Scarlett’s face heated as Manon peered at her from her armchair.
“Goodness,” said her grandmother. “Do you have anything on under that trench coat, or am I about to get a free show?”
Nori didn’t say anything, but she radiated sympathy, and Scarlett’s cheeks grew hot. Any other moment and she’d laugh at her grandmother’s joke, but right now, no. Right now she wanted to stare into the void in solitude after the fight she’d just had.
“Sorry,” said Scarlett as she stepped into the room, closing the door behind her. She faced away from her grandmother until she had her emotions under control. Then she spun around slowly, feigning embarrassment rather than distress. “I can’t think of a dignified excuse for my attire.” She peeled off the coat and laid it over the back of a chair before wrapping herself in a fuzzy blanket.
A breakfast tray sat on the table in front of Manon with a pot of what was hopefully coffee, and Scarlett sat in the armchairacross from her.
“Those pajamas are gorgeous on you. So, you and Brayden?” Manon raised one eyebrow.
Scarlett resigned herself to her grandmother’s nosy but well-intentioned questioning. “I saw him in the mirror at the temple. And Gwen said we’re North Stars,” she said, barely managing to not sound distraught. Last night she’d have been thrilled to tell Manon, but this morning, after their awful fight, the words tasted bitter in her mouth.
Nori darted around Manon’s light.
Manon’s eyes sparkled as she stood and pulled Scarlett into a hug, her peony perfume enveloping her. “What wonderful news. I’m so happy for you both.” She rubbed Scarlett’s back for a long moment, making Scarlett suspect she hadn’t hidden her feelings as well as she’d thought.
“I’m happy, but I don’t know how to handle it with everything going on,” Scarlett whispered in her ear.
Manon pulled back and met her gaze. “You’re strong enough to handle anything, and the North Star bond is a blessing, so chin up.” She beamed at Scarlett encouragingly as they both sat back down, but Scarlett struggled to return her smile. Hearing her grandmother talk about the North Star bond reminded her of Brayden’s assuredness, and she was having a hard time with unwavering faith in something she didn’t understand. She wanted to believe, but all she had was the faith of others to go by.
Manon picked up a sausage roll and took a small bite.
Scarlett closed her eyes, inhaling the rich smell of the coffee, and took a long, fortifying sip. She needed to know more, but she wasn’t sure any answer would satisfy her if it was based on old myths. But shehadjust experienced magic firsthand in the temple. Maybe the North Star bond was real. She had to try to understand.
“Do you really believe all the North Star stuff? Brayden toldme this means we’reitfor each other. But then we had a horrible fight this morning over me going back to Soleil. What if the timing is wrong and we don’t make it because of my responsibilities back home? I’ll be devastated if I lose him.” Her throat became thick as she held her breath waiting for Manon’s answer.
“The temple mirror wasn’t a guarantee of permanence, but a North Star rune is never wrong. Brayden is afraid of losing you. You can’t blame him for the angst, given recent events. He loves you too much to lose you. And you love him too. That’s the only answer you need.”
Scarlett let out a shuddering sigh. “I do love him.”
“Of course you do. And that’s beautiful. Life is full of the possibility we might all end up devastated. Love makes it worth throwing yourself into the fray. Hang on to Brayden with both hands and don’t let go. That’s my advice.”
“Hang on to him with both hands. I will.” They’d get over this fight. Of course they would. But she couldn’t bring herself to ask how she was supposed to hold on to him from Soleil.
“You’ll manage. Think of him as a nonnegotiable priority, the same way you would Beni,” said Nori. The suggestion made Scarlett’s heart lighter.
Manon sipped a cup of coffee. “So, do you have any plans for the morning?”
“James offered to take me to work with him so I can learn about being a vox. You?”
“I’m going to enjoy the peace and quiet of my room while I can.”
The ominous words gave Scarlett pause. “What do you mean, ‘while you can’?”
“Given the circumstances, it’s safe to say things will not remain calm. I personally am both nervous and excited to see what Brayden does next, because there’s no stopping you from going,and there is also no way that boy is letting you leave alone,” Manon said with a pleased chuckle. “A phoenix learns of his North Star right before she’s supposed to leave the country to go back to her murderous homeland… I couldn’t make this up if I tried.”
If only Scarlett could be as relaxed about this as her grandmother.
Freshly showered and coat in hand, Scarlett went to the lounge downstairs looking for James and found him reading a book.
James stood as she entered the room, his eyes bright. “You look well. You’re practically glowing.” Before she could reply, he opened his arms and wrapped her in a hug. “Congratulations on the North Star news. Brayden told me before he left with Lachlan. I’m so chuffed for the two of you.”
She hugged him back, her heart skipping a beat at the mention. “Did he seemhappyabout the North Star news?”
“No. He seemed stressed out,” James admitted. “But underneath the stress, he’s happy, believe me. He’s just worried because of your situation. He was always going to be overprotective of you because of your history, but get ready for it to be on a whole new level of obsession now.”
To Scarlett’s surprise, she grinned. James’s cheerful dismissal of Brayden’s mood was somehow a comfort.
