"I'll serve Elucia in any capacity, of course. It doesn't matter what I want. I'll learn to live with it."
Saphir chuckled. "As long as you have a good man by your side who loves you and supports you, anything is doable, which brings me to my next question. How are things between you and Cadet Tekum?"
The sudden shift in topic caught me off guard, and I felt heat rise to my cheeks. "Great. We're doing great. He's quite wonderful, in fact."
There was no point in playing coy.
Saphir knew.
I had no doubt that he had heard all about it already, and he could also read my mind, even though I was trying to block him.
A smile played at the corners of the shaman's mouth. "I see. That's very good. I'm happy for you both. Love is a powerful force, Kailin. It can provide strength and stability during challenging times, particularly for those with gifts like yours."
It was a relief to hear him say that, but the truth was that Saphir looked a little too happy about it. Why did he care about Alar and me becoming a couple? Did it have anything to do with Alar having been summoned to see him the day after we'd arrived here? Even before me?
"How is your blocking ability?" Saphir asked out of the blue.
"It's good. I can block Onyx most of the time and other dragons at will."
"Excellent." Saphir leaned back. "Now tell me about the medallion I gave you. Has it enhanced your abilities in any way?"
I touched the silver disc that hung around my neck, hidden beneath my uniform. The truth was that I hadn't noticed any particular effect from wearing it. My ability to shield my thoughts had improved through practice, and I couldn't attribute that specifically to the medallion.
"I've been wearing it every day, but I can't say that I've noticed it helping me in any significant way. My mental shields have gotten stronger, but that seems more a result of practice than anything else."
"Have you told your friends about it?"
"Yes," I admitted. "It's hard to hide, even under my clothes. Someone was bound to notice eventually. I told them you gave it to me as part of my special training, to see if it had any effect, but I didn't explain why or what exactly it was supposed to do. I said I couldn't share those details, and they accepted that."
"Good." The shaman seemed pleased. "Are you wearing it at all times?"
"Almost. I take it off during conditioning because I'm afraid it might fall out or get damaged. And during showers, of course." I hesitated, then added reluctantly, "and when I'm with Alar at night, so it doesn't get in the way."
I wanted to sink through the floor from embarrassment, but Saphir's expression remained professionally neutral as if I'd been talking about polishing my boots.
"I understand," he said. "However, I would recommend putting it back on once your nightly activities are concluded. It's important that you wear it while sleeping."
"Why?"
He shrugged. "The truth is that I don't have an empirical explanation. Just observation and speculation. I suspect that something in this medallion resonates with certain mentalfrequencies, particularly while the conscious mind is at rest and when other aspects of consciousness become more active."
That still didn't explain what it was supposed to do.
"It might enhance your natural abilities and your intuition."
I tilted my head. "Did it help you?"
He chuckled. "You are a smart young lady, Kailin. No, it did not, but it had supposedly helped some of my predecessors. I thought it was worth a try to let you wear it."
That explained why he was willing to part with it.
"I assume that it is very valuable."
"It's a relic from a different era, and as such, it is irreplaceable and incalculably valuable."
I swallowed. "Thank you for entrusting me with such a treasure, but I have nowhere to hide it, and when I leave to take a shower or for conditioning, I hide it under the wardrobe wrapped in a pair of socks. That's not really a secure place to keep a sacred artifact." I reached inside my shirt and pulled it out. "I should give it back to you."
He lifted a hand to stop me. "Keep it. No one is going to steal it in here." He smiled. "I've been into each cadet's mind, and I know what each one is about. I would not have allowed dishonest people to enter the academy."
