The Copper Gauntlet (Magisterium #2)(23)

Call grinned. Anything that was bad for Jasper had to be good for the world. “I think I like Fuzzball.”

It turned out that Celia was a font of information. She told Call which apprentice had a weird rash, who got cave lice, which Iron Year supposedly wet the bed. Celia knew about Alex and Kimiya breaking up and about Alex sulking. She also claimed that Rafe was a cheater.

“On tests?” Call asked, confused.

“No,” Celia said, laughing. “He kissed one girl on the mouth after he told another girl that he liked her. It’s Susan DeVille, who cheats on tests. She writes the answers on her wrist in invisible ink and then uses magic to turn it purple.”

“You know everything,” Call said, amazed. He had no idea that apprentices were telling one another that they liked one another. “What about Jasper? Tell me something bad about Jasper.”

She gave him a reproachful look. “Jasper’s nice. I don’t know anything bad about him.”

Call sighed in disappointment, just as Havoc trotted back toward them with an enormous leaf-covered branch in his mouth. He dropped it at Call’s feet, tail wagging, as though he’d brought over a regular-size stick he hoped Call would throw.

After a moment of awed silence, both Call and Celia began to laugh.

After that, Celia joined him for Havoc’s evening walk most nights. Sometimes Tamara and Aaron came, too, but since Tamara took Havoc for morning walks and Aaron got extra Makar work piled on top of his regular studies, mostly they begged off.

One day toward the end of September, someone else joined Call on the path outside school. He thought for a second when he saw a boy loping toward him in jeans and a sweater — the hot weather had cooled off and there was a definite chill in the air — that it was Aaron, but as he got closer, Call realized it was Alex Strike.

He looked disheveled and a little pale, though it could just have been his summer tan fading. Call stood on the path waiting as Alex approached, holding Havoc’s leash. Call was definitely puzzled. Since school started, Alex hadn’t so much as smiled across the Refectory at him, and if Alex had been doing errands for Master Rufus, Call hadn’t seen him. He’d assumed Alex was avoiding them all because of Kimiya, and also because, well, Alex was one of the most popular kids in school and probably didn’t have a lot of time for Copper Years.

But now Alex was definitely seeking him out. He raised a hand in greeting as he got close to Call and Havoc. “Hey, Call.” He bent down to pet the wolf. “Havoc. Long time no see.”

Havoc whined, looking mortally offended.

“I figured you were avoiding us,” Call said. “Because of Kimiya.”

Alex straightened up. “Do you ever not say what you’re thinking?”

“That seems like a trick question somehow,” Call mused. Havoc yanked at his leash and Call started along the path, following the wolf. Alex trotted after him.

“It was actually Kimiya I wanted to talk to you about,” Alex said. “You know we broke up….”

“Everyone knows,” said Call, zipping up his hoodie. It had rained recently and the trees were dripping.

“Did Tamara say anything about Kimiya to you? Whether she’s still angry at me?”

Havoc jerked on his leash. Call let him go, and Havoc bounded after something — probably a squirrel. “I don’t think Tamara’s ever mentioned Kimiya and you to me,” he said, puzzled. His first instinct was to tell Alex that there was no point asking him anything, because he knew nothing about girls and less about dating, and Tamara never mentioned her sister’s romantic choices. Also, Kimiya was so pretty that she probably had another boyfriend by now.

But his second instinct told him that his first instinct was Evil Overlordish. Evil Overlords didn’t help others with their love lives.

He, Call, could.

“Tamara has kind of a temper,” Call said. “I mean, she gets mad easily. But she doesn’t stay mad. So if Kimiya is like her, she probably isn’t still angry. You could try talking to her.”

Alex nodded but didn’t look as if Call was saying anything he hadn’t thought of.

“Or you could try not talking to her,” Call said. “When I don’t talk to Tamara, she comes and hits me, so that would be a way that Kimiya might come to you first. Plus, once she hits you, it breaks the ice.”

“Or my shoulder,” said Alex.

“I mean, if it doesn’t work, then, like they say, ‘If you love someone, set them free. Don’t lock them up underground in a cavern.’ ”

“I don’t think that’s the saying, Call.”

Call looked at Havoc bounding along the ridge. “Just don’t show her who you really are,” he said. “Pretend you’re a person she might love, and then she’ll love you. Because people just love who they think other people are, anyway.”

Alex whistled. “When did you get so cynical? Do you get it from your dad?”

Call frowned, no longer feeling inclined to be very helpful. “This has nothing to do with my dad. Why bring him up?”

Alex stepped back, raising his hands. “Hey, all I know is what people say. That he was friends with the Enemy of Death once. He was in his mage group. And now he hates magicians and everything having to do with magic.”

“So what if he does?” Call snapped.