TWELVE

When I sat up later, I found myself lying next to a warm body in a small bed. Gasping, I looked over to see that Klaus was lying beside me, holding me in his arms.

"You're awake," he said with a relieved tone. "You didn't wake up for quite a while after you fainted. You had me worried. How are you feeling now? Any pains?"

"I'm okay," I grumbled as I sat up. "Why are you here anyway? This is the infirmary, right? Why wouldn't you have just left me here with the nurse?"

"She isn't here," he said with a shrug. "Plus, I'd never want to leave my Buddy's side without making sure she was okay first."

My heart clenched. I wondered why he was being so nice to me all the sudden. It wasn't fair. One minute he was pushing me away, and the next I'm wrapped in his arms. It was maddening trying to figure out what he actually wanted from me.

"How come we're in the bed together, though?" I persisted. "You didn't need to lie down just because I did."

"Because I couldn't help myself," he admitted. "I just can't seem to stay away from you."

"Don't, then," I whispered softly.

I bit my lower lip as he let me go and retreated from the bed. "Liz, I'm—I don't do relationships, okay? I have very particular tastes, and—I was going to take my time before I said anything, but it doesn't look like it's going to work that way. I need to go. I have work to do. Don't forget to come to the Prefect's Office after class."

Then he leaned down over the bed until his face was so close to mine I was sure he was about to kiss me. I closed my eyes as my heart hammered in my chest, hard. I sucked in a deep breath of anticipation as my body lit up at the thought of his touch. But it never came. When I opened my eyes, I saw that Klaus had already gone.

)0(

The nurse gave me a note to take with me when I returned to class. By the time all my classes were over I felt much better. I went to the Prefect's Office for training. As soon as I got there Prefect Klaus put me to work organizing documents again. I sighed at the thought of another busy afternoon.

Every time I looked over at Klaus I saw his eyes on me. He hadn't said much since I'd gotten there, but he seemed to be thinking hard about something. Or maybe he was still mad about what had happened during class earlier today.

"Um—I'm done organizing these," I told him. "What's next?"

Klaus stared at me over the rim of his reading glasses, his eyes wandering over my slight frame as he flushed slightly.

"Excuse me?" I said. "What's wrong? You're acting so strange today."

"I am?" he asked, looking into my eyes again.

"Yeah, you aren't acting like your usual self at all," I said.

"Hm, maybe I am acting strange," he nodded. He stood up from his chair with a resolved look on his handsome face and moved right in front of me. He stared down into my eyes.

"What's wrong?"

He sighed. "I may be the Prefect, but before that I'm just a man with emotions," he said. I want to put those emotions before status, position, and everything else. When you first fell into this office I thought you were a Bunnyhead bumpkin from the country, but being together has made the last few days ever interesting and entertaining."

"Huh?" I gasped.

"Whenever you're troubled, the foolish look on your face makes me relax," he continued, and I tried to work out if it was an insult or a compliment. "I was all but ready to give up on you during our first training session, but you kept coming back to this room like a stubborn idiot."

"Uh—" I was leaning more towards insult at this point. He just had to be bad mouthing me at this point.

"Elizabeth, let me ask you one thing," he said. "Will you be with me to the very end?"

Though he stood so close we were practically touching, and the energy between us was decidedly intense, I was sure he must simply be talking about the Judgment when he asked me that. Maybe he thought I was going to give up or something.

"What's your answer, Miss Hart?" he wanted to know.

"I—" I began, feeling flustered beyond belief. The look in his eyes sent me over the edge. With a sense of overwhelming happiness, I replied, "Of course I will. I'll follow you till the end."

"You'll stay with me, then," he said, smiling broadly. "Good. Then we'd better work hard so you can stay in the academy. I'll do whatever it takes to help you."

"Thanks," I smiled in return.

"I hope you and I will be great partners, Liz," he said.

Strange, he didn't call me Bunnyhead or Elizabeth or anything. I wondered if I'd just missed something important. "Y-yes," I agreed uncertainly. "I-I'll do my best, sir!"

"Loosen up, will you?" he added. "You don't always need to be so polite. Understand?"

"O-okay, Klaus," I agreed.

"Now, come sit at the table with me," he said. "I'd like to teach you something you'll find very important in your magical career."

)0(

Later that evening, I sat at my desk going over my notes on making magic circles. Klaus had been very thorough when he'd shown me what to do before. I poured over everything he'd said, absorbing it like a sponge.

"You're studying hard, Liz," said Amelia as she came in from working in the kitchen at last. "How are things going with Emperor Klaus?"

"It's rough, as usual," I told her. "He's so strict and picky. But I'm starting to feel like we're getting along better now. He even asked if I was going to see things through with him until the end."

"You two were locked in the greenhouse together all night," she reminded me. "You pulled through a sticky situation together, so maybe that brought you closer."

"Does it work like that?" I asked curiously.

"Yeah, it does," she insisted. "A lot of people fall in love after they survive something dangerous together. It's possible that when he asked you to see things through, it was actually a declaration of love."

"Don't be silly," I scoffed. "This is Klaus we're talking about here. He could never love someone. He was just worried if I could keep up with his harsh training, that's all."

"And there's nothing more between you? That's odd," she said, shaking her head incredulously.

"I do think he's handsome and smart," I admitted. "He's a really incredible wizard."

"Well, maybe those feelings could just become love someday."

"Amelia, you get so crazy when it comes to love," I told her.

"Sure," she agreed. "I just love talking about it. Oh yeah, by the way, there's a rumor going around you might want to know about."

"What rumor?"

"My classmate says someone has been killing pigeons for fun around the academy," she said with a shudder. "They've found several dead birds here and there over the last few days."

"That's terrible!" I gasped. "They're just helpless little birds!"

"I know, right?" she agreed. "Why would anybody ever do that?"

"It's hard to believe anyone that cruel is somewhere in this academy," I sighed. "Well, I'm getting tired. I suppose I really should get some sleep."

"All right, then," she said. "I need to take a shower. Could you leave on the little desk light?"

"No problem," I agreed. "Good night."