Dad stares at me and then up at Jackson again. "What?" he asks. "I was just being polite -"

"Jacks is...not great with polite," I say, pressing myself warmly to his side. "Actually, I think he'd probably rather fight you than do the small talk thing." Jackson scowls, already coming back to himself a little. "Ari, I don't want to fight him -"

"I know," I say, nodding and smiling up into his face. "Just - can we all maybe take a bit of space? Try this again over midwinter, maybe over dinner?" Sᴇaʀch Thᴇ ꜰindNʘvel.ɴet website on Gøøglᴇ to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.

"Or an activity," Rafe suggests, knowing that even a dinner might be a bit much for Jacks. "Or a great, great deal of whiskey - barrels of it."

"Enough," dad snaps good-heartedly at Rafe, waving a dismissive hand at all of us as he turns away. "Fine, fine! We'll do it all later! I need much more information anyway."

I grin after him as he walks to the bed with mom at his side, and then I grin between Jacks and Rafe.

"You did great, Jacks," I whisper, supportive.

glancing after my

patting him on his shoulder with a laugh. I laugh too and Jackson gives a tentative smile, I think

suddenly, I long for a

clipboard in his hand. "I'm looking for

which was apparently tucked into his back pocket. Hastily, I loop

at me and then nods

professor says, looking anxiously over at the King, Queen, and Duchess standing quietly together by the bed, perhaps wondering what the hell is going

a sigh, "the three of

big hug. When we go all the way around before we see the professor at the door giving us a strange look. Jackson just clears his throat and awkwardly lowers me to the

Clark..." here she glances at me, and inwardly I cringe at how obvious she's being, "was carried wounded over the

the professor says, giving her a deferential bow. "The rules are to cross the finish line, full stop. I think," he glances at my dad here, "they were written

all along because he wrote the rule book - that it's not a surprise to him, at all, that I've

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