I did.
This time I closed my eyes and imagined the me I’d seen so many times in the mirror. I couldn’t do it as quickly as Oli had, but I took the time to touch every part of me, picturingmyself in my mind’s eye and, when I opened my eyes, I nearly wept.
There I was. The me I’d always known. A human with dirty blond hair, sea-green eyes, round ears and chesty enough to stand out without getting back problems.
“Perfect,” Oli whispered next to me. “Give me your phone and I’ll send you some pictures I have of me in various forms. You can practice more tomorrow. Now… get some rest, granddaughter.”
I nodded, still a little overwhelmed at being back in the form I’d grown up in, even if it felt... easy and known. And after Grandma had shown me to a luxuriously spacious room, I fell into the massive bed and slept like a log. Even if I didn’t get that much sleep before I heard arguing in the hall outside my room sometime later.
“She needs her rest!” A raised voice… the dragon… what was his name again? Koar.
“We don’t have time,” Safir growled. “She needs to learn everything she can as soon as possible.”
“Olinara and I have talked. We’ve worked it out. We have an elf in mind to help Izzy. Olinara is on her way to get them. So let her rest for now.”
Okay, I’d known this dragon for less than twenty-four hours, but I already liked him. Anyone who argued for me to sleep in was a hero in my books.
“You and Olinara? When? Who?”
“Lower. Your. Voice. Now!” This, I barely heard, but the whisper held so much threat I shivered.
“I will not be commanded by the likes of?—”
A crunching sound.
Someone hit the floor.
“Suck it up, shifter. Izzy’s resting. We have a plan.”
“You’ll pay for that,” Safir growled, sounding pained.
Yup, Koar had just proven himself to me. Not enough for me to trust him completely, I didn’t trust anyone easily, but enough to certainly give him more of a chance than I’d be giving Safir.
I snuggled back up in the huge bed and fell asleep again.
“Izzy?” The soft voice woke me sometime later.
I hummed as I woke, feeling refreshed. This bed had been a wonder. I felt safe for the first time in a while. Though as soon as I blinked to awareness, the churning need in my gut to be closer to Myel made me squirm.
Oli sat on the edge of the bed with a soft smile on her face. Behind her, at the edge of the room was Koar, tall and proud. He wore one of those billowy, pirate-like shirts… only on him it wasn’t so loose, tight over his chest and shoulders and biceps. Black pants clung to his hips and legs, also a little too tight. Beside Koar, Safir was stiff, clearly not happy. I’d have to have a conversation with him today. He was on my side, but he had to start giving up some control, which I guessed wasn’t easy for him.
And there was a new person in the room.
“Izzy, this is El Siandalla Lhorine,” Oli said introducing the woman. I’d seen a few “older” elves on campus, Dr. Pointy-Ears being one of them. Yet it still struck me as odd how young and fresh an adult elf looked. Though, when you lived forthousandsof years, you probably didn’t start looking old for quite a long time. Hence, it was hard to tell exactly how old Lhorine might be. She exuded grace and poise, standing tall, shoulders back. She was willowy and tall, slender and sleek, like most elves. In fact, there really wasn’t much to set her apart from other elves… save for two things. Her hair was darker than most, a dark honey brown, and her amber eyes weren’t filled with scorn and hatred, but a soft kindness.
“Hello, Izzy,” Lhorine said with a bow of her head. “It’s an honor to meet you.” She smiled, like with genuine sincerity and softness. A smile like that was out of place on an elf’s face.
“I want it on record that I had no say in this and haven’t had time to vet this individual,” Safir griped. I flashed him an annoyed glance and he shut up.
“Both Koar and I know Lhorine,” Grandma said, voice reassuring. “She was an aid to the Queen’s brother Talmarion. She can be trusted.”
“I am no fan of Valnea, nor her daughter,” Lhorine added. “And there are more like me, who do not like what has become of our people, though… we are not many.”
She seemed honest, but my gut told me I couldn’t trust her. However, if my grandmother vouched for her, I had to believe this woman was on my side. Still, I didn’t know her and remained a teensy bit wary.
“Good to know,” I said as I sat up in bed, sheets clutched to my chest. “So… when do we begin training?”
Grandma Oli answered. “Get dressed and eat something, then we’ll begin.”
