down. “You’re not going in that, are you?”

  He looked at his robe. “I’d planned on asking Reaggie to make something for us.”

  “Pass. I like remembering what I ate. Wear that white and teal robe-thing; it’ll match well with me tonight.” She went into the bathroom.

  “Where are you going? What about Banca?”

  Natt stuck her head out from behind the door. “If I change in front of you, I know we’ll miss our reservations, and I’m starving. Banca’s not going anywhere, and I’m, again, too hungry to think about it.” She closed the door.

  Basque shook his head and stripped out of his robe. He tossed it on his bed and pulled out the one that Natt requested. When she came out of the bathroom, Basque’s breath was taken away.

  It was a very rare occasion when Natt wore a dress, as she preferred her pants, button-down shirts, and vests, but when she did wear one, it affirmed Basque’s belief that she was the most beautiful woman he’d ever seen. She blushed when he told her so.

  “You look great, too. I love your fashion. It’s so foreign.”

  Locking arms, they headed out of the dorm hall, through the Grand Entrance Hall, and into the chaos of the grounds outside.

  As there were still three more days of the tournament left, the stalls and crowds took up the pathway from the school entrance to the main building. “We could have gotten something here,” Basque mentioned as they walked arm-in-arm down to the main entrance to get a carriage.

  “A cheap date, huh?”

  Basque laughed. “I don’t even have money.”

  “Must be nice being an ambassador and eating for free.”

  “They don’t let me eat for free at the stalls.”

  “Oh, you poor, deprived soul.”

  “Basky!” Harnel burst out in front of them with his hands raised in the air, both of them holding a cup of beer. “Naughty Natty!” He lowered one of the beers and held it out to her. “Let me see you drink-drink-drink! Let me see you drink-drink-drink!” He bounced and danced with his song, but kept the cup of alcohol in Natt’s face.

  She pushed it aside. “I don’t drink anymore.”

  He looked at her, then the cup, shrugged, and downed the beer in one go. “Woooh!” he yelled. “You know, you guys used tah be lots more fun.” He swayed slightly.

  “Where’s Madam Julvie?” Basque asked.

  Harnel’s face clouded. More than just extending his arm, Harnel rotated his torso so that he could reach out towards Basque, pushing the still-full beer closer to him. Harnel lifted his index finger off the cup and poked Basque’s shoulder. “Dunno.”

  At almost twice the speed of his initial movement, Harnel pulled the cup back and took a sip.

  “I think you’ve had enough,” Basque said.

  “I’ve…” He looked at the cup. “Still got more to drink. Saera!” Harnel yelled and wandered off after the kiwi-haired teacher. “Let me see you drink-drink-drink!”

  Natt pulled on Basque’s arm, and they continued their journey down the walkway.

  “I kind of feel sorry for him,” Natt said.

  “No one forced him to side with Julvie.”

  “I thought you would be more forgiving.”

  Basque scowled. “His actions directly harmed his students’ education. I don’t care about any slights to me. His failure as a teacher is unforgivable.”

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  “Oh…” Natt dropped her gaze. “I know all about that.”

  Unlinking his arm with hers, Basque wrapped his arm around her waist and pulled her closer to him. “Hey. We’re over that. You know I think you’re a brilliant teacher. If you wanted to drink some, I trust you to know your limits.”

  “Thanks, but I don’t trust myself. A glass of wine one night with Sym can easily turn into a liquid breakfast a week later. So, please, keep those broody looks for when I’m about to drink to stop me.”

  “Hey! I’m not broody.”

  “Basque, ‘broody’ is almost like your default setting.”

  He laughed. “Fine. Fine. So I brood. Are you going to dump me over it?”

  She grabbed his chin and angled his face down to hers. She kissed him. “No, I think I’ll just screw it out of you.”

  Basque was all smiles as he hailed a carriage in front of the school. After he told the driver their destination and sat down, Natt said, “You know, other restaurants exist.”

