she wasn’t applying because she didn’t care to spend so much time in Orion, but Davin had a feeling she didn’t want to compete for a job Ariella really wanted. From what he’d seen, Isis had no problem dealing with the Selpes or their technology.
“I could use your help too,” Davin told her.
Isis had the nerve to laugh right in his face. “Sorry,” she said once the last tremors had stopped shaking her body. “It’s just…well, Davin, you don’t need any help dressing up.”
“Not with that.” He slid his fingers through his hair, pushing it away from his face. “With Jade.”
“Wait.” Isis cupped her hands around her face. “We’ve been here before.”
“Or was it a foresight?” Ariella asked, mimicking the gesture.
Davin stared down the two comedians. “This is serious.”
“Do you need some advice on how to ward off her advances?” Isis asked.
She was trying to contain the laughter. At least Davin thought she was. She wasn’t doing a very good job of it, though. Her lips buzzed and her shoulders shook.
“No.” Davin frowned at her, hoping that would stifle her chuckles. It didn’t work. “She isn’t making any advances.”
“And you want her to?”
“No. Damn it, Isis! This isn’t funny.”
“Sorry.” She swallowed a final laugh and turned to him with a face so serious and reserved that he knew it was fake. “What’s the problem?”
“She’s stopped giving me pained looks. But then I started noticing her humming and dolling herself up just like last time. I think she’s fallen in love with someone else.”
“Sounds like a solution, not a problem.”
“Not when she disappears into the woods for hours on end,” he said. “What if she was so distraught over what happened between us that she’s fallen in with a rogue crowd?”
“Because she spends time in the forest?” Isis asked. “Davin, I spend a lot of time in the forest. That doesn’t mean I’m going to run off with a band of rogues.”
“Or assassins,” Ariella snickered.
“Raven would like that.”
Davin shook his head. There wasn’t much else to do once those two got started.
“If you’re really concerned, then why don’t you just have her followed?” Ariella asked him.
“I tried,” he said. “She managed to lose her tail in under five minutes. She knows those woods too well.”
“The woods outside Laelia? You should know them better,” said Isis.
“Except she’s not wandering in those woods. She takes the portal to somewhere in southern Pegasus and loses them there.”
Isis chewed on her lip in silence. Maybe she was finally taking him seriously enough to realize how suspicious this all looked.
“Most of those who know the forests of Pegasus well went rogue long ago,” he said. “There’s a very short list of other people who also know those forests, and Jade is on it. Obviously, I can’t ask her. And I’m not going to bring in someone else to help me. If I’m wrong, I’ll never hear the end of it from Father. But you.” He looked at Isis. “You not only know the forests of Pegasus, you know nearly every corner of Elitia, probably better than anyone else alive.”
“As I said, I spend a lot of time in the woods.”
Davin waited for her to say more, but when she left it at that, he tried something more direct. “Will you help me?”
She looked up at the clock on the front side of the dormitory house. “Davin, I wish I could, but I have to get to my test.” She took the two chocolate boxes from Ariella. “But Ariella also knows the back trails of the Wilderness. If you’re nice to her, she might just help you.”
Then Isis disappeared into the building, leaving Davin alone with Ariella. He stared at the door for a few seconds before turning to her.
“What do you say? Care to help me?”
She set her hands on her hips and smiled. “Have you been nice to me?”
“I brought you chocolate.”
“Ok. I suppose that qualifies.”
~ 6
“I could use your help too,” Davin told her.
Isis had the nerve to laugh right in his face. “Sorry,” she said once the last tremors had stopped shaking her body. “It’s just…well, Davin, you don’t need any help dressing up.”
“Not with that.” He slid his fingers through his hair, pushing it away from his face. “With Jade.”
“Wait.” Isis cupped her hands around her face. “We’ve been here before.”
“Or was it a foresight?” Ariella asked, mimicking the gesture.
Davin stared down the two comedians. “This is serious.”
“Do you need some advice on how to ward off her advances?” Isis asked.
She was trying to contain the laughter. At least Davin thought she was. She wasn’t doing a very good job of it, though. Her lips buzzed and her shoulders shook.
“No.” Davin frowned at her, hoping that would stifle her chuckles. It didn’t work. “She isn’t making any advances.”
“And you want her to?”
“No. Damn it, Isis! This isn’t funny.”
“Sorry.” She swallowed a final laugh and turned to him with a face so serious and reserved that he knew it was fake. “What’s the problem?”
“She’s stopped giving me pained looks. But then I started noticing her humming and dolling herself up just like last time. I think she’s fallen in love with someone else.”
“Sounds like a solution, not a problem.”
“Not when she disappears into the woods for hours on end,” he said. “What if she was so distraught over what happened between us that she’s fallen in with a rogue crowd?”
“Because she spends time in the forest?” Isis asked. “Davin, I spend a lot of time in the forest. That doesn’t mean I’m going to run off with a band of rogues.”
“Or assassins,” Ariella snickered.
“Raven would like that.”
Davin shook his head. There wasn’t much else to do once those two got started.
“If you’re really concerned, then why don’t you just have her followed?” Ariella asked him.
“I tried,” he said. “She managed to lose her tail in under five minutes. She knows those woods too well.”
“The woods outside Laelia? You should know them better,” said Isis.
“Except she’s not wandering in those woods. She takes the portal to somewhere in southern Pegasus and loses them there.”
Isis chewed on her lip in silence. Maybe she was finally taking him seriously enough to realize how suspicious this all looked.
“Most of those who know the forests of Pegasus well went rogue long ago,” he said. “There’s a very short list of other people who also know those forests, and Jade is on it. Obviously, I can’t ask her. And I’m not going to bring in someone else to help me. If I’m wrong, I’ll never hear the end of it from Father. But you.” He looked at Isis. “You not only know the forests of Pegasus, you know nearly every corner of Elitia, probably better than anyone else alive.”
“As I said, I spend a lot of time in the woods.”
Davin waited for her to say more, but when she left it at that, he tried something more direct. “Will you help me?”
She looked up at the clock on the front side of the dormitory house. “Davin, I wish I could, but I have to get to my test.” She took the two chocolate boxes from Ariella. “But Ariella also knows the back trails of the Wilderness. If you’re nice to her, she might just help you.”
Then Isis disappeared into the building, leaving Davin alone with Ariella. He stared at the door for a few seconds before turning to her.
“What do you say? Care to help me?”
She set her hands on her hips and smiled. “Have you been nice to me?”
“I brought you chocolate.”
“Ok. I suppose that qualifies.”
~ 6
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