"It's se seeing a Talveron as good at casting as she is," Camille ented. "Like seeing a fish climb a tree."

  Natalie gnced sideways, seeing that Camille had wandered up to chat with her. The mage had made a habit of it. Her stomach tightened with nervousness, like always, seeing the tall, skinny woman, and the teasing curl to her lips. Even so many days ter, Camille still hadn't e ht and said she'd been the oo catatalie in the restroom. It remained a murky, ay-indug mystery.

  Strangely, the two of them had bee sort-of friends. She was Natalie's cssmate, and affable besides, so it wasn't all that odd. Natalie admitted she would like to know for certaiher it had been Camille, though, however obvious her teasing made it seem. But she also didn't want to ask ht, on the ce she had witnessed less than Natalie thought—or maybe even that she was just a flirt, and that Natalie was making incorrect assumptions. There wasn't a zero pert ce of that.

  So, she suffered through the iions. Getting flirted at by a pretty girl was hardly the end of the world, anyway, even if there was an undercurrent of worry whenever she ied with the girl.

  "Talveron?" Natalie asked. "Who's that? Ana's oppo?"

  Natalie was rec from her ret spar. They were well into practice; she had worked up a sweat, and her HP was dwindling, like most of her cssmates. Ana's css was one of the groups of students present in the sprawling courtyard, today—which meant tough petition. Not as fierce as Elida's css, which seemed to be the top grouping of students for the year, but still not a walk in the park, like some days were. Ana's css was easily a match for Natalie's.

  Camille gave her a fused look. "Sorry? Her oppo?"

  "What?"

  "Ana. Ana Talveron. You don't know who she is?"

  The phrasing made Natalie groan. "You're not about to tell me she's some kind of princess, are you?"

  Camille blinked several times, her fusion trading for amusement. "No. The Talverons are of middling importance. I just thought you'd know who your teammates are. She is your delving partner, isn't she? I'm not mixing them up?"

  Natalie sighed in relief. Having Elizabeth the Beaumon oeam was enough political enta for one lifetime. She didn't even know who the Talverons even were, which to Natalie, was great news.

  "I don't keep up with that nonsense," Natalie said. "And she never mentioned her st name."

  "Family houses and politics aren't 'nonsense'."

  "Yeah, yeah. I've been told that like, ten times." And at least once by Camille, Natalie retty sure.

  Camille rolled her eyes. "The try bumpkin disregard is endearing, Nat, but dangerous in a pce like Te. But, whatever. Yes. Ana Talveron."

  "Why is it weird that she's good at casting?"

  The mage pursed her lips. "It's not funny if I have to expin it. The Talverons are just … not mages."

  "What does that mean?"

  She gave Natalie an exasperated look. "They're almost all fighters. That their daughter is a mage, much less a good one, is very strange." She g Ana. "Though it's hardly the only strahing about her."

  Natalie pushed away the urge to defend Ana. Camille hadn't made it sound like an insult, just a ent. Ana herself was more than willing to admit, and had done so, that she behaved oddly. It didn't sound like something she was insecure about. Though maybe that was just a front?

  "But, really," Camille said. "How has she never mentioned what house she's from? Don't you talk? You're teammates."

  Natalie had, of course, chatted with Ana plenty of times. There was lots of downtime in the dungeon, if not when they o catch their breath, then wheing up camp for the night on weekend trips. There'd beey of opportunities for the team to talk amongst themselves.

  "She's not the most open person," Natalie said. "Dunno if you've met her."

  It wasn't that Ana didn't talk—just that she didn't reveal much about herself when she did. Which was kind of odd, now that Natalie thought about it. She knew surprisingly little about the woman, even ating for only havi her a few weeks ago.

  "Fair," Camille said. "Anyway, yeah, she's basically the opposite of a Talveron. Talverons are all … I don't know, loud, gung-ho, in-your-face. They have a reputation for being dramatic."

  "Really?" In that case, Natalie could easily see why that would be funny. Ana had e from a family known for being in-your-fad dramatiatalie couldn't pick two words that less described the woman. How had that happened?

  Her thoughts flickered to the series of challenge rooms. Well. Maybe the description was situationally accurate, actually.

