“You seem very practiced at sneaking out,” I say. Cai flushes. 

“It’s because I’ve done it a lot before,” He says. “We could start by getting hot cocoa. It’s cold today.” Mmm, cocoa. I think. Crap, that’s making me think of Flint. 

“This isn’t cold,” I say, looking around. “Back on the island, this would be a sweltering summer day.” A breeze rolls past, and I shiver, betraying me. 

“Do you need my jacket?” Cai asks with a smirk. I shake my head and keep walking, my arms covered in goosebumps. 

We find a tiny little coffee shop, run by some Lifes, grinding fragrant coffee beans into black liquid. Cai orders us some cocoa, and we sit down at a table, watching people pass outside the window. 

“How often do you sneak out?” I ask, after the waitress brings us our cocoa, with whipped cream on top. I blow on mine, not wanting to lose my taste buds for a third time this month. Cai shrugs. 

“Once or twice a month,” He says. “It’s usually when things get really stressful that I do it. Helps me blow off steam.” 

“I’ve got lots of steam to blow off. I should do this more often,” I say, poking my whipped cream. I still have no idea how this sweet, delicious, fluffy stuff used to be boring old milk. It’s magic. Even though magic doesn’t exist. “What do you usually do?” I ask, mixing the whipped cream into the cocoa to cool it down. 

“I go for a walk. In the Life gardens usually.” I remember Casey telling me how Teddy has seen huge gardens, when he travels here with his family. 

“Are they as beautiful as people say?” I ask, leaning on the table. Cai smiles brightly. 

“They’re almost as beautiful as you,” He says. I flush, and look back down at the white foamy marshmallows swimming in a brown pool. 

“Then I guess they don’t live up to their reputation,” I say, smirking back. 

“You are beautiful, Olive,” He says, sipping his cocoa. 

“Sure,” I mutter, lifting my mug to my lips, and sipping. The cocoa warms me inside, with the help of Cai’s smile. Stop making me melt! Both of you! I put down my mug, and look out the window. 

“Why are there coins in the fountain?” I ask, sitting on the mosaic wall surrounding the freezing water. 

At the bottom of the clear pool is enough pennies, nickels, and dimes to supply Flint and his annoying necklace-making for years. I remember that I still have Flint’s necklace in my purse, and pull it out, holding it tightly in my fist. 

“It’s for making a wish. You make a wish, then throw the coin in, and it will come true.” I roll my eyes. Stupid superstition. I think. But at least it gives me a way to throw this necklace away. I pull the coin off the necklace, breaking the chain, and throw the coin into the fountain. “What did you wish for?” Cai asks, moving to stand next to me.

“Can’t tell you that, or it won’t come true,” I say, smiling, and walking around the fountain, back to the garden path. Cai chases after me. 

“You won’t even tell me?” He asks, jokingly. “The most important person in your life?” I roll my eyes. 

“The most important person in my life is my little sister,” I say, laughing. “And I wouldn’t even tell her.” 

“Then your guess is about her happiness, I suppose?” Actually, yes. 

“Cai,” I groan, rolling my eyes. 

“What? There’s no rules that say I can’t guess,” He hugs me from behind and rests his head on top of mine. “So it has to do with Casey’s happiness, it’s something very important to you as well, and you obviously want it badly, because you broke your necklace to wish for it, and you love that necklace.” I look down at the chain in my hand, and pull out of the hug. 

“I don’t love it any more,” I say quietly, and walk over to a garbage can, throwing it in. Cai stays still and watches me. 

“Oh. It’s from him, isn’t it?” I freeze at the mention of Flint, my hands shaking. “I’m sorry, Olive.” He hugs me, and looks at his watch. “We’ve been here all day. It’s almost time to go back.” I nod. 

“Okay.” I say, and hold his hand, starting to walk back to the palace.

A man with a camera walks up to me with a smile, as I walk through the gardens around the palace. “Lady Ferrum, do you mind if I ask a few questions?” He asks, walking over. “I’m meant to take photos of the wildlife here, and now I’m hoping you’ll talk some about the palace for me.” 

“Oh. Okay,” I say, and he leads me over to a stone bench behind a tree. It’s starting to sprinkle anyway, the clouds overhead. After I get there and sit, the reporter leans forwards and snaps a picture of my low-cut neckline, smirking. “Hey.” I push the camera away, and he laughs, setting it down, and reaching for my skirt. I run, and scream, being followed by the reporter. 

“Help!” I scream. There’s the sound of horses’ hooves nearby. “Help! I’m being attacked!” 

“Ivvy!” Cai jumps off of his horse and runs over. The reporter lets go of me, his face going pale. The rain is harder now. “Touch her again, and you’re dead,” Cai threatens, offering me a hand. I get to my feet quickly, standing behind him. 

