Every heartbeat of time was a weight in his chest. Celina was watching him with a shuttered, hopeful expression. Her nerves were only noticeable through the erratic beat of her pulse under his fingers.
Trust.That’s what it came down to.
Banishing logic, he took a moment to breathe and just feel, letting his instincts speak to him. Opening eyes he hadn’t realized he’d closed, he found her intense, focused gaze on him, waiting for his decision.
“Alright. Let’s go see your friend.”
“Thank you, Rodric.” Celina’s face opened into the first full smile he’d seen from her. It felt like a sweet embrace and warmed his soul.
Chapter 6
Refugee Center, Realm of Calderre
Thoughshe’dexplainedabit on the ride, Rodric hadn’t fully comprehended what the term Refugee Center would mean. The refugees, many from his home realm, outnumbered the military at the protected compound nestled deep in the forest.
It looked essentially like a village crossed with a military outpost. The uniqueness came from the housing. In addition to barracks, the compound held clusters of single homes. Families went about normal daily activities around the small cottages.
The truly shocking part was that the majority of individuals were young children. Her words clicked into place as he took in the scenes around him. Didall ofthese children have magic? His mind reeled as he tried to absorb everything.
Celina kept a determined pace, trying to minimize his interactions with the people here, especially the warriors. A tactic he couldn’t fault, under the circumstances. Although he could encourage an air of nobility to mask his regular hunter-like movements, they were too highly trained not to recognize him for the potential threat he was if they interacted with him.
Backing up to the mountain was a three-story building that took up central residence in the compound, with everything else built out around it. Observing the children playing out front, Rodric began to feel slightly ill at ease. Where were their parents? The adult refugees?
His trepidation grew as a warrior came by and crouched near the children, laughing as they animatedly described their game. The warrior promised to come back and play with them after the meal as he corralled the group and herded them toward the dining hall at the far end of the compound, even picking up the smallest child to his shoulders as they walked away.
In Eldridge, warriors were visible in many places, but they bore an air of definite coldness. He had never seen children so young interact with a seasoned warrior with such comfort and ease. Was Calderre really so different, even in their military? Or was there something more that he was missing, something unique about this little hidden village, its protectors, and these children?
“Hello, Headmistress Lydia,” Celina called out a greeting to an older, refined woman who was standing guard just outside the door as they approached. Her lovely dark complexion hinted at a southern heritage, possibly from Zamyra, which bordered Eldridge to the south and east. “I’d like you to meet Lord Rodric. He’s a visiting ally and quite invested in what we do here.”
Rodric inclined his head respectfully to the lady as they followed her inside, hiding his sudden nerves beneath a polite smile as he tried to fit his mind into the role Celina had designed for him.
“Rodric.” She dropped the formality as she introduced him and placed a hand on his arm, implying a close friendship between them. “Meet Headmistress Lydia. She’s been running the orphanage here for as long as I can remember. I’m certain the center would fall apart without her leadership. I need to track down Commander Galen, but I was hoping you wouldn’t mind letting Rodric stay here with you while I do that. Let him meet some of the children and see the heart of what we do.”
Unable to hide his shock, he whipped his gaze to her. What did she think she was doing? She hadn’t said anything about leaving him alone at an orphanage. Celina smiled broadly at Lydia and flashed heated eyes at him in response to his silent plea.
“He’s welcome to stay for a bit.” Lydia gave him an assessing look, probably wondering what he was really doing here.You and me both.
“Excellent! I won’t be long.” Celina nodded and hastily exited.
Damn feisty, conniving woman had altered the plan and left him in a roomful of children. Magical children. Without warning him first. Rodric breathed in through his nose, trying to ignore the prickling sense of panic stabbing him, and focused on his surroundings.
“Well then,” Headmistress Lydia began. “I’m sure you’ve heard all about the program from Lady Celina. Whole families are housed together in the family dwellings next door.” She gestured toward the aforementioned cottages dotting the compound. “Here, at the orphanage, we have the individual children until they can be permanently placed with a family in Calderre.”
Right. So, this was happening.He tried to absorb the whirlwind of information being thrown at him while the headmistress looked at him expectantly, brow raised with just a touch of skepticism. Buying a moment, he pretended to study the room, while trying to detach his mind from the building cacophony inside him.
“Good. That’s… good.” He tried to think of things an ambassador would want to know, but his mind was still reeling. “How long are they usually here?”
“That depends on the individual. Since learning about their magic is critical to their development and safety, we assess and match them with an appropriate mentor, preferably one with the same type of magic, if one can be found.” She led him through the common room as she spoke. “We don’t let them go before they’ve learned some basic control, and that can take a few months. Longer, if they are particularly strong or have additional issues to overcome. Trauma, as I’m sure you know, can badly affect magical development and cause adverse episodes. We like them to stay here where we can help them until they reach a relatively stable point.”
There was a lot he didn’t know. About magic, about trauma, about the challenges that awaited Brenna. He was starting to suspect that there was more than one reason Celina had left him here.Devious little minx.
Imagining his spirited soul-daughter alone in a place like this, trying to rebuild a life after extenuating trauma had landed her there, made him physically sick. It didn’t matter how well the program was set up or how caring the warriors and leaders were. This place shouldn’t exist. Shouldn’t be necessary.
As he fought the crippling image of Brenna at an orphanage, without him or her father by her side to face the huge new reality she faced as a mage, a young boy drew the headmistress’s attention.
“I’ll be right there.” She called to the child before turning back to address Rodric. “Why don’t you go visit with the children playing out back? Just keep your movements slow. We do have a few newer children right now.”
Out of all the people in the room, he might be the most uncomfortable and unstable at this moment. Space to breathe became his only priority. Going through the indicated door, Rodric sucked in a lungful of air. It felt like ages since he’d breathed fresh air, though realistically only a short amount of time had passed since he’d entered the orphanage.
