Page 226 of Interion

He stayed quiet for a moment, then sighed.

“No. That’s normal for the tests—some years the toxicity level isn’t even noticeable. But it’s good to stay alert and treat every spring as if it’s contaminated.” He paused and seemed reluctant to continue, fidgeting with my shoelace.

“What’s bothering you?”

“It reminds me that we’ve been having problems with toxic water beyond the borders. It worries me because the contamination seems to be linked to the attacks…” Zion stopped and turned to face me. Then he forced a smile, wiping the worry from his expression. “Anyway, it’s nothing you need to worry about. These are army problems, and the test will be protected by the millennial barrier.”

Something was clearly wrong—very few things worried Zion like this—but he continued before I could ask.

“There's a type of flower called Ocean Rose. It stores rainwater and is safe to drink, but they're rare, and some students probably already know about them and will be searching. It grows on top of trees—blue on the outside, pink inside—and holds about 200 ml of water. Not much, but it helps a lot.”

“Blue flower, pink inside, avoid water that tastes metallic,” I repeated to myself.

“And where do you plan to sleep for the two nights you'll be there?”

“I'm still thinking about that. Where did you sleep when you took the test?” He was quiet for a moment, his fingers tracing my calf before he started massaging it.

“At night, predators come out to hunt. Tigers, mountain lions, bears... You can never stay somewhere exposed, and if you have a vial, it'll be impossible to hide it before dawn. Nighttime is when you spot where they glow so you can search for them in the morning, but if you're carrying one, other people will see it too. You need to hide somewhere that muffles the glow. So tell me—what's the best spot?”

He massaged my leg, his long fingers moving up and down from my ankle to my knee. I could barely think. Even though I was wearing thick pants and he was just absently massaging while we talked, his touch sent tingles across my skin, and in my imagination, those fingers wandered to far less appropriate places. He turned and caught me watching his hands.

“Focus, Kyller,” Zion said, snapping me back. “If you don't stop looking at me like I'm a popsicle waiting to be unwrapped and sucked, I swear I'm going to lose control and let you treat me exactly like one.”

I snapped out of my daydream, straightening up. I sighed, trying to clear my head, but today there was no hiding my attraction to his body. I forced myself to focus on the test.

“A place to stay that isn't exposed. I think a tree branch would be perfect.”

“A branch is good, but it won't hide the vial's glow, and it won't protect you from the cold wind and snow.”

“A cave?” I asked uncertainly, but where the hell would I find a cave?

“That would be perfect, but an animal could find you. There's only one cave in the entire area, and you might end up far from it. So you need a backup plan—something that's available everywhere.”

“I don't know.” I thought of several options, but in the middle of a forest with no materials, it seemed impossible to find a high spot where I could conceal myself.

“Then do some research. You have a week to figure it out,” he said, standing up. His little braids fanned out in all directions.

“Wait, you're not going to tell me?”

“No. If I told you, I'd be helping you more than I should, and that's cheating.”

He tied up his braided hair. Beautiful didn't even begin to describe what I saw. Something nostalgic stirred in the back of my mind. In my dreams, my father wore braids like that.

“No one will know,” I whispered, as if we were committing a crime. He smiled back, extending a hand to me.

“I'll know, and that's enough.” He helped me up. “Do some research. The answer is easy—you of all people should know.”

“And if I don't figure it out?”

“You will.” He gave me a half smile, positioning himself for another round of sparring.

Δ

When training ended, we went upstairs and headed straight for the showers. Dinner was already on the table—Zion had arranged for a neighborhood restaurant to bring food every night so we wouldn't have to worry about cooking. Freshly showered, pajamas on, socks on my feet, and a towel wrapped around my head, I sat down to eat. Kiara, who followed me everywhere, lay at my feet, warming them. She'd already eaten, but she stayed there hoping I'd drop something. I didn't mind—I liked to think of her as a walking vacuum cleaner, since there'd never be crumbs on the floor.

“So?” I asked eagerly. “Where's my surprise?”

“In my room.” Zion gave me a relaxed smile.