  "And very muages," Camille tinued. She eyed Ana as a massive bck shadow-tendril ripped from the ground and sshed at her oppo. A retaliatory orb of blue light zipped toward her, but it met a bck curtain of shadow, dispelling both spells. Ana's face didn't move. Not trated, worried, or even bored. plete passivity. Holy, it was a bit intimidating. "And she's not even kinda good, either," Camille said with a begrudging sort of appreciation. "She's really good. It's a shame she turned down Gylver sponsorship."

  Natalie bli that. "Sorry? And—wait, aren't you a Gylver?"

  Camille turoward her with an incredulous look.

  Natalie flushed. "I don't mean literally," she protested. She knew Camille wasn't a member of one of the five major houses. She was actually somewhat in Natalie's position—mostly a nobody who had found her way into Tehrough talent alone. "But you're sponsored by them. Adopted, kind of?"

  "Sponsored," she said firmly. "Not adopted. I'm not remotely a Gylver." Camille shook her head, still finding the idea ridiculous. "Maybe if I ever make it to level ten, they'd let me marry into the main house. That's the only way that happens, though. I'm a lowborn."

  Natalie's nose wrinkled. 'Let her' marry into their house?

  "And they offered Ana a sponsorship?" Natalie asked.

  "Retly. I don't know how. They didn't ask me to do it." Camille seemed mildly a that.

  "When?"

  "Last week."

  "Really?"

  "She didn't mention it? Well, it's her business. I assume she tur down because of Liz."

  "Liz?"

  "She did group up with you four. The Beaumons aren't ying any kind of cim? On your team as a whole?"

  "Not that I've heard." Natalie sidered it. "Besides, Liz made that decision herself. I don't think her family is happy about it." Johanna aeam would have been Liz's group, but Liz had wao strike it out on her own. "What's sponsorship even mean, anyway? It's not like they do much for us. Te has everything locked down." Being sponsored by an important House didn't mean amazing items and infiokens—or evera opportueook fairness seriously.

  "We will be graduating into the real world," Camille said. "And besides, it's only so strict for freshmen. They make a fair pying ground to see who the talent is—but it's not like anyone is average for two years, then suddenly bees a prodigy." She paused. "It's very rare," she ceded. "Regardless, Te's cws loosen as time goes on. They make sure everyoarts at the same point, but in the end, they want to see who reach the highest level befraduating. So rules get a little looser."

  "Huh," Natalie said. She couldn't say she was surprised.

  "Though still strict," Camille said. "It's not supposed to be about who has the most money. And anyway, being sponsored by someone important es with plenty of bes within the fines of their rules. The obvious being training, es, and knowledge. A one-oh, for example, Edward Valeria. That'd make a sponsorship worth having just by itself, don't you think? And something like that is what having the Beaumons as patrons could get you."

  Edward Valeria. Johanna's dad—a staunch ally of House Beaumon. The patriarch of the Valeria family, the head general of the Valhaurian military, and one of the stro men in the world. Likely above level fifteen, though that was a guess, sihose ranks were so sparse there might only be a dozen per ti. Natalie admitted even a few hours being trained by him would probably be an invaluable experience, and it wouldn't break a rules.

  But worth entangling into politics? In her opinion, no. Especially with all her current css shenanigans going on. trary to most people at Te, Natalie had teamed up with Liz in spite of her name, rather than because of it. That might have been why the royal had chosen them.

  Natalie grunted. Camille had a point; she wasn't so stupid as to not see that. Even so, she hated the idea of wading into House politics.

  The mage rolled her eyes. "Fine, whatever," Camille said. "Like I said, you do you. And I get it—sort of. Even if I disagree." She sniffed. "Anyway, more fun topics." She took a step closer to Natalie, leaning so her shoulder pressed into hers. "I took your advice, you know."

  "My advice?" Natalie asked. Her heartbeat quied, and only half at having a cute girl suddenly press herself into her; Natalie knew Camille well enough that teasing tone of voice.

  "About my pnt magic. My vines." She wiggled her eyebrows, and it took a sed for Natalie to uand. "Like you told me to. Great advice, seriously. It was … a lot of fun."

  Natalie's eyes widened. She was joking, right?

  She hadn't—with her own pnts?