Saldrea laughed and began skipping back to her residence.
I rose and helped Golana up. She had a split lip and a dazed look in her eyes, and dwarves were nearly as tough as elves.
“She’s insane,” Golana hissed.
“You said it, not me,” I whispered back.
But it was true. Saldrea was far from stable. And the really sad truth was, she was a thousand times more level-headed than her mother. The two of them were going to destroy Seial.
And, unless I did something, I’d be complicit, helping them ruin a nation.
Perhaps it was time I broke the only vow that meant anything to me.
Perhaps, finally, Saldrea had gone too far.
IZZY
What a day.
After Vyns had left, I’d headed down to get some essentials from the lesser residence shop. I’d bought a few sets of clothes and some school supplies including a new notebook. I could get a basic computer, but I thought I’d save up for a nicer one next week.
I’d had dinner, then a quick shower and change before heading out to my evening class, which had been a bit mindboggling. Transmutation was not something my “human” brain could quite comprehend. As much as the idea of turning one thing into another was simple enough, the process and magic involved wasn’t. This had been an intro class, and I’d still felt completely lost.
What was worse, as a nymph, with an affinity to water magic, transmutation was supposed to be easier for me. Water magic was all about the transience of things, changing from one thing to another, but I couldn’t even control how I looked yet.
So yeah, I was completely exhausted by the time I got back to Rook’s room. And when I entered to find Rook andMyel waiting for me… both looking upset… I didn’t have the energy to deal with whatever had gotten them worked up.
“Can whatever this is—” I waved my hand at the two of them, “—wait? I’m beat.” I took a step toward Myel, seeking the numbing comfort of his embrace.
But he stepped back, jaw tight, eyes lit with a fire that spoke nothing of affection.
What the…?
“Did you think we wouldn’t notice?” he hissed.
Apparently, we were doing this, whateverthiswas. I sighed heavily and leaned on the closed door behind me.
“Notice what?” I asked, confused and frustrated and tired.
Behind Myel, Rook sighed. He didn’t seem as upset, more… disappointed, disenchanted. And with his position, on the far side of the room… it felt even more like he was pulling away from me.
“This room,” Myel spat. “It smells like sex, likeanotherman. Like a seraph!”
Oh…
Fuck.
He could smell that? Of course he could. Because that’s how my life went these days.
“I—”
“You fucked Saldrea’s seraph, right here!” Myel’s tone was just a little too loud. “How could you? You can’t trust him! One word from him, and I’ll be put to death, but you fucked him? Here? Was he blackmailing you?”
It wasn’t like that!
“An angel? Really?” Rook reproached. “I don’t really care who you fuck, but an angel? That’s just wrong.” Right, because angels and demons didn’t get along and apparently me fucking an angel was a line I shouldn’t have crossed.
I’d had enough of this.
