I don’t want to lie to her, I’ve already stacked up enough of those. And if she starts asking for Truth Strings… yeah, I’m screwed.
“What can I say? He surprised me.”Not a lie.“I guess my body’s just… drawn to him.” Also, not a lie.
She studies me, lips pressed thin. Then finally, “Well… I guess you’re both a bit feisty. I dunno, maybe it is just me, maybe I just don’t get it. Men confuse me.”
From his chair, Rowan chuckles, and Ezzy's frown quickly returns.
We stayed and talked for another hour. The lying started to bite sharp, pressing on my chest, so I tossed her something true. Told her about the dragon, about its eye. Left out the part where Talen called it off though.
I thought she would be more shocked, but she wasn’t even rattled, not even close. She swallowed Merrin’s version of the dragon attack whole, clinging to the Citadel’slogical explanationlike it’s gospel.
Still, I wanted to give her more—hell, all of it—but I still didn’t know what was safe.
Finally, she started to fade, and once she and Finn slid back into their usual bickering, we agreed to let her rest and take shifts checking in.
On the way out, Finn casually drops that he can't start carving me a new duck because he just remembered he lost his last piece of cedar-wood. He can get more over the semester break but that would be in a few weeks.
I smiled and thanked him, but the tight rhythm in my chest was climbing fast. No way I’m lasting that long.
The dorm room’sstuffy and cold as I step inside, colder without Ezzy’s warmth. Her bed’s still folded neat from this morning. God, she almost died because of me, because I’m keeping things from her. And now… I’m keeping more.
The guilt rises, stomach twists, I drag in a long breath.
A few weeks and I’ll be gone, then she won’t have to deal with me anymore. I just have to last that long—play Talen’s game, pry out the answers I want, get the journals, keep my magic caged and get out of here.
Sounds almost simple. Achievable. But without the duck… I don’t know how long before my magic tears loose again.
I’m halfway to face-planting on the bed when something catches my eye, an object sitting on my desk.
That’s not supposed to be here...
I freeze, scanning the room. Was someone here? The door was closed when I got back, but in the Citadel that means nothing. Doors are just decoration, no locks, anyone could’ve slipped in while I was gone.I open it and scan the hallway but it’s empty. Just the usual hum of voices echoing from the bathing chambers at the far end.
Heart beating fast now, pulsing behind my ribs, I step back inside, eyes fixed on the table and walk forward.
Chest tightens with every step.
No… it can’t be. But it is. Same worn grooves from mine and Ezzy’s fingers. Same broken wing.
Sitting there like it never left.
The duck.
God, I’ve never been so fucking happy to see a stupid wooden bird in my life.
I let out a long sigh and cross the room fast but stop short at the desk, hand resting on the dagger at my hip. Something’s off. How the hell did it get here?
Strannt.
Weasel-faced little shit.
Without thinking I drop to check under the bed, but the journal is still there. A sigh of relief, but did he see them? Does he know about them? Was anyone else here with him?
A shiver slices up my spine, sharp as glass. The image of him in here, snooping around, touching my things, makes me want to throw up. But I shake it off and reach for the duck, fingers curling tight around the wood.
I shouldn’t care. I should just be glad it's back, but if I ever bump into him beyond the wall, somewhere his Citadel badge doesn’t mean shit?—
My grip falters. Something’s still off. Not the duck—what’s next to it.
