from something? Or someone?” Landyn’s eyes had gone the barest shade of vulnerable.
Landyn was beautiful, Connor realized. He was powerful and clever, when he wasn’t being a sanctimonious know-it-all, and he had a wicked sense of humor—though this was usually at Connor’s expense. And then there was his mouth.
It didn’t make sense that Landyn hadn’t been sitting with him at the popular table.
“Why don’t you have any friends?” Connor asked. “And I don’t count. Not people you’re magically obligated to endure, but people you’d spend time with by choice. Real friends.”
Landyn’s face closed off. “What?”
“Did something happen?” Connor pressed. The thought made his magic sizzle under his skin. Had someone said something to Landyn? Betrayed him? If they had, Connor would find them and teach them that sticks and stones may break bones, but fire spells would reduce them to cinders.
Landyn turned his face to the fire. “No. I can see what you’re thinking, but it wasn’t anything quite so dramatic. It just… happened. I was always quiet, and then little things built up over time, until it became easier not to bother with people at all.”
“But nobody hurt you?” Connor needed to make sure. His gut churned like there were fire rocks in his stomach.
“No, Connor, nobody offended my delicate sensibilities and drove me to a life of solitary despair,” Landyn said, sounding exasperated. “I don’t know that I can explain. Somewhere along the way, for some reason, I pulled away from people and didn’t stop. You wouldn’t understand. It’s different for you. People like you; you can make friends with anyone. Real friends,” he echoed bitterly. The way he said it made Connor’s chest hurt.
Connor gave a weak smirk. “People want to be friends with me because of my father. It’s always been that way. Then along came the Oracle and—poof! Friends gone.”
Landyn shook his head. “That might be part of it, but I’ve seen you with the cook, the teachers, other students. You’re charming.”
Connor grinned. “You think I’m charming?”
“I’m surprised you haven’t found a new girlfriend already,” Landyn said casually.
Connor raised an eyebrow. He’d been working on this particular eyebrow maneuver since he began studying with Landyn, since Landyn so frequently employed a similar expression. “Who’d date me now? I’ve been dethroned, remember? No more King Connor, as you like to remind me.”
Landyn shrugged, his eyes trained resolutely on the fire. “I’m sure there are girls who’d date you.”
“What about you?”
Landyn’s head snapped up. “What?”
“Any girls you’d like to date?”
“Oh,” Landyn said. He laughed humorlessly, then took a deep breath. “No. Girls aren’t exactly my type.”
Connor was quiet for a moment. The only sound was the crackling of flames and a snap as a log broke and settled on the grate. “Boys, then?”
Landyn gave him a sharp look, his chin tipped up. Connor knew him well enough by now to see that Landyn was readying himself for a fight. It made Connor’s heart clench to think Landyn expected the worst from him.
“Is that a problem?” Landyn asked.
Connor deliberately relaxed his posture and slouched further in his chair. “Nope.”
“Really,” Landyn asked flatly. There went the eyebrow.
“Really,” Connor repeated. He scratched at his nose. “How about Dugan? He looks good if you don’t stare directly at him.”
“What!” Landyn squawked. “He’s an oaf!”
“Yeah, but you haven’t seen him in the changing rooms after a tournament. I think he’s part mountain troll, if you know what I mean.”
Landyn stopped short, gaping at him, and leaned forward in his chair until their knees were touching. “Are you—? I mean, do you—?”
Connor shrugged, feeling suddenly reckless. He’d never told anyone about his occasional fantasies that didn’t involve breasts, but why not? He didn’t
Landyn was beautiful, Connor realized. He was powerful and clever, when he wasn’t being a sanctimonious know-it-all, and he had a wicked sense of humor—though this was usually at Connor’s expense. And then there was his mouth.
It didn’t make sense that Landyn hadn’t been sitting with him at the popular table.
“Why don’t you have any friends?” Connor asked. “And I don’t count. Not people you’re magically obligated to endure, but people you’d spend time with by choice. Real friends.”
Landyn’s face closed off. “What?”
“Did something happen?” Connor pressed. The thought made his magic sizzle under his skin. Had someone said something to Landyn? Betrayed him? If they had, Connor would find them and teach them that sticks and stones may break bones, but fire spells would reduce them to cinders.
Landyn turned his face to the fire. “No. I can see what you’re thinking, but it wasn’t anything quite so dramatic. It just… happened. I was always quiet, and then little things built up over time, until it became easier not to bother with people at all.”
“But nobody hurt you?” Connor needed to make sure. His gut churned like there were fire rocks in his stomach.
“No, Connor, nobody offended my delicate sensibilities and drove me to a life of solitary despair,” Landyn said, sounding exasperated. “I don’t know that I can explain. Somewhere along the way, for some reason, I pulled away from people and didn’t stop. You wouldn’t understand. It’s different for you. People like you; you can make friends with anyone. Real friends,” he echoed bitterly. The way he said it made Connor’s chest hurt.
Connor gave a weak smirk. “People want to be friends with me because of my father. It’s always been that way. Then along came the Oracle and—poof! Friends gone.”
Landyn shook his head. “That might be part of it, but I’ve seen you with the cook, the teachers, other students. You’re charming.”
Connor grinned. “You think I’m charming?”
“I’m surprised you haven’t found a new girlfriend already,” Landyn said casually.
Connor raised an eyebrow. He’d been working on this particular eyebrow maneuver since he began studying with Landyn, since Landyn so frequently employed a similar expression. “Who’d date me now? I’ve been dethroned, remember? No more King Connor, as you like to remind me.”
Landyn shrugged, his eyes trained resolutely on the fire. “I’m sure there are girls who’d date you.”
“What about you?”
Landyn’s head snapped up. “What?”
“Any girls you’d like to date?”
“Oh,” Landyn said. He laughed humorlessly, then took a deep breath. “No. Girls aren’t exactly my type.”
Connor was quiet for a moment. The only sound was the crackling of flames and a snap as a log broke and settled on the grate. “Boys, then?”
Landyn gave him a sharp look, his chin tipped up. Connor knew him well enough by now to see that Landyn was readying himself for a fight. It made Connor’s heart clench to think Landyn expected the worst from him.
“Is that a problem?” Landyn asked.
Connor deliberately relaxed his posture and slouched further in his chair. “Nope.”
“Really,” Landyn asked flatly. There went the eyebrow.
“Really,” Connor repeated. He scratched at his nose. “How about Dugan? He looks good if you don’t stare directly at him.”
“What!” Landyn squawked. “He’s an oaf!”
“Yeah, but you haven’t seen him in the changing rooms after a tournament. I think he’s part mountain troll, if you know what I mean.”
Landyn stopped short, gaping at him, and leaned forward in his chair until their knees were touching. “Are you—? I mean, do you—?”
Connor shrugged, feeling suddenly reckless. He’d never told anyone about his occasional fantasies that didn’t involve breasts, but why not? He didn’t
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