  “I like that one.”

  “Because Julvie took you there?”

  “Because the food is good. You know, she stormed out on that date.”

  “Ha! Why am I not surprised? Did she even finish her meal?”

  “No! She left half her chicken, and the waiter took it away before I could eat it.”

  Natt chuckled again. “Let me guess, you were more upset about that than her leaving mid-date.”

  “You know me too well.”

  “Well, if I ever leave you mid-meal, I’ll be sure to tell the waiter to hurry up and take my plate away as I leave.”

  Basque slid away from her. “What? You wouldn’t tell him to leave it longer?”

  “No! I’d be leaving because I’m angry. You’d need to suffer more!”

  He shook his head. “You’re just too cruel!”

  “Well, you shouldn’t mess up so bad then, and I might have stayed and shared with you.”

  “Will you share with me tonight?”

  “No, Mr. I-eat-for-free! Order your own plate. It’s bad enough that I’ve had to suffer peak average cooking every meal since I moved in with you. Leave my memorable food alone.”

  “I think Reaggie would cry if he heard you say that.”

  “Good, then maybe his tears will add some actual flavor to the dishes he makes.”

  Before Basque could respond, the carriage came to a stop, and the driver announced their arrival. Getting out first, Basque waited and held out his hand for Natt to help her down.

  “Always the gentleman,” she said.

  “If only you were always the lady,” he answered.

  She patted his cheek. “You like my crassness.”

  “That I do.”

  The maitre d' showed them to a table with a window view, and after they ordered, Basque took a breath and said, “Okay, we need to talk about her now.”

  “No.”

  “Yes.”

  “What about the rest of the students?” Natt deflected.

  “What about them?”

  “They have to go somewhere for hunting break as well!”

  Basque leaned back, folded his arms, and nodded. “That’s true, but isn’t that the case every year?”

  Natt leaned forward. “Basque, your class is the only class not to have a student die this year.”

  “Class A—”

  “Banca.” Natt leaned back.

  “She’s not dead, though.”

  “Yeah! And your class is the first class in the history of the school to have more students at the end of the year than at the beginning.”

  Basque toyed with his fork. “That’s…sad, but what does that matter for the break?”

  “Okay, so you want Xav to go back out to the camps?”

  He let go of his fork. “Well, what did Yesenia do last year?”

  “I think she went home with another student, but you’re going to have that happen with multiple students this year. How many of their parents have you met? Most of their parents don’t want their own kids to come home. That’s one more mouth they have to feed.”

  “Wouldn’t they need to feed the whole kid and not just their mouth?”

  “It’s an idiom, Basque. It does mean the whole child.”

  Basque stared at his plate. He wasn’t sure what to do as this was a problem he’d never faced before. School was year-round in Hianbru. The teachers didn’t need time off to go hunting to meet some artificial number of kills to keep their social standing.

  Yani had no concept of time or seasons. Just as many attacked in the summer as they did in the winter. Teachers were also no longer hunters—that’s why he became a teacher. Taking three whole months off was ridiculous. Would his students even be able to train? Their skills would atrophy horrendously if they couldn’t.

  “I need to arrange something…”

  “Exactly!” Natt said.

  Before Basque could reply, the waiter came over with their meals. “Chicken à la crème de Champagne for you, sir.” He placed the chicken dish in front of Basque. “And Roasted Sea Bass with Beurre Blanc for the madam. May I get you anything else? A glass of wine?”

  “We’re fine, thank you,” Basque answered.

  The waiter bowed and left.

  Basque picked up his knife and fork. “Why is it up to me to find something, though? Why can’t you?”

  Natt also picked up her utensils. “You’re their teacher. I’m just a subteach.”

  “It’s your Yani country!” He put a bite of chicken in his mouth and smiled. Even the topic couldn’t spoil the dish.

  “Doesn’t your country have that whole Yani-ass compound?”

