"During the examination," Elara said, "what happened to you?"
Lucavion remained where he had turned toward her, one hand buried inside his coat pocket while the other rested loosely at his side.
The corridor had grown quieter since they left Marisse behind. Evening light entered through the tall windows in long amber bands, cutting across the pale stone before disappearing beneath the cooler glow of the mana-lamps. Somewhere beyond the western wall, the repeated impact of practice weapons carried faintly through the Academy.
Lucavion tilted his head.
"That question sounds considerably more serious than I expected."
"You failed to hear me call your name twice."
"I was thinking."
"You were somewhere else."
His mouth curved faintly. "Thinking can occasionally become ambitious."
Elara watched him.
