Page 46 of The Black Table
You’d think, with us being avowedly celibate and all, that we wouldn’t be the subject of relationship drama on campus. But you’d think wrong. A place like Caliburn tends to attract the, let’s say,nerdiervariety of male students—not exactly physical specimens—which leaves our poor, lustful coeds with no one to pine after but the athletes—us, basically. Because what’s sexier thanforbidden fruit? Hell, I’d bet folding money that more than a few mattress springs in Broceliande Hall have been worn out from some desperately horny girls squinting their eyes shut and rubbing one out to fantasies of yours truly.
So the fact that Elena Shalott’s been creaming her panties for Lanz since orientation day isn’t exactly groundbreaking.
But an honest-to-God catfight? That’s a real novelty.
Especially when one of the kittens seemedtotallyuninterested in the prize. I don’t know who this Gwenna Vale is—besides some kind of Latin genius, judging by her placement test results—but what I do know, I like.
That, to me, is a girl worth keeping an eye on.
“Where’s Cal?” Lanz frowns, and it’s only then that I notice Callahan isn’t here yet. I look left and right, exaggerating my search.
“Getting his land legs back?” I shrug. “I don’t fucking know.”
How someone goes from a championship swimmer to a championship fencer in the course of a little less than a year is beyond me. That takes at least equal parts discipline and raw talent, and personally, I’ve only got one of those. When Callahan turned up as essentially a walk-on to our squad, I was skeptical to say the least. But I have to hand it to the big guy: he’s got the goods.
Kingston does his little disapproving schoolmarm frown. “It’s not like him to be late. Did he?—”
The door bursts open. And there he is. Callahan.
“So good of you to join us,” I say.Someonehas to break the tension, and Kingston’s sanctimonious silence pisses me off more than anything. “We were just discussing how Sainte-Odile is going to kick our ass. Want to weigh in?”
Cal ignores me. “She almost drowned.”
“What?” Kingston says, irritation in his tone. “Who?”
“The new girl,” Cal says. “Gwenna.”
Even the sound of her name has my already-pumping blood going faster. I can’t help it.
“In the lake,” Cal goes on. “I was out swimming and?—”
“The hell was she doing out in the lake?” I ask. Is this girl nuts? The water’s probably fifty degrees max, and you’ve gotta have polar bear DNA like Callahan O’Brian to survive that, let alone opt for it.
Or…
…or does she know?
I feel Kingston’s glare before I see it. Because he’s wondering the same thing.
“Did she see anything?”
“Seriously?” This, from Lanz. “Cal comes in and says someone almost drowns in the lake, and the first thing you ask is whether shesaw anything?”
Kingston glowers. “We never know when the Lady might awaken. And if this girl was out there on her own, she might know to look for?—”
“No, no,” Callahan says, shaking his head. “It wasn’t like that. It was some kind of setup. Her swim test. Elena Shalott was proctoring her test. Tricked her into going to the lake.”
Whoa. Juicy. My eyebrows go up. But Kingston isn’t having it.
“That’s not our problem.” His voice could split stone. “Any of our problem.”
A pointed glance in my direction. I press a hand to my chest, eyebrows high.Me, your honor?
Kingston ignores it. Callahan, meanwhile, protests.
“But—”
“Can we focus, please?” Kingston all but roars. “Need I remind you why we are all here?” he goes on, voice iron. His eyes flick down to the center of the table, to the hidden Caliburn crest designed into the wood itself.
