This was frustrating and going nowhere. "I'm right here. Ask me anything and I'll answer truthfully. You can read my mind if you want to make sure that I do."
"Oh, there is no need for that." He waved a dismissive hand, startling Moki, who had fallen asleep. "You don't have that information yet either, Prince Alar, so you can't share it with me. But you will, and then we will go looking for those eggs."
Saphir Fatewever was mad.
"When will I have that information?" I asked, hoping the shaman hadn't heard my thoughts.
"I hope soon." Saphir resumed stroking Moki's head. "Perhaps it will manifest when you bond with your dragon or maybe sooner. In the meantime, please don't mention my special abilities to anyone." His voice carried that special resonance again. "Not even to the lovely Kailin Strom."
62
KAILIN
"The faintest ripple can alter the course of history."
—Shaman Saphir Fatewever
Why had the shaman called for Alar?
I was the one who should have gotten a summons. I'd been expecting it, and then it came, but not for me.
As we took the stairs to the lower level where the weapons training class was held, I turned to Shovia. "What do you think Saphir wants with Alar?"
She shrugged. "Maybe it's because he's an Elurian? But then Codric would have been called too."
"My thoughts exactly." I chewed on my lower lip. "Besides, both Codric and Alar have proven themselves before and during the pilgrimage. They helped with the injured after the bombing of the square, and Codric almost died when the path collapsed under him and you."
She shivered. "Don't remind me. I managed to suppress this near-death experience. Maybe the shaman just wants to know more about that fancy school they went to. Did Alar tell you about his time in the Vedona Elite Academy?"
"I know what you know. He and Codric had basic training and then stayed on for a more advanced course."
Come to think of it, Alar hadn't told me much about his home at all. I knew that he had four older brothers, but I didn't know if he had any sisters, and whether his parents were still around or what they did for a living. They were part of the merchant class, but I wasn't sure what that implied other than a certain level of wealth and the socioeconomic status that was invariably associated with it. They were wealthy but not noble, although I was quite sure that people of that class engaged in more than just commerce. I should really make a point of spending more time with Alar and get to know him and what had shaped the person he'd become. Although with the intense schedule of the flight academy, there wasn't much time left, and during those stolen moments, I preferred to do other things.
Warmth spread through me as I recalled the events of last night and what could have happened if Shovia had spent the night with Codric.
Then again, I was glad that she'd interrupted us because it would have been terribly irresponsible of me to engage in such an act without taking precautions. I needed to start drinking the contraceptive tea, and I hoped it was available for purchase inthe Citadel's apothecary. If not, I would have to send a letter to Gran and ask her to send me some.
Dear Elu, how I missed my grandmother, my parents, and Chicha. I hadn't been gone long enough to justify the tightness in my chest, but knowing that I wouldn't get to see them anytime soon made this short separation seem so much longer.
"Did Alar share with you what the shaman told him at the Circle of Fate?" Shovia asked.
"No, and you didn't tell me either. We are not supposed to talk about it."
It wasn't a rule, but it was considered impolite to ask people about it in case they didn't want to share.
"I can barely remember what the shaman told me. I was so drugged that everything was blurred."
For some reason, I didn't believe Shovia was being entirely truthful, but she was just as entitled to her secrets as I was, and I didn't want to confront her. "Alar remembers what Saphir told him, but he can't tell me."
She lifted a brow. "Now that you and Alar are a couple, I assumed you confided in each other."
Yeah, except I couldn't, and evidently Alar couldn't either.
When Alar had refused to tell me what Saphir had told him during the ceremony, I'd assumed it was personal, but what if there was more to it? What if the shaman had seen something in him, some hidden gift or ability that even Alar didn't know about?
I was probably projecting my own situation onto him, but it could be the reason.
"Maybe it's about Alar's observations on the attacks," I said instead.
