He considered that for a moment. “It’s nice to hear you say my name correctly for the first time,” he said at last, almost amused. “But I don’t think that will do.”
A pause.
“Theo. Call me Theo.”
And if the slight smile on his lips wasn’t the most heartbreaking thing ever, I didn’t know.
Chapter 11
Ididn’t see Theo again for the rest of the night and actually felt relieved. I needed time to process what had happened in his study and to decide how I felt about it. I knew it was unlikely that anything like this would ever happen again. And yet, the tiny pang of disappointment that followed? Deeply uncalled-for.
I’d spent my day in the library of the Lodge and had taken a walk into town again. Dinner had been a quiet affair in the kitchen, surrounded by a chatty Enbergin and his staff. I had returned to my room shortly after. I was pleasantly surprised when I not only discovered that my clothes had already been delivered, but I had also received a letter from my mother. She said she was safe, well-fed, guarded, and most importantly: not worried about me. Which was probably a bald-faced lie, but I appreciated the effort. I scribbled back something quick and comforting, equally pretending to be braver than I felt, and collapsed into bed, asleep before I could overthink any further.
When I came downstairs the next morning, the new letter for my mother in hand, a servant informed me that breakfast was waiting for me in the dining room downstairs and that Caelan and Auretheos had already left for the temple.
I entered the small breakfast room and was greeted by the heavenly smell of pancakes and fresh jam. I had brought one of the books from my room I had started reading and got comfortable on one of the plush chairs that were arranged around a big wooden table. I carefully spread jam across my pancake and rolled it up all the way. Leaning back in my chair, I propped my feet up and placed the book atop my knees. Grabbing the rolled-up pancake, I took a hearty bite and nearly groaned at the taste of the warm jam.
“Don’t let Auretheos see you eating jam with one of his precious books in hand!” a voice called out from the other end of the room.
I jolted upright, the book tumbling to the floor and jam dripping down onto my clean shirt.
“Oh dear, I am sorry for startling you. Are you all right?”
The voice belonged to a female who was now walking over to me. She looked to be in her 50s, but I knew from my encounter with Theo that the outer appearance was not an indicator of age in this realm.
She was small, even compared to me, and had reddish curls, trimmed into a short bob and striking green eyes.
“I am all right, I just didn’t expect anyone else to be in here since Caelan and Theo already left,” I explained, set the pancake aside, and extended my hand in greeting. She hesitated, long enough for the silence to stretch, then clasped my hand in a firm shake. Instead of releasing it, she turned my hand slightly to the side. Her eyes fixed on the golden paint on my thumb, the residue I hadn’t managed to scrub away in the bath the night before.
“Theo, hm?” she asked with a funny expression on her face, her lips curving up slightly. I quickly pulled my hand back,suddenly very aware that I had no idea what sort of person Lydia was. If she was a stickler for rules, she’d probably report my indiscretion and the Fates knew what would happen then. But before I could respond, she continued.
“My name is Lydia, I hope the guys have not forgotten to inform you about my arrival.”
“No, of course, Caelan told me you’d be arriving soon. I didn’t know you were already here,though,” I said.
She sat down next to me, and I watched as she ladled her pancake with jam and rolled it up the same way I had.
“I have never eaten my pancake like this before and I do like to try something new every day.” She smiled.
“It’s the superior way to eat pancakes for sure.” I smiled cautiously. For some reason it was difficult for me to gauge whether she was friend or foe.
I cleared my throat. “Thank you for taking the time to teach me, my name is Maelis.”
She nodded. “When Auretheos calls, I will always be ready to help. He has been a wonderful friend to me over the years and has helped me more times than I can count.”
It was strange listening to the people talking about Theo, he had been so formal and almost rude the few times I had met him. But he was obviously well respected and liked around here.
“So, I hear you have a special heka, similar to mine?” Lydia asked.
I sighed. “I’m afraid I know very little of my heka and how to use it. No one in my family was gifted and using any kind of magic is strictly forbidden in the mortal realm. So there was no way for me to ask about my heka. I once tried to find information about the old magic, but all the books aboutmagic had been removed,” I explained between bites.
Lydia nodded in understanding, finishing the last piece of her pancake.
“Well, I do have to say that that was an excellent pancake. But don’t be fooled by my sunny demeanor, training with me will be hard. How are you with a sword?” she asked and raised an eyebrow.
“I have never held a sword. But I can defend myself with a dagger, if that’s what you’re asking,” I said.
Lydia exhaled loudly and got up. “Well, we have our work cut out for us then,” she stated matter-of-factually and turned to leave. “Let’s meet in front of the house in 15 minutes. Wear something comfortable, but not too warm. We are about to get sweaty.”
