Aina's stomach had been squirming all day.

  Lohan that. Ever sihat i back at The Kraken's Hearth. But it had grown much worse since joining Natalie for the celebration. Being in her presence was intoxig. Frankly, Aina was surprised by just how much she was taken in by the irl. She hadn't ever been this ied in someone before, much less a woman.

  She'd been fasated by Natalie sihe start, siheir introdu, really, but her stomach hadn't started squirming until that mishap where she'd caught a peek of something she shouldn't have. Some swit her brain had toggled on when she had overheard those things happening ialie's room. And when Natalie had answered the door in just a towel.

  The sight of that had seared itself onto her brain. It was sdalous how often she'd been thinking about it. Had she imagined how big it was? Or had it been a trick of the light or fabriehow, she didn't think so.

  Whatever the case, based on the sounds she'd heard, Natalie had been thhly eaining her guest regardless of size. To think something like that was hidih Natalie's skirt … she tried to shake her head clear, but it didn't work, like usual.

  She hoped she hadn't been caught stealing g Natalie's skirt throughout the evening. Natalie didn't seem to have noticed, at least. Aina thahe heavens she had been raised to be posed and discreet, else she wouldn't have stood a ce.

  The park they detoured to was mostly empty. Most people out and about at this hour were at the celebration. There were a handful of people scattered throughout the greenery, but not many, far fewer than usual. pared to the bustle at the celebration, it ractically a private space. Which had been the goal.

  On Aina's prompting, Natalie tiale her with stories from the dungeon runs she'd been on. And while those weren't the real topics of her i, she was heless enraptured. Both by the tent, the dangerous fights aing escapades she got up to beh the surface, but also simply by Natalie. Watg her speak with such passion, it wasn't surprising that she had ended up at Te.

  With how much she found herself hanging on Natalie's words, Aina wondered whether this infatuation was something more than lust. Certainly, she found herself absorbed in Natalie in a way she hadn't been in a long time, if ever. As, even if it was more than Natalie's pretty looks and … ii … reeling her in, Aina wasn't so irresponsible as to let her iake hold too solidly. She had duties at Tarenhelm, and Natalie had Te. A retionship between them would be pletely untenable. No, if anythio happen, it would be a brief fling.

  And time for even that was running out.

  Aina chewed her lip, mulling over her strategy.

  "What is it?" Natalie asked suddenly—or what felt sudden to her.

  "Hm?" Aina asked.

  The red-headed girl seem amused. "There's something you want to ask. You drifted off."

  Aina's cheeks colored. Had she? She realized she had; the end of Natalie's story had passed right by her.

  "Well," Aina said. "I suppose there is something."

  "Go ahead."

  "I've been w about Te life. There's so many … stories I've heard."

  "Oh?"

  "You know, not just csses and petitions," Aina said. She stalled briefly before tinuing. "But also … retionships between students?"

  Natalie's eyebrows went up.

  A c turned into a full blush. "It is an academy crammed full of fit, adventure-seeking men and women. That kind of enviro, all sorts of things would be happening, no? Everyone's heard the rumors."

  By Natalie's grin, she'd picked up what Aina was hinting at. Unfortunately, she apparently liked seeing her squirm, because she pyed dumb. "Lady Crestwood, I don't have a single idea what you're talking about."

  "Don't call me that," Aina huffed. "And yes, you do know what I'm asking."

  "Nope. I'm afraid you'll o spell it out."

  "Is it true the students there are … liberal, with their physical activities?"

  "Maraining hours every m," Natalie firmed in an over-serious tone. "How else would we stay in shape?"

  "Natalie!"

  "Yeah?"

  "It's … normal to cavort amongst each other, I mean? Casually and frequently?"

  "If by cav, you mean everyone's fug each other's brains out, then yes, Aina, that's pretty true."

  Aina floundered briefly, taken aback by the quick s in tone. Natalie ughed at her ck of words, which prompted a swat at her arm.

  "Well!" Aina said, posing herself. "It does make sense. Everyone needs stress relief. It sounds like a chaotiviro."

  "It's not so bad," Natalie said. "The dungeon's the hard part, not the academy."

  "I bet." Aiated. "And how about you?"

  "How about me?"

  "Do you take part in that … stress relief?"

  Natalie's eyebrows went up. Aina blushed furiously at how unsubtle she was being. After a sed, though, her expressioled bato that roguish grin—the ohat nearly stopped her heart every time it was sent her way.

  "Here and there," Natalie said, in a way that suggested it was a lot more than here and there. But Aina had already guessed that, if not just from her easily flirtatious nature, then what she'd heard first-hand the ht. Those eous noises ing through Natalie's door.

  "I see," Aina said. "Sorry if these questions are personal. I'm just, um, ied i life."

  "Sure," Natalie said, in a way that told her she didn't believe Aina for a sed.

  "And when you do indulge in that, ah, stress relief," Aina said. "Is it usually with men or women?"

  Dryly, Natalie asked, "What do you think, Aina?"

  Aina cleared her throat. "Women?"

  Natalie snorted.

  "Right. Yes. Of course. I assumed. That only makes sense." Realizing she was rambling, Aina cut herself off.

  "And you?" Natalie asked. "What are your preferences?"

  Aina paused.

  Well.

  There wasn't going to be a better opening. She swallowed and forced herself to meet Natalie's eyes.

  "If I'm being ho, usually men. But, retly, there's been an exception."