NORA

Nora’s girlfriend’s name is Sylvie Arsenault. She’s the little sister of a newly appointed Councillor General, a woman named Ouida Arsenault who is also Lache’s personal combat teacher. For this connection alone, Nora’s pretty certain Cel would gut Sylvie given half the chance.

Nora and Sylvie have been dating for three years though, and so far Cel has tolerated her. Sylvie’s a year younger than Nora’s seventeen, but she’s the prettiest girl at school and Nora knows she’s damn lucky to have caught her eye. But she can’t really blame Cel for being a little pissy about their relationship.

Especially when, for the third time in a month, Cel finds them lip-locked during school hours. This time, they’re in a supply closet, and Nora has a hand up Sylvie’s shirt.

Cel makes the funniest face at them before slamming the door shut again. “I’m gonna kill you, Nora! What in Styx!”

“Sorry, Cel!” Giggling, Nora goes about straightening Sylvie’s clothes. The other girl seems to be fighting a laugh of her own as she returns the favor. By now, Sylvie’s used to Cel’s prickliness. All the more reason for Nora to adore her, for Nora has one condition before she enters any relationship--she will not abandon her family, especially not Cel. Sylvie is dear to her heart, but she is not more important than the people who saved her from death at Busurul.

Cel is fourteen now and still ten times smarter than anyone Nora knows, but Cel hasn’t shown inclinations of any sort towards other people--not romantic or sexual or even amicable ones. Briefly, Nora had thought maybe she’d date the Vonadieu boy, but he turned out to be the clingy sort, and Cel can’t stand that sort of closeness. Nora had been prepared to guide Cel into the world of relationships, but she seems to hate everyone she meets. At best, she tolerates those she must.

Teacher and Uncle Arthur, for all their good intentions, try very hard to give Cel and Nora all the support they need, but in the end, they are not women, and their lack of knowledge on some topics is glaring. Their influence on Cel has not all been for the best either. She barely seems to want to make friends, and her entire focus seems to be on Nightburner dealings. Nora worries about her, but Uncle Arthur has taken her determination in stride. He teaches her more fiercely than ever before.

Teacher agrees with Nora that it is worrisome. Cel used to be a lot happier when Nora first met her. Now, her smiles are rare. As always, the only person who seems able to coax true warmth out of her is Uncle Arthur.

Nora emerges from the closet with a grin plastered on her face. She wants it to come across apologetic, but she’s so giddy that she can tell by Cel’s scowl that she fails miserably.

“Sorry, Cel. You really do have the worst luck,” Sylvie says, covering her swollen lips with her hand.

Nora sweeps her tongue across her teeth, unable to look away from her gorgeous girlfriend.

“You’re disgusting,” Cel says, sounding more tired than angry, “and you missed Tactics, Nora. Daddy’ll be furious if he finds out.”

“Aaaw, Cel! Don’t tell on me!” Nora tugs Cel into a one-armed hug. Cel is so teeny, but Nora is even taller than Uncle Arthur now. Even Teacher barely surpasses her height, and she may still grow a little more.

“I never tell on you,” Cel grumbles, wiggling out of her grip, “but last time a teacher reported your absence, and they nearly kicked you out for failing to complete your duties. You have to be careful, Nora, or you won’t be able to come with me anymore!”

This is why Nora loves Cel so much.

Sylvie gets it, too. She smiles warmly. “It’s good of you to look out for Nora.”

“Well someone has to!”

Sylvie’s smile vanishes. Her forehead bunches, a sure sign of her budding anger. Nora laughs awkwardly and wedges herself between them. “Alright, enough.” She looks pointedly at Cel. “You both look out for me, alright? It’s not a competition.”

Cel crosses her arms. “That’s not the point, Nora.”

Sylvie gently pushes Nora aside and lifts her hands, palms forward toward Cel in surrender. “I’m not here to cause trouble for Nora.”

Cel’s head whips toward her. “Then stop encouraging her to miss class! Do you know what could happen if she gets in trouble here? What the military will do if they find out she’s not where she’s supposed to be?”

Nora’s heart sinks, but as Sylvie’s face pales with guilt, anger prickles hotly across her arms.

“That’s not your problem,” Nora snaps at Cel.

For the first time in a long time, Cel’s stony exterior cracks. Her eyes widen and she takes a step back as if pushed. She looks nearly the same way she did the first few days after burning the apartment down.

“Oh,” she says softly, then turns and leaves without another word. She doesn’t run, but the hunch of her shoulders makes Nora grimace.

Shit. I did that.

Sylvie crosses her arms and puffs out a breath. “Well, that went poorly. I don’t know why you let that kid push you around.”

Nora tugs her hair forward over her shoulder. Even in a high ponytail, the golden strands are long enough to pour down the front of her chest, the ends dangling around her elbow.

“Cel means well,” Nora tells her. “Don’t be too mad, Sylvie. She has a hard time with things.”

“That’s no excuse to treat you the way she does.”

“She was right though.” Nora worries her bottom lip. “I’m supposed to stay with her.”

“She just wants all of your attention.”

“No.” Nora shakes her head. “No, she’s not like that. If I ignored her or told her I didn’t want her around, she’d leave me alone. She doesn’t hold onto people who don’t want her back.”

“Then what's her thundering problem?”

Nora feels the last inkling of her anger leech away. “She protects the people she cares about.”

Sylvie sticks out her bottom lip. “I think you’re confusing 'protect’ with a different word.”

Nora grabs Sylvie’s hand. “I know she’s difficult--”

“You shouldn’t have to tell me that!”

“--but she’s family,” Nora finishes.

“Family,” Sylvie gripes, “that won’t even give you their name.”

Nora whirls to face her girlfriend. Sylvie is half a head shorter than her, but she doesn’t back down. “What’s wrong with them letting me keep the name I was born with? I wouldn’t have wanted theirs. Malais wouldn’t let me be a Cendrillion anyway, so what difference does it make?”

Sylvie frames Nora’s face with her hands. Her blue eyes soften. “Nora, they’re using you. Can’t you see that?”

“Sylvie,” Nora growls, drawing one of Sylvie’s hands away, “you don’t understand them. You don’t know what they’ve dealt with all their lives. Living here is easy for you. It’s not as easy for them.”

Sylvie scowls. “If it’s so hard, why did they stay?”

“Maybe,” Nora snarls, taking a step back, “they didn’t have anywhere else to go. You ever think of that?”

Sylvie goes a little wide-eyed. “I...I didn’t mean to--I’m sorry.”

“Whatever.” Nora snags her hand again and tugs her toward the door. “Just...let’s not talk about my family, alright?”

“Sure,” Sylvie replies, but Nora doesn’t believe her.