  Basque shook his head. “The next group of diplomats will be here in a month and a half. They’d have to leave mid-break.”

  “Oh? That’s confirmed?”

  “Yeah, Eder told me he’d received long-distance contact from the ship. They’re having an easier time with the sea Yani this round, and making better time.”

  “That’s good to hear.”

  “Yeah, but it still doesn’t solve the hunting break problem. What a silly country.”

  From around a bite of sea bass, Natt said, “You know, I think that’s the kindest word I’ve heard you call Kruami.”

  “I respect the atmosphere here.”

  Natt cleared her throat. “It’s your Yani country!” she imitated.

  Basque smiled. “Fine, tomorrow I’ll find out what the students have planned. How many can you take to where you’ve hidden Reianna’s parents?”

  “Reianna and Banca.”

  “Two?”

  “No, only those two. I can’t compromise their safety.”

  “But who would go after her parents now?”

  “Are you serious? Just today, in front of the world, Reianna fought one of the most renowned mages in the country and lived. She was already famous after beating Banca, but now…” Natt shook her head. “I can’t imagine what the reaction would be if Reianna actually won.”

  “She did.”

  “What?”

  “I met Loushee while you were with Banca. Reianna fixed her. Loushee made an oath to dedicate her life to Reianna.”

  Natt’s face darkened. “When the Yani were you planning on telling me this?!”

  “Now?” Basque smiled, hoping it would defuse Natt’s angry glare—it did not.

  “This is something you lead with in your room!”

  Basque put his knife and fork down on his empty plate, then wiped his mouth with his napkin. “It doesn’t really matter. She’s leaving Dyntril.”

  “Of course, she’s graduating.”

  “No, she isn’t.” Basque filled Natt in about his meeting with Yasher, Eder, and Billiam, then the meeting with Krill and Loushee.

  “Yani, Basque…if I didn’t love you so much, I would leave your ass here like Julvie did.”

  Basque opened his mouth, but Natt cut him off. “Yes, that means all of you because you’re a giant walking ass.”

  “I’m a giant ass? Aren’t you the one debating on making Reianna spend three months with her parents and Banca?”

  “It’s a large estate. They wouldn’t have to see each other if they didn’t want to. It’s not like making them share a bedroom.”

  The last comment cut him deep. He wanted to lash back out at her and opened his mouth for a rejoinder, but closed it. He didn’t want to say something that he would regret, and he was pretty sure anything besides an apology would be such a thing. “I’m sorry, Natt. I know I should have brought the Loushee thing up sooner.”

  Her face softened, then turned into a guilty look. She shook her head. “I didn’t exactly give you a lot of time to talk about it, and I went too far. I shouldn’t have thrown that in your face.”

  “You didn’t throw anything?”

  She rolled her eyes and laughed. “You know, I think you do get those body part idioms but pretend not to understand on purpose.”

  “But I really don’t understand!”

  “Sure you don’t.” Her smile didn’t fade. “What I meant was I shouldn’t have brought that night up again. Truce?”

  He nodded. “Truce. Thus ends the most successful Hianbrun and Kruamian peace talks to date.”

  She laughed. “Well, our countries aren’t at war, so I think our leaders are doing a good enough job.”

  After taking a sip of water, Basque put his napkin on the table. “Are you ready to head back?”

  Natt looked at her clean plate, then back up at Basque. “No dessert?”

  “The festival should still be going when we get back. Thought we might get something there.”

  “Oh? And who’s going to pay for it?” She smiled.

  “Hey, I got dinner.”

  She laughed. “Fine, but I’m buying us the most deep-fried, sugar-covered, fried-again, coagulated glob of fat I can find.”

  “Sounds fantastic. What’s it called?”

  “Heart-attack-on-a-stick.”

  Basque laughed. “Let’s have two each, then maybe we’ll die before we have to make a decision about this stupid upcoming break.”

  “Yani, can I have three just to be on the safe side?”