“The goddess has spoken. You are all Accepted.”
The shoulders of the one with the fewest glyphs drop. Had the possibility of not succeeding crossed his mind?
“In the night sky, the shining soul stars are there to remind us of the presence of light, even in the midst of darkness. May you, the Accepted, be filled with the same light of inspiration and clarity. Go in peace.” She bows her head, and the circle of Accepted around her bow back before they trail out the eastern archway.
I glance over my shoulder, looking for Aster, but he’s gone. Somehow, I’m not surprised.
Packing up my things, I make my way back through the pristine white gallery, the silence broken only by my footsteps and the distant sound of water from the streams. The air is slightly warmer now than in the early morning hours, and I cherish the sunrays reaching in through the open arches, caressing my skin as I hurry back toward my rooms. I’ll have breakfast, then meet Vilder for sparring practice.
I’m halfway down the winding corridor leading to my quarters when I hear hushed voices. I freeze. The curve of the hallway hides whoever they are, but their argument is unmistakable—and they’re headedthis way.
“You are a disgrace to our family name. And a fool. Just like your mother.” The voice is deep, mature.
“I’m sorry, Uncle, I really am. But I didn’t feel a calling for any of them,” answers a younger male voice.
“Seven times! Seven times you walked that circle. And then you chooseCyra? Asweakas you are, she will fry you alive. Have you lostall sense, Reü?”
“Well, I couldn’t circle one more time, now could I? You’ve already made it perfectly clear seven was more than enough.”
I step back into the shadow of a nearby alcove, pressing myself against the wall.Please don’t see me. Please.I hold my breath as the two of them walk past, but they don’t even glance in my direction. It’s the keeper and the blond male from the ceremony, the one with only a handful of glyphs.
“I do not know why I kept you. You are as useless as your father. You should not even be alive.” The keeper shakes his head, exasperation written all over his voice. “If I had not promised your mother...”
Reü visibly shrinks under his words.
Cold settles in my stomach.Is he implying to his nephew that he’d be better off if he were dead?
“I cannot comprehend how someone as weak as you could have possibly killed my sister at birth. My sister was gifted. Strong.”
“I’m sorry, Uncle. I . . .” He trails off.
What can he say? It isn’thisfault that his mother died during his birth.
“Do not even bother,” the keeper replies. “When she methim,she became a fool. And who is left to clean up their mess? I am.”
Reü hangs his head. “I said I’m sorry.”
“How about you stay alert and try to be helpful for a change? I want full reports of everything you see and hear this year.”
Reü straightens, a spark of hope flickering in his voice as he says, “I can do that. You can trust in me, Uncle.”
The keeper scoffs. “We will see.” Stopping outside a door down the hallway, he dismisses Reü by entering and closing the door in his face.
Reü doesn’t move right away. Instead, his rigid posture sinks into a slump as he stands there staring at the door. When it’s clear that his uncle isn’t coming back out, he turns and leaves.
With a sigh, I rub my face, massaging my temples, the pressure easing the throbbing behind my eyes. It seems mean-spirited people—or Reans, in this instance—are everywhere.
From one of the hallway’s tall arched windows, I see Llyr striding across a bridge that connects the Arc’s numerous buildings. My lips press into a tight line at the sight of him, unresolved tension flooding my body. Is he going to pray again? I’ve noticed him at Mah’s shrine at all hours lately—whatever burden he carries, it’s eating at him. The thought occurs to me that perhaps this situation is no easier for him than it is for me. Or perhaps his worries run deeper than that.
I’ve barely seen him since the day I arrived and he ordered Vy to show me to my room.Rooms.I had to laugh at the grandiosity of the suite. Seniia and Vilder are staying in the sparse, plain shared rooms of the Accepted, while I have more space than I know what to do with. The size of the draped bed is twice that of Master Coperie’s, and the floor-to-ceiling windows provide an incredible view. Not to mention the sheer size of the wardrobe I’ve been handed, all in the beautiful Riverii cut: tight leggings and corsets in midnight blue, paired with long, flowing skirts and loose blouses—some with a neckline so low I haven’t dared to wear them yet—in subdued dusty pastel colors. The split of the skirts, running all the way to the right hip, makes them easy to move freely—and fight—in, and even though I’m still struggling with feeling comfortable with them, I have to admit that the way you can easily release the skirt for combat training is clever.
And Maeve. That was a pleasant surprise. Recalling our reunion makes me smile. She seemed just as happy to see me as I was to see her, greeting me with a whinny and a soft kiss from her muzzle.
Despite my limited interactions with him this past week, Llyr has ensured Vy is available to assist me with even the smallest request. Still, the silken sheets and catered meals do little to soothe the furious blaze that erupts within me at the sight of him. Even when confronted head-on, he has been unwilling to go into any detail regarding his actions, although hedidsay he was sorry and that his intentions were to protect me. Did he truly not know?
I drop into a deep curtsy as one of the C’elen walks by, holding the posture until I’m sure they’ve passed me. A small voice inside me whispers that I’m to blame as well. I did my best to hide Master Coperie’s torture. Not even Mrs. Cooker knew the true extent of it. But torture aside, did he never consider the emotional damage living as someone’s property did to you? The only answer I’ve gotten from him is that I will understand in time, but time is nothing if not relative, and in my opinion, too much time has gone without answers already. There’s not much I can do though. The last thing I want is to draw attention to myself and be expelled from the Arc. If my nights are not spent here, I’m fair game for that brace again.
Let it go, Laïna. You are better off than you could ever have dreamed of.Deciding I don’t want him to ruin my day, I set off down the hall toward my quarters before he can make it to where I am.
