Page 30 of Phixmery

A loose strand of hair falls into my face and I blow it out of the way, and when that doesn’t work I use the back of my forearm, still managing to get gross dish water on my face. “Well, thanks,” I mutter.

We get into the pace of washing, drying and putting away at our station, falling into an easy silence while a few of the females in the kitchen feed Nero fruit when they walk past. The kitchen fae—because I refuse to call them nulls just because they’re magick-less—love him. And he adores them too, or at least all the little snacks he’s getting while we’re here.

“We should try to get dish duty more often,” he announces.

A chuckle escapes me, making Rozen and Ember side-eye me with curious glances. “You don’t have to lift a wing, you only like it here because of the food, so unless you’re helping, it’s not happening.”

He clucks. “Ah, you’re such a wet blanket sometimes Rav.Watch out!”

I barely have a moment before I’m shoved against the trough sink and have water being shoved into my face by a water Elemi. There’s a scuffle behind me and the water lets up, my eyes stinging with soapy water. As I spin, I see Lennox Adair sporting a bruising eye and Evera comforting him while glaring at the three of us.

“He was just having some fun. Plus, she smelled; if anything he helped her,” she sneers.

Oh, what a bitch. “Drowning someone is fun? Please elaborate? If not, I want to get this done so I can get to bed.”

She laughs, and the high pitched fake tone grates on my eardrums. “Well maybe if you stayed the hell away from my chosen mate then we wouldn’t be here to begin with.”

My face wrinkles in confusion as I glance at Rozen and then Ember, who appear to be just as flabbergasted as I am. “Um, these are the only two I really talk to. I don’t even know who you’re talking about.” I explain what is hopefully a misunderstanding. I don’t need this drama, and I’m definitely not interested in any of the males here.

“Lies,” Nero chimes in.

I ignore him.

“Sergeant Talyn Craven. I saw the way he kept looking at you. Don’t lie. Stay the hell away from him,” she hisses. “Cresida was right about you. You pretended to be a null for attention, and now you’re doing the same thing by going after other females’ partners. Stay on your side of the carriage,” she huffs, flicking her long black hair over her shoulders before she and Adair move back over to their washing station, Adair with a slightly puzzled expression on his face, Evera not letting me get a word in edgewise.

My eyes flick around the room and I see the kitchen staff and the rest of our squad staring at me. My gaze meets Bracken’s and he appears disappointed before turning around and getting back to work.

I shake my head, ignoring the whispers that are already starting up. From now on I’m sticking to not reacting to her shit. Hopefully by tomorrow all this is forgotten and I can go back to keeping my head down.

CHAPTER FOURTEEN

MY SHOVEL SCRAPES ACROSS THE stone and straw-filled stall as I scoop up more gryphon shit and dump it into the wheelbarrow. My face scrunches out of habit even though I’m used to the smell of feces and whatever else I’m shoveling. The smell is horrific and nauseating. I can understand why they use this as a punishment, but I push on, wanting to get this stall done so I can move to the next.

After the floor is cleaned and cleared, I grab the bale of straw and coat the ground with it before refilling the water and feed.

Just as I’m about to leave, a gryphon makes its way into the stall, giving me a nod before growling at me to leave its space. I almost trip over my feet to get out of its way, grabbing the barrow and pushing it hastily over towards the dumping spot. We were warned to be quick exiting an occupied gryphon stall; they may be more kind and patient than dragons, but not by much.

Bracken spots me and signals Gregor and Bren, his other friends from our squad, that he’ll be right back before making his way over to me.

Fucking fates. What in all the realms could he want now?

“I don’t know, but you say the word and his eyes are yours, Rav,”Nero reminds me as he hunches low on my shoulder, ready to attack on my cue.

He stops a few feet away, eyeing Nero with a look of distrust. Smart male. “Do you have a moment when I can speak with you, Ravina?”

My arms fold together against my chest. “We are kind of busy, and if we want to get to combat on time then I would make whatever you’re about to say fast,” I snap. I don’t understand. He ignored me the entire time I’ve lived in Shalo, only to try to communicate when we first got here, ignored me for two weeks—thankfully—and now he wants to talk?

“I just want to point out that I don’t believe you’re doing what Evera has said. Cresida and she are close, and she’s been feeding her false information about you. Just try to not get on their bad side, okay?” he says, leveling me with a look that says I enjoy causing problems.

I don’t; problems find me like fleas find dogs. “What do you think I’m doing?” I hiss. “Why do you continue to talk to me, Bracken? I think it would be better if you just leave me be, okay? You were doing so well with that.”

“Everything okay over here?” Ember calls out as she comes to empty her load of manure.

“Fantastic,” I drawl, going to move past him, but he grabs onto my arm, making me flinch before I knock his hand away.

He holds his hands up. “I’m sorry. I’m going about this the wrong way. It’s just, I like you, Ravina.” Bracken stares at me as he waits for his words to sink in.

I shake my head. “I’m sorry, but I’m not interested.”

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