KINGSMAN

XI

TIME BLED PAST UNTIL SYLVI LOOKED TO THE HORIZON AND FOUND THE SKY WAVERED BLUE. 

Once the holy and heretical began to retreat to their cars, Sylvi bolted for April.

A bony hand caught her arm and assuredly pulled her back. She turned to find Samuel Webb smiling at her. Beside him, the Kingsmen gathered and stared in almost-shock. She supposed running at the first chance wasn't professional, but then again she couldn't ever find it in herself to really care.

"Where do you think you're going?" Samuel said, almost laughing, his voice light. But the spark in his eye betrayed any sense of calm or shame any other fool might've felt.

She tugged her arm back as politely as she could manage. "I'm riding with April. I need to talk to her."

Samuel gestured to the sleek grey car that pulled up on the other side of the garden. "Ah, ah, ah. We Kingsmen must uphold a certain image. Your presence is already quite earth-shaking. We wouldn't want to breed rumors of a rift so early."

"Me not riding with you is going to shatter the world? I find that hard to believe."

"Not quite so dramatic," he corrected, "but in terms of the world we're familiar with- yes."

Sylvi caught the eyes of Roman Crawley. He raised his brows and jerked his head towards April. She in no way considered him a friend, but he probably would take the chance to leave too. Strange, since this was his house. She hadn't even seen his father speak to him- or look at him. Or at all.

"Apologies," Sylvi said, "but I'm not too concerned with preserving the world. I'm no hero. Perhaps next time. Have a fun drive."

Before he could reply she was off. Sienna's face held a note of surprise. Archer gaped. Roman was already in the car.

She barely caught up to April, half-running half-strolling across the lawn. When she stood in front of her, April froze at the open door, looking her up and down.

"Please."

They rode in silence. A part of her missed the constant of the garden, somewhere she wouldn't have to talk. But she had to. If she didn't want April to form her own conclusion. Sylvi had to do her best to unravel the twisted tapestry April had likely already woven.

Across from her, April turned to face the window, her expression blank. Sylvi clenched her fists in her lap.

"I want to begin with- I'm sorry. I truly am."

"Are you wearing the shirt I bought you?"

Sylvi startled and looked down at her hands fisted in the silk of the shirt. "Yes."

"And you matched it. You took my advice."

"Yes," Sylvi said again, slower this time, confused as to why it all mattered. Let April be the one to focus on clothes, perhaps she wasn't even upset, just startled Sylvi had actually dressed up.

April finally turned to her and all thoughts of the absence of anger vanished from Sylvi's mind. Her eyes were mercurial, her brows pinched. "You know, at first, I thought maybe you'd been kidnapped. Perhaps Samuel Webb had caught you walking down the street and forced you to accompany him. Or maybe you'd lied and you actually were involved. But then I noticed your clothes." Her mouth twisted as if she'd bitten into something rotted and sour. "You dressed up, Sylvi. You knew you were going. You conspired with Samuel Webb of all people, the one person on campus I believe you actually hate and you didn't even bother to tell me."

"April, I-"

She cut her off with a hand. "Don't bother. Everyone's talking about it. You're a Kingsman, aren't you? I'm happy for you, really, I just wish I'd known." The driver opened the door April stepped out.