“We’ll see.” Deneya sighed and placed her hands on her hips. “For now, go back and await our next order.”
“What am I going to do in the meantime?” Eira asked.
“Live as a competitor, try not to raise any suspicion, and, Yargen bless, stay out of trouble.”
9
No one came to get her for breakfast the next morning.
Eira was awake when her friends and fellow competitors began to rise. She heard muffled talking through her door and the opening and closing of the main entry to the Solaris common area. But no one even made the attempt to check on her.
She lay on her back, staring at the ceiling as dawn’s light glowed across it. Ducot hadn’t said much to her on their way back last night, leaving Eira to run through the conversation and information she’d found again and again. There was going to be a meeting of the Pillars in three days to discuss the flash beads. But the shadows didn’t know where yet.
Pushing up, Eira swung her feet off the bed and stared out the window. There were no boats on the river today. After the explosion, she had no doubt that the lockdown on Risen had only increased. She wondered what the knights were telling the citizenry. How much was known at this point? If only she could ask the court and get a straight answer. Though she suspected there wasn’t much chance of that anytime soon.
Sighing, Eira stood and dressed. Her grumbling stomach wasn’t going to allow her to spend all morning in her room alone, musing. So she headed downstairs, and arrived in a very full common area.
The morphi sat in their own cluster between the elfin and draconi teams. There was still no sign of the competitors from Qwint and a sickening feeling silenced the growling of her stomach. What if something had happened to them on the way?
Eira’s gaze breezed over her friends and tutor as she went to the food. The same woman with graying hair as the first morning—Mistress Harrot, she presumed—bustled about, checking on the food that was out. Eira greeted her placidly, and made herself a small plate. Rather than sitting with her companions, she strolled through the archways and headed toward the riverbank to claim one of the benches. Drawing up her feet onto the stone bench, Eira pulled her knees to her chest and began to pick at the food at her side.
Ferro was out there. If she were him, what would she do next? Was he involved with the flash beads? That might explain why Adela was the one to free him… Every time Eira could think of a theory, another bloomed. He was a roach she couldn’t take her eyes off for an instant. The second she did, he’d scuttle even deeper into the crevices of the world and further from her retribution.
“May I sit here?” Her thoughts were interrupted by Alyss.
“I suppose.”
“You suppose?” Alyss arched her eyebrows.
“You know it’s fine,” Eira mumbled and shifted to give Alyss enough room.
Her friend sat, pulling a piece of stone from the bag at her thigh. It hovered over her palm, changing shape magically as Alyss worked it into her latest creation.
Eira had three more bites of food before she managed to say, “I’m sorry.”
“For what?” Alyss asked without looking at her.
“For yelling at you and sending you away.” Eira tore off a piece of a flaky roll she’d covered in a sweet but spicy jam that tasted like the striped melon she’d eaten the day before.
“I’m just trying to help.”
“I know.”
“It’s hard to see you like this.”
“I know.”
“And I don’t know what else to do.”
Eira sighed heavily. “I don’t know what to do either.” But she had decided that killing Ferro would help. A lot.
“Stay safe and look after your mental and emotional wellbeing,” Alyss said firmly. Her rock was beginning to take the shape of a seal. “That’s all you need to do.”
Eira snorted softly, staring out over the river. If Alyss only knew what she was up to… Eira wiped her hands on her trousers and gripped the bench.
“You know I can be reckless.”
“And impulsive,” Alyss added a bit too readily. “And you can let the tides of a moment carry you.”
