I didn't like the way Jack looked at Elara.
He looked at her the way some people look at a painting in someone else's house—admiring it, and already working out what it would cost to have it moved.
I didn't move. Not yet. I just watched him, because people who hide behind smiles always forget that their eyes keep telling the truth. Jack's eyes were full of the same thing they'd been full of the last time: the absolute certainty of a man who believed the world had been arranged for his convenience, and that everyone else in it would eventually agree.
"Well," Jack said, cocking his head, "since we don't share any events, I suppose we'll only find out at the finale, won't we?"
"We will," I said.
"And you're the one to beat." His smile widened just enough to show teeth. "Rank 1 of the most prestigious academy in the world. Ready to give up the crown?"
I laughed. Slowly. If you're going to laugh at someone, do it like you've already read the ending and found it mildly funny.
