“No Westies without a pass,” the guard said, looking me up and down.
I swallowed hard, my mind scrambling for an excuse. “I clean the floors and wipe down the counters at Avis Apothecary. I’m late for work.” I was praying that West Side fae were allowed to work on the East Side. Surely, they didn’t clean their own toilets?
“Where’s your pass?” the guard asked.
Dang. I needed some kind of documentation.
“She’s with me,” a familiar voice said from behind me, and then Eden stepped up to my side and flashed a small card with letters on it for the guard to read.
“I’ll see that she’s no trouble,” Eden added, and the guards nodded, moving out of the way, allowing us both inside.
I spun to her, wide-eyed as it all hit me then—why she was so nice to me before. How she knew that my father would be stuck in the clinic on the West Side all day if I hadn’t gotten a healer from The Academy.
“Thank you,” I managed.
She looked at me with hesitation but nodded.
She knew. She knew I was a Bane. Ariyon must have told her. He must have known the second I told him about my curse.
“I’m sorry I lied about living here before. I was desperate to heal my father,” I told her honestly. And now I was desperate to keep Hipsie out of pain.
“You didn’t technically lie. You omitted the truth,” she said. I followed alongside her as she began to walk.
“But I let you think I was from here, and I felt bad because you were so nice.”
“Where are you off to now in such a hurry?” she asked. “School’s closed on Sundays.”
“You know I’m starting school tomorrow?” I asked, not meaning to ignore her question.
She tipped her chin. “The rumor is all over campus. Master Clarke was talking to the other teachers and some students heard. It won’t be an easy day.”
Great. “Well, thanks for the heads up.”
She nodded.
“I’m headed to Avis Apothecary for a tincture for my friend who’s in pain.”
It was the total truth. What I omitted was that I had no coin to pay for the tincture and I already owed that woman for breaking her window. But it was my only option. I’d get on my knees and beg if I had to.
Eden gave me a curious look. “That’s nice of you to do that for your friend. You seem kind.” She sounded a bit surprised, and I stopped walking.
She stopped too, so I faced her.
“Listen, I don’t know what you heard about me, but I grew up in Isariah believing that I had zero magic my entire life. I was adopted by my father as an infant, never had a mother. I would appreciate going forward if you and I could be friends. If I ever do anything to disappoint you, or hurt you, then you don’t have to be my friend anymore, but I’d sure like to be given the chance. It doesn’t seem fair I’d be judged for a family lineage I know nothing about.”
Her questioning face turned into a bright smile. “Fair enough, Fallon. Friends.” She held out her hand and I sighed in relief.
Grasping her fingers with my good gloved hand, we shook, and I felt the bubbles of excitement bloom in my chest for the first time since coming here.
I had a friend.
Eden.One who hopefully wouldn’t judge me on things I hadn’t done yet.
She looked at my gloved arms. “So, the curse is true?”
She wanted to know, and I appreciated her asking me to my face.
I nodded. “Can’t be touched without feeling horrible pain.”
