Mad Honey

Chapter Seven

Leo. The word rolls around in my mouth like honey. It's a sweet victory. Yesterday I let him off the hook after he told me his name, gave him water and a little food, and he collapsed into a deep sleep by seven. I slept fitfully, the name still dancing on my tongue. Leo. I'm realizing now he looks like a a Leo, all golden and bronze. He asked for my name after, but I'm not foolish enough to tell him. If I release him, if, even if I flee he would remember the name of the girl who kidnapped him, no doubt. So Leo will not be learning more about me, no sir. But as I practically waltz towards the parlor, I can't help but be a little giddy. I won yesterday, and I'll win today again! 

"Good morning Leo!" I smile brightly at him, almost twirl but catch myself. Stay professional. If I slip up, he has a chance to slip away. 

"Goomringhshhhh." He's bleary, still tired so I wait for a few minutes for him to wake up. We clearly have different calibers of training. At the academy, the first thing you learn is to sleep lightly and wake quick. Imagine a bell ringing, echoing throughout the halls of a centuries old castle, and fifty eleven year old first years barefoot in nightgowns bounding out of bed. Fifty older girls, armed with buckets of water and sensible shoes. The young ones would try to sneak into certain places, steal little hidden trinkets and get back to their rooms without being drenched. We had to be quick on our feet, slept with eyes only half closed. The boy, no, Leo, wasn't trained like that. Wherever he was didn't hold the same value, considering he's been stretching and yawning, wriggling around for minutes, still not fully awake. Very underwhelming. 

"WAKE! UP!" 

"Don't yell at me." He's grumbly, waking up tied to a chair, losing physical and mental battles to a lady mustn't be wonderful. I'm not taking any bullshit today though. I lean forward, hands on knees.

"It's quite foolish of you to tell me what to do right now. And I need more answers, and you're gonna give them." He shakes his head. Stupid, stupid boy. 

"Let's begin. Do you know why you're here?"

He shrugs. "Perhaps you were seeing if the legends were true, if it was really so enormously massive, so-"

"Stop. No. Spouting lies isn't going to help you now boy." He's grinning again. "Let's try a different question. Why did you follow me into the hallway at the dance? You don't know who I am," He smirks. "but, you did know that I was going to be at the party and you wanted information. You clearly have training at some sort of school of espionage, and you wanted me to tell you something. You didn't get the words out to ask me what you wanted to know, but there's no denying you wanted to know something. So spit. It. Out." Leo shrugs again.

"I have no idea what you are talking about." He has a slight french accent, absolutely infuriating to listen to. "I am baffled as to why you are holding me here." It's a terrible lie. If he was baffled, why would he corner me, why would he have brought a knife to the party? Not to mention, he clearly has interrogation training, managed a day and a half without food or water and the threat of kneecap removal. Either he's a terrible student or I hit him harder than I had thought, but I need answers. If he's not going to talk to me willingly, I'll talk instead.

"Boy, I am going to be very generous with you-"

"By all means mademoiselle."

"I am going to be very generous with information. I am going to explain why you are here and then go out to get lunch, and you will have time to recollect on exactly why you are here, and gather my answers. Ok?" Smirk. Whatever.

"Eighteen days ago, at dawn, I was lying peacefully in bed and happened to glance out the window. You'd never guess what I saw." My mind drifts back to that day.