Page 31 of The Night Prince

“Don’t think that talk of cotton candy is going to get me off track, Finley.”Her hands were on her hips now, which, despite her slender frame, made her seem even more formidable.“You’re going to speak to the Glass Scholar.Now march!”

“But he doesn’t like me!”Finley flapped his arms.

Gemma blinked at him.“Does that matter?Surely, he won’t bar you from looking at some books simply because he doesn’t like you.Though why wouldn’t he like you?”

“That’s… well, complicated.But the thing is that I can’t afford to have him dislike memore.He is the man who stands between me and entry to the Academy!”he protested. “So better to wait for another guardian of the gates.”

She tilted her dark-haired head to the side–her hair was in a gorgeous set of braids that swirled over her skull–and said, “If he doesn’t like younow, how are you going to get into the Academy without winning him overbeforethe admissions test? Isn’t this as good a time as any to start a friendship with him?”

He swallowed, but his salivary glands were giving him remarkably little to work with.“If I pass the test–”

“Youwillpass the test.That’s a given.”She nodded firmly.

A small smile graced his lips.“Ah, yeah, well, it’s not a sure thing, but I appreciate the support!”

“It is a sure thing, because it’syou, Finley.You could pass it today, but you’re taking a whole other year to study.”

He frisked happily.Her confidence in him made it seem all the more possible that he could pass the test.And he needed all the confidence he could get.No human had eventriedto take the test.After all, what was the point?Humans didn’t have magic so why apply to an academy of magic?But he knew better.Declan proved humanity had depths that no one else had even guessed.And Finley would prove it!

“Yes, well, I want to make sure I pass the first time.So there will be no question that I belong at the Academy,” he explained.

Gemma’s right eyebrow lifted.Another trait she shared with her mother.That eyebrow lift spoke volumes, but she only said, “Really?”

“Yes!It’s not like I’m avoiding taking the test because I’m afraid of–of–of what will happen next!”

Gemma’s right eyebrow remained lifted.

He sputtered on, “I still need to refine my understanding of Katyr.There are so many terms that are just related to magic use that I haven’t had a chance to learn their intricacies yet.”

“Uhuh.”She pinched the top of her nose.“I’m going to, at least, pretend that I believe you.But you better act like it's true then.”

“I am… aren’t I?”

“Well, if you’re so concerned about knowing theintricaciesof magical language then what better place than the Athenaeum is there to obtain such knowledge?The local library didn’t hold all the info you needed on Vex so I’m guessing it can’t possibly hold all the information on magic,” she pointed out.

He blinked at her, cleared his throat, shuffled his feet, and blinked again.Finally, he said, “Touche.”

“That’s what I thought.”She shook her head.“Finley, I understand that getting into the Academy is your dream and I also understand wanting a little more time to prepare for that, but thegameis happening now.You need to set up Vex’s backstory so that when you end this D&D campaign, you can slot him right in.This can’t wait.You have paying customers.”

That was true.Very, very true.And if he got Vexwrong… Well, even if his players wouldn’t know, he would and his pride demanded accuracy.His eyes slid to the biggest obstacle in his way: Glass Scholar Neldor Loravye.

The man was beautiful as all Sun Elves were, though his nose might have been a little too narrow and his forehead too high and his ears too pointy to rank him amongst the most stunning beauties of the Aravae world, but his mind–his mind!--was the most beautiful thing in Finley’s estimation.All that knowledge packed inside!And if they were friends–or better yet, mentor and mentee–they could have long conversations about the contents of that lovely skull.Finley sighed.

“The thing is that the test is anobjectivepiece of evidence that I’m worth his time and not some hysterical, addle-minded human who imagines he sees dark towers through rifts,” Finley finally explained.

“You mean when you saw Illithor through the rift?”He nodded.Gemma’s dark brown eyes went distant for a moment.“I wish I could remember that day.”

“No, no, you don’t,” Finley said firmly.

He truly wished he could forget the day the Leviathan came.Not Declan’s heroism, of course.But the deaths.So much death and darkness and feeling helpless to do anything about it.All he’d been able to do was shout to Declan when a Leviathan slithered up behind him.He wasn’t even sure if Declan had needed his warnings.The thing was that his best friend had been alone in that fight to keep them safe.

Even now, he didn’t dare go outside the dome though he often saw Declan staring off into the distance on particularly starry nights and he worried that Declan was only staying in the safety of Tyrael forhim.The truth was that he wanted to be Declan’sequal.Well, okay, maybe not his equal.But someone who could hold his own, that Declan wouldn’t have to worry so much about, and for him to even be able to help keep Declan safe for once.

Her eyes focused on him.“Ido.I want to know how Declan–”

“Shhhhh.”He held up a hand to silence her and his eyes skittered towards Neldor.

The Glass Scholar was still looking down at an illustrated manuscript.Blond head bowed.Long fingers turning the pages.Seemingly, completely oblivious to the two humans hanging about by the front doors.Several Sun Elf scholars in their high-necked Mage robes had streamed past Neldor and entered the library since he and Gemma had arrived.All had bowed low to Neldor who had smiled at them and inclined his head in greeting.

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