The silence that came felt awkward. Erinna was never good at comfort. Instead, she pulled a small tin from her bag. The tiny box was decorated with painted flowers and leaves. She had packed it especially for him, knowing he would be stressed, just not aware of how much he was dealing with.
“We got some more Ionian tea in. Figured it might help you sleep better.” Erinna used it herself on rare occasions. The mixture of flowers and herbs was particularly good at keeping the midnight whispers at bay when she was a child. The times her Talent used to flare before she managed to bury it so deep not even an enforcer would be able to find it.
“You’re the best, Eri.” He took the decorative container, eyed it for a moment, and then pocketed it inside his robes.
“Oh, I made you something.” Damien rummaged through another one of his hidden pockets, pulling out a dark leather bracelet. Erinna arched her brow in question and curiosity. It was midnight blue, made of high-quality material.
“Hand,” Damien requested, and Erinna obliged. She reached out her arm, and he wrapped his fingers gently around her wrist. The feather-light touches sent shivers down her spine as he fastened the small metal clasp.
“There.” He gave her a wide grin, pleased with his work. The joy was intoxicating. Erinna examined the intricate braiding, her fingers trying to determine the pattern.
“It’s perfect,” she breathed. The color was dark enough to hide any stains, and the material was strong enough to withstand manual labor—to an extent. The Eughler coating would also make it water-resistant and less likely to tear.
But if she looked hard enough, there was a pattern that shimmered gold when the light hit it perfectly, almost like…
“I warded it myself.” Damien couldn’t hide his excitement. “It took a while to weave the protection into the material, but the arcanum should hold for a while.”
“Protections?” It was an incredibly thoughtful gift and must have taken quite some time to imbue. She wished she had more than tea to give him.
He nodded, animatedly, and rubbed his thumb against the leather. “Nothing too much. Just a little something to keep you safe from aberrants.”
Erinna’s blood ran cold. This was the reminder— the reason she had to keep him at an arm’s length. If her secret was ever exposed, he could likely end up her executioner. Erinna always wondered exactly how he felt about aberrants; he didn’t speak of them with the same repulsion as most, but his mood always soured at the mention.
“Safe from aberrants?” Erinna hoped the tremble in her voice wasn’t too noticeable, but the bracelet around her wrist felt more like a cuff. Was she about to be discovered by a simple piece of leather?
“Yeah, well, to any who mean to cause you harm. I guess it could work against a mage, but I took extra steps to make sure it would ward against mentalists, particularly. Truth be told, we’ve seen a rise in reports of unclaimed aberrants, yet the Enforcers haven’t been able to track them all down.”
“That’s terrible.” The words tasted like sandpaper on her tongue.
Damien leaned in so close that Erinna could practically feel his warm breath against her cheek. “I’ve heard talk of some sort of rebellion. That’s what Dean Harrowood thinks.” He leaned back slightly, giving Erinna some room to breathe.
“And you, what do you think?” Erinna’s mind and heart raced at a dangerous pace.Calm. She told herself.Calm. A rebellion made no sense, and she would have heard windfall of it through her contacts. The Dean was grasping at straws with nothing more than poorly aimed fear.
Damien waved his hand dismissively, clearly trying to remain nonchalant, but the tension in his shoulders betrayed him. A darkness flashed across his face. “I think we’re all just scared, Eri.” His hand went to her wrist, wrapped it in a gentle hold as his thumb traced small circles in her skin, just above the leather. “I just want to make sure you’re safe.”
Erinna slowly released her breath and tried to unknot the tension.
“How does it work?”
“It’ll get warm if someone tries to use their Talent against you with ill intent. That way you know to run.” Damien looked at her expectantly, scanned her face to see how well his gift was received.
Erinna forced a smile that didn’t quite reach her eyes. “It’s perfect, thank you.” It won’t betray you, Erinna chanted through her mind. It wouldn’t recognize her, and in all honesty, a ward against someone trying to read her mind or scry her location was frightfully useful.
Still…
Another gong echoed, and even the travelers were starting to feel its foreboding pressure.
The nervous knot Erinna had grown so accustomed to had awoken once more.
Chapter
Five
The crowd had grown exponentially by the time Erinna and Damien left the bakery. Locals and visitors alike hurried through the bustling streets and busied themselves at open stalls selling colorful trinkets. Vendors had their best wares out for display and fervently explained the “best” deals of the season. A few academy mages popped by between classes. The number of robed individuals drastically increased as they crossed into academy-owned territory.
They moved further into the city toward wealthier areas of the capital. The city itself could be divided into four zones along an awkward line that went from palace to sea. The Harbor Market, followed by Market Square, the Academy of the Arcanum came next, until finally Crown Quarter.
The academy was as easy to spot as the castle or the Chancellor’s tower. It was perhaps one of the most defining features on the island. Gothic arches and steepled towers loomed in the distance and kept a watchful eye over the kingdom.
