Stars, Spades, and Aces

Thirteen

Sage fixed his eyes on the controls. Or really, he saw keeping a close eye on Peony's hands, skimming over the buttons. "Be careful," he said for the seventh time in the hour. When he had shown her the plane, she immediately called dibs for the wheel. And there was nothing that could change Peony's mind after that. Luckily, they were both small enough to fit in the front seat.

"I know, brainless. I've flown a plane before." Peony rolled her eyes.

Sage raised his eyebrows.

"Well, technically it was a hover," she admitted. "But still."

"How did you get your hands on a hover?" Sage had never once seen a hover parked at the palace before.

"Stole it." Peony popped a piece of bread in her mouth. Sage had insisted on getting some food before heading to Winter's. For her sake and his. Sage had skipped dinner last night and he guessed Peony hadn't had an actual meal in a long time.

Sage gasped, mocking. "I never knew our little Peony could be a thief! Do your parents know?"

Peony rolled her eyes again. "Oh shut up. Of course they know." She handed Sage a creamed cookie. "Cookie?"

"Yeah, why not." He accepted the offer and shoved it all in one bite. "Fhamks."

Another eye roll. She seemed to enjoy doing that today. "Boys," she scoffed.

Sage did his best to hide a grin. Peony had seemed to return to normal again. "There's my girl."

She shot him a look that suggested annoyance but quickly waved it away. "So we're stopping at Winter's house?"

"Just for the night." He knew how much Peony resented her step-cousin. "I know you don't like Evret but—"

"I hate him," she interrupted. "And we're not staying the night."

"But otherwise there isn't nearly enough time to charge the plane," Sage protested. "The last thing I want is to run out of power in the middle of the ocean. Or anywhere else for that matter."

"We're not staying the night," Peony stated firmly, switching the routes elsewhere.

Sage groaned. "Fine. Where do you suggest then?"

Peony flashed him a smile. "Just trust me."

"Aw come on. I don't even get to know?"

"Nope."

"It's my plane!"

"No it isn't."

"Well I built it!"

Peony considered it for a while. Probably thinking of a good come-back. "We're going somewhere nice," she finally decides.

Sage frowned. "Somewhere nice?"

Peony gave him a side glance. "We're not exactly staying there."

"Well you had better hurry it up, missy, 'cuz I already told your parents you'd be back by sunrise."

Peony merely blinked. "Sunrise has already passed."

"Their sunrise!" Sage throws his arms back, exasperated. "Brainless." He muttered Peony's favorite nickname for him.

Peony looked thoughtful for a moment before speaking again. "No, I have a brain."

Sage narrowed his eyes."

Peony smirked. "It's the brain cells I'm missing."

"Yeah, and I wonder where those are," he muttered sarcastically.