Restored (A Caleo Selection)

40 ~ A Hope So Vast

"So." Leo leaned over the balcony, gazing down at the gardens. "Are you finally enjoying palace life?"

I traced the marble patterns with the tips of my fingers. "It sure did take a while, but yes, I think I am."

"Does it matter how long it took as long as we got here?" Leo mused.

"It definitely does," I countered. "Experiences forge us as people. Both of us would be different without the obstacles we faced."

"Can that be scientifically proven, though?"

"Of course not. At least, not in this world."

"Then what's the point?"

I whacked his head, just because I could. "There's always a point to thinking. Maybe someday someone will figure out how to prove it just by thinking about it so much."

"In the meantime, I'll be doing relevant things," Leo said skeptically.

Rolling my eyes, I levered myself onto the wide, flat rail. "I got a call from Lavinia today. Your last promotion really boosted business for her studio. Apparently she also has at least five current suitors, so she told me to tell you she's grown popular since you ditched her."

Leo laughed. "Never did lose her sense of humor, did she? That's good. Tell her she's welcome here whenever."

"I will." A breeze rippled the leaves of the maple to our left and toyed with the loose strands of my braid. I brushed them back. "Have you heard about Sam? Oh, and Khione, for that matter?"

"It's a go to both," he replied. "Khione is well on her way to one of our more secure prisons up north where she'll stay for her life. Sam's legal crap is going well, though. With luck, she'll be out of prison and on her way to the Panama coast by the end of the year. We finally located her brother, too, so he'll go with her."

"That's great. Thank you. Thanks a lot." I ducked my head.

"Course. I never believed she'd have done what she did without a good deal of pressure." He shrugged. "Hades was harder to convince, but I managed."

I scooted over as he hopped up next to me. "I'm sure it means a lot more to her than to me."

"Gee, I wonder why."

"Shut up."

"You can't make me."

I raised an eyebrow. "Really?"

"No, I was bluffing. You can definitely make me shut up," he answered quickly.

"That's what I thought."

Leo cleared his throat. "In fact, you know, feel free to make me shut up any time you feel like it. You don't need permission."

Snorting, I shoved him, and he scrambled to grip the rail for balance. "You wish. Watch it, or I'll send you over the side."

"You push me over, and I'm taking you with me." He stuck out his tongue.

"Very mature, your honor," I said dryly. "You're lucky we happen to be out of camera range at the moment."

"I consider myself a very lucky person." He fiddled with the edge of his jacket. "Under most circumstances. The occasional mechanized disaster doesn't count."

"Well, it was one of those 'mechanized disasters' that brought us together for the first time, wasn't it?"

"I'd almost forgotten about that! You said something like 'you blew up my dining table', didn't you? What a start."