“That’s some serious tension right there,” Jax says, breaking the silence. “You two don’t strike me as catfight type of women. Not Vera, for sure. Phoenix, may?—”
“Shut up,” Vera and I tell him at the same time.
Jax cackles. That eases some of the tension between us.
“I’m sorry, Phoenix,” Vera says, surprising me. “That you didn’t know what you were going into. Truly. ButVal’tazEzkairinis deadly and unpredictable. I don’t know what you may yet face. That’s why we’re working to get you the mentorship of Oka Oya.”
I nod. Now it makes sense why Kazh agreed to help meifI survive the preparation ceremonies. She knew I may end up as one of the dead Ezkai.
“Ah! Now that you mention Oka Oya, I remember something I wanted to tell you,” Jax says once we resume eating.
He’s got Vera’s full attention. “Go ahead.”
“Daegel heard you went to Oka Oya,” he says. “He asked me if that was true and whether or not Oka Oya agreed to help you.”
Why didn’t Daegel ask me himself?
I narrow my eyes at him. “And? What did you say?”
“I told him that Oka Oya agreed,” Jax says and takes another bite of the waffle. “He didn’t like it that much.”
“I bet,” Vera says, pleased with herself. “Did he give you an order?”
Jax nods. “Ah, yes. He told me to keep an eye on you. To get as close as I can to Phoenix.”
My heart sinks. It’s hard to believe everything Jax says about Daegel.MyDaegel.
“I told him I’m well on my way to making you fall in love with me, Phoenix darling,” Jax says and flashes me a smile. “Once you’re all infatuated, I told him I’ll have you out of these trials in no time.”
Is he joking? He must be joking.
Daegel would have his head for even daring to look at me in a romantic way. He couldn’t stand Roman being so close to me, and Roman didn’t even like women!
Sharp pain piercing my chest. Ah, Roman…I wish he was here for this with me.
Jax must be joking. No way would Daegel approve of this plan, even if it helped push me out of the trials. Or would he?
I snort. “Keep dreaming, asshole.”
“Calm down,” Vera says. “I can already see the damn steam coming out of your ears. Eat your food before I have to force-feed you. The Starless Night is in three days and after that, you’ll start your training with Oka Oya. You’ll need all your strength for that.”
I don’t appreciate being scolded, but I do polish off my plate. Vera’s right. The important part of that rial is about to start and I need to be ready.
I barely get any sleep that night.
When the first rays of sun break through the horizon, I growl into my pillow. I’m cold all the way to the marrow of my bones. Three blankets piled on top of me don’t help.
Maybe a hot bath will.
I roll out of bed and make my way into my private bathroom. A tired version of myself greets me in the vanity mirror. My cheeks are just as sunken as they were when I first arrived in Ekios.
Quickly, I fill the copper bathtub with water as hot as I can get it. The first contact with the steaming water sends pain shooting up my leg, but it only lasts a couple of seconds. I welcome the scorching sensation as I lower myself into the bath.
My skin turns red in front of my eyes, and I start to sweat. Yet…the seeping cold deep inside my chest lingers.
I rub my face with my hands. “Fuck.”
I have no clue what’s happening to me or how to fix it. If I tell Vera, she’ll ask questions, and then I’ll have to give her answers I don’t want to reveal.