I reach for the camera and pull out the memory cartridge, crushing it under my foot. The reporter moves back, gulping. Some guards come up behind Cai, and arrest the man, while Cai hugs me tightly. 

“Let’s go,” He says, pulling me by the hand, over to his horse. He climbs onto it with ease, then reaches down and grabs my waist, lifting me up to sit in front of him. I face him and cling to his chest as the rain pours, Cai riding back to the stables. “Did he hurt you?” He asks, speeding up a bit, since it’s rainy. 

“No,” I mumble, then look up at Cai, sighing. I take a deep breath, then sigh. “St-stop!” I blurt out, and Cai quickly pulls the reins, the horse rearing up a bit. He turns to me, his eyes serious. 

“What’s wrong?” He asks. I take a deep breath, and tug on Cai’s collar, pulling him down into a kiss. I feel him inhale sharply, then kiss me back, his hands dropping the reins and holding me instead. After a bit, he pulls back, rainwater coating both of us completely. “What was that about?” He asks, his thumb running over my cheekbone as he stares at me, a half-smile on his face, while I pant. That was the best kiss ever. 

“I-” I chuckle, my arms around his neck. “You said the damsel in distress rewards her rescuer with a kiss. And I also really, really like you too,” I confess, and Cai grins. 

“You’re serious?” He questions. I nod, and he hugs me, grinning. 

“I wanted it to be real dating all along,” I mumble. Cai chuckles, kissing the tip of my nose. 

“Me too.” He grabs my hand, and kisses my palm, then my lips again. “We should get out of the rain before either of us get sick again,” He gasps, after a series of breathless kisses, both of us completely soaked. I laugh, hugging him as he rides us back to the stables. 

“You’re wearing your glasses,” I realize aloud, as he helps me off of the horse, and a servant leads it back to the stall. 

“Well, um, if you like them, then I’ll wear them all the time,” He says with a blush, fixing his soaked brown hair. I blush as well, and look around. 

“Usually I don’t have great memories with rain, but this one will be okay,” I comment with a laugh. Cai tilts his head. 

“Okay? That was just okay to you?” He teases. I laugh, and he reaches over to tickle me. I yelp, and run out of the stables into the corral-yard, my shoes getting stuck in the mud and falling off. 

Cai chases after me, rain pouring on both of us. I giggle as he catches me and lifts me up. I lean a bit, and we both fall in the deep mud, my white dress coated in brown immediately, and Cai’s light yellow shirt having matching stains. 

“Well, that’s not going to come out,” He comments, laughing, and moving to be above me, our faces inches apart. 

“I didn’t like this dress much anyway,” I mumble, snickering. He leans down and kisses me, his muddy hands in my muddy hair. I grin, as he pulls away for a single inch. I curse under my breath, sighing. “I wish you were my first kiss.” Cai smiles softly. 

“I was thinking the same just earlier,” He says, sighing, and sitting up, moving to sit next to me. As I sit up, I grab a handful of mud, and throw it at Cai’s shirt. He grabs his own mud, tossing it at me. Within minutes, all of our clothing is completely soaked and brown, and he’s kissing me again, both of us shivering. 

“I think I still have dirt under my nails,” I comment, as Cai and I walk over to a studio where they’re doing more interviews. He snickers, squeezing my hand with a smile. 

“You don’t have to worry about intrusive questions today, Lady Ferrum,” The interviewer says, as I sit down on the couch across from her. She’s a Life, judging by the green and red tattoo on her arm. “Therncolaos National News isn’t interested in gossip.” 

I nod, and sit back against the back of the couch, the camera on me. It starts recording. A projector is set on the table between us, pointing at a wall. 

“Hello, and welcome back to Therncolaos National News!” The interviewer cheers. “I’m Ruth Woodward, and I’m now with our next champion, Lady Olive Ferrum.” She turns to me. “Now, Olive, I’m going to pull up a graph that shows you some polls that we took just yesterday, and we’ll see how capital citizens think you’re doing so far.”

“Okay. Bring it on,” I say with a smile. The room goes dark, and I look at the image on the board. Seven lines, each color-coded for each of the champions, cross the page. Labels run across the bottom axis. 

“The first poll was asking which of the champions would bring about the most change,” Ruth says with a smile, and the lines rearrange their altitude as she clicks a button. “Almost half chose you in this category, Olive. You scored the highest.” 

“That’s something I can brag about to my sister,” I say. “Are they talking about good change, or bad change?” Ruth grins and shrugs. “Well, I hope it’s good change, or I’ll be grounded for at least a month.” She laughs. Charisma. Charisma. Just like Cai taught you. 

“I certainly hope it’s good change too,” She says. “Now, you were also rated high on who the people would vote for overall,” She says, bringing another graph. “You got third, just behind Caden in first, and Angel in second.” My jaw drops. “Not expecting that, were you?” She asks. I nod and tap my foot. There’s no way people would actually vote for me.