“If anybody’s going to cry,” Serene offered after a pause, “I don’t have a handkerchief.”
Serene thought she was a laugh riot. Elliot made a face at her, and saw Luke make a face himself: a little grimace which Luke often made at parties, hoping someone would say something to smooth over the moment.
Elliot did in fact have another minor concern to raise.
“Okay, now that that’s settled, you two have to help me. Hide me! I don’t want to talk to Dale.”
“Elliot Jerome Schafer!” Serene sounded scandalized. “You cannot play fast and loose with a man’s affections. Are you some sort of rogue?”
Elliot thought being a rogue sounded very dashing, but clearly Serene did not.
“Serene!” Elliot protested. “It’s so awkward. And he is so boring! He can barely string two words together. Can’t you guys just stay with me at all times and don’t let him talk to me until he gets the message?”
Luke cleared his throat, and offered: “Maybe we could.”
“Thank you,” said Elliot.
He thought that was extremely nice and very understanding of Luke. In fact it was becoming suddenly clear to Elliot that he had been consistently wrong about which of his friends was the kindhearted one. Luke Sunborn! Elliot saw what all the fuss was about now.
“Certainly not. Men! Have you no idea of honor?” Serene asked, which was rich since Luke had mentioned honor earlier and Serene had obviously rubbed off on him to an almost alarming degree. “You cannot dally with a man and then abandon him without a word. A man’s heart is like a flower: beautiful but delicate, easily crushed by a careless hand.”
Elliot looked back at the troop, catching sight of Dale, whose face brightened when he saw Elliot looking. He returned his gaze to Serene’s implacable expression and regarded her with narrowed eyes.
“Fine. But for the record, my heart is NOT like a FLOWER.”
He trudged grimly back to meet his doom. Dale perked up even more as he approached.
“Hey, Elliot. I was wondering—”
“Hey,” Elliot interrupted. “So I think we can both agree our night together was a tragic mistake. Let us also agree to forget it completely, and never speak of it again!”
Iyara Treadbrink, one of Dale’s friends and the cadet currently marching beside him, gave Elliot an appalled look and then determinedly fell back so she would no longer be part of the conversation. Elliot wished he could do the same. Life seemed great for Iyara.
“Oh,” said Dale, his face falling. “Um. I have to admit I’m disappointed.”
That was very flattering, but also made Elliot feel wretched. He bit his lip. “I’m sorry,” he said, trying out the genuine apology thing again. “I behaved badly. But there is Luke to think of. You mustn’t give up! You really like him. And I think despite this setback, which I take full responsibility for, that your pursuit of him will be successful.”
He nodded encouragingly at Dale and wondered if this was enough to get him off the hook and back to Luke and Serene.
Dale began to smile again. Oddly, Dale’s warm smile sent a terrible creeping chill down Elliot’s back.
“You think I’m still interested in Luke?” he asked.
Horror hit Elliot, like a bus might an unwary pedestrian. “Yes?” he responded tentatively. “Obviously? Why would you—not be?”
Dale made a little face. “Well, that’s what I’ve been trying to tell you. I mean, I like Luke, of course, but obviously things have changed.”
“Changed?” Elliot asked politely.
“Well, the harpy thing,” said Dale. “I mean, I know he’s not like the others, the actual beasts, and I thought it was something I could get past . . .”
“How kind,” said Elliot.
“But it was impossible to feel quite the same way after finding out something like that.” Dale’s smile broke into a grin. “And you and I have always got on really well, so . . .”
Several of Elliot’s past conversations with Dale replayed themselves in Elliot’s head, looking quite different this time around. It was obvious, now he thought about it. He’d assumed he knew Dale, and given him the benefit of the doubt.
He’d thought Dale was good. He’d thought Dale was kind. He’d thought Dale was like Luke.
Elliot was not good or kind himself.
“So,” Elliot said, clear and cold. “You wanted Luke more than me, until you found out Luke was half harpy, which meant he was stained, flawed, and beneath your notice. Then I became preferable to Luke, for the sexy reason that I am entirely human. Lucky me.”
Dale’s grin faded a little. “I wouldn’t put it like that.”
He began to talk, as if he could still persuade Elliot, about being dazzled by Luke but having had more conversations with Elliot or something. Elliot was not exactly listening. There was a twist in his chest, of pain and outrage both. He was thinking about Luke giving Elliot his blanket at night, and Luke’s shy glance at him, amazed that Elliot had actually apologized, ready to forgive him at once.
“Do you know the first time I saw you,” he said to Dale, his voice rising. “I thought you were stupid?”
Dale stopped talking. His mouth fell open.
“I haven’t changed my mind about that,” Elliot proceeded. “The only reason I ever talked to you was because Luke liked you, so I knew I’d have to deal with you. The only reason I asked to be friends was because Luke wanted you. And the only reason the other night happened was because I had a fight with Luke.”
Dale’s face was pale. Elliot felt a different twist, this time one of satisfaction, and vengeance accomplished.
“Personally,” he said, “I’d rather stab myself in the arm than spend an hour talking to you.” He saw Dale’s eyes widen, and nodded. “I guess you thought I was nice,” Elliot said. “Wrong! But then, I didn’t know you were a self-centred, egotistical, prejudiced jackass, and I should have been able to work that one out, shouldn’t I?”
“You’re insulting me?” Dale snapped. “You drop a boulder on me from nowhere and then you insult me?”
“You’re right!” Elliot raged. “What am I doing? You don’t think Luke is worthy of your time? Without Luke, I never would have wasted a second of my time on you. As of now, I’m done wasting my time with you. You’re not worth it.”
He stormed back to Luke and Serene. There were a lot of people looking at him. It might have been a good idea to keep his voice down.
“Keeping everything very cool and professional, I see, Cadet,” remarked Commander Woodsinger as he went by.
Elliot did not know why the two most important women in his life had to be deadpan snarkers.
Rain began to fall, reminding him that he had chosen to come live in a world where there was no central heating or truly waterproof fabrics. He drew level with Luke and Serene and asked, in dejected and martyred tones, to be sheltered by Luke’s wing before he died of a chill.