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After dinner, they walked back to their dorm room in the gathering darkness.
The stars were beginning to emerge, scattered across the sky like diamonds on black velvet. Somewhere in the distance, an owl called.
Iva's mind drifted to Caleb. She wondered what he was doing. If he was eating. If he was thinking of her.
Through the bond, she felt a faint pulse—warmth, affection, a whisper of *I'm here.*
She smiled.
"You're doing that thing," Lori said.
"What thing?"
"That thing where you zone out and get all gooey-faced. Thinking about your prince?"
Iva's cheeks flushed. "Maybe."
"You're lost."
"You're jealous."
"Accurate." Lori bumped her shoulder. "But happy for you. Really."
They reached their building. The hallway was quiet, most students already in their rooms. The only so
