“A Luna and an Emo,” the woman says thoughtfully. “This is good. Strength and sensitivity; force and manipulation. I think this could work.”
Of course Taron is a Luna. I should’ve guessed by his icy demeanour. Luna elementals, those with the ability to manipulate gravity, are widely nicknamed “the cold-blooded”, both literally and figuratively. It’s said the gravitational pull from the three moons influences their body temperature, lowering it to a level that would have most others shivering.
The Soulreaper is right. An Emo and a Luna, the mental and physical combined. The combination of our respective talents could work in our favour.
No, why am I entertaining this?I’m not strong enough. Fast enough. I’ve never even travelled beyond the neighbouring villages. But Elara…
I step back and collide with the wall. A portrait above my head swings on the hook before crashing at my feet.
“So, my dear,” the woman asks, “do we have a deal?”
I ignore her question, my eyes trained on Taron instead. “Why are you doing this? Is she paying you? Or did she blackmail you too?”
His eyes flicker with something I can’t quite place. Surprise, maybe? He studies my face, but remains silent.
I wonder if he’s a thief, too. Maybe he’s a pickpocket who tried to outsmart the woman at a market. Or a burglar caught in the act. Whatever game he played, though, it looks like he lost.
He gives me one last look, then – as if the sight of me fails to meet his expectations – retreats from the doorframe and disappears down the entry hall.
“He’s a man of few words, I’m afraid,” the Soulreaper says. “Luckily, you’ll have the entire tournament to get to know each other.”
I shoot the doorframe a sceptical look. This Taron guy might think he’s good at hiding his emotions, but I sense his turmoil; I saw it in the delicate threads of energyradiating from his skin. It was barely visible but impossible to ignore. Black as night.
I think he’s as trapped as I am. And he knows just as well as I do there’s only one way out of this. If the woman’s claims are true, and she really can bring Elara back…
I’d do anything to hug her again, see her warm smile and hear her laughter. She needs to know how sorry I am for letting this happen. For failing her.
“Fine,” I say. If getting Elara back means playing a deadly game with a silent stranger, so be it.
The woman smiles. “I knew you’d make the right decision. Taron will be in touch with the details later. You may go now. I suspect you’ve got some loose ends to tidy before your expedition to the capital kicks off tomorrow morning.”
Tomorrow morning?I have a job. Elara’s body. My blood runs cold – her body is still lying on her bedroom floor.
I nod through my apprehension, reaching far and deep for any sense of courage. The stars know I’ll need it right now.
“OK,” I say, my head reeling as she ushers me out of the parlour.
I can only hope Taron knows more than I do. Because if the two of us want to survive this thing, much less win, we’ll need to be prepared.
Taron stands at the foot of the stairs in the entry hall, watching coldly as the woman steers me to the door. I look over my shoulder at him, hoping for … I don’t know, somekind of sign that we’re in this together, but he just blankly stares into space.
As the woman forces me outside, it feels like I’m in a dream, at the brink of waking up in a cold sweat, entangled in my bedsheets and staring wide-eyed at the ceiling. But I’m not. This is real. I’m not asleep, and I’m not waking up.
I’m not supposed to steal from my clientele, but I did – more than once – and the time has finally come to settle the debt.
Chapter Seven
I take the long way home through Auxin Forest, following the waterway that snakes through the trees towards the southern reaches of Stellargrove.
A high tower built from smoky grey stone peeks between the trees – Nexus Academy, school for Emos. As always, I try to imagine myself wandering its halls as a student.
The only worries plaguing my mind would be test results and which extracurricular club to join. Not two murdered merchants and a sister who… I shake the thought from my head.
When a watercraft sidles up next to me and the helmsman offers me a lift, I toy with the idea of escaping, urging him to chart a course far south, to the foggy mountains and salty shores of the southern principality, Wrisha. Or, if that’s not far enough, the heat-drenched deserts of the western principality, Solara.
I briefly entertain thoughts of a new beginning, perhaps working for a fisherman or tending to a farmer’s fields, a chance to reshape my identity and avoid the consequences of my mistakes.
But then, without fail, the image of Elara’s lifeless form thrusts itself back into the forefront of my mind. I can’t give up on her. She deserves more. If there’s any chance to save her – and admittedly it’s a long shot – I have to take it.
