Wasn’t he supposed to be kidnapped? Damien was suffering sleepless nights while Afton was here, parading with pirates.
As if sensing her stare, the mage peeled his attention away from the book and locked his emerald gaze with hers. A half smile pulled at his lips, and he cocked his head in amusement.
“Find something you like?”
She should fear him, but fury and frustration won over any level of self-preservation. “You,” Erinna hissed, her voice slicing through campsite murmur with vitriol. How many aberrants had he condemned to servitude? She thought of Inez. Thought of how she would feel being stuck on the same island as a man who would condemn her for simply being alive.
The Minor Apprentice gently placed the book on his seat as he stood. He eyed her from head to toe, an assessment, and ran his hand through tawny, tousled hair, his expression frustratingly calm. “Yes?” It came out more as a sigh than a question.
“What in all the hells are you doing here?” she demanded, fists clenched at her side as she neared.
Her ire only seemed to amuse him. Afton’s smile widened, and he dug his hands into his pockets. Everything about him seemed relaxed—he had forgone academy robes for a simple shirt and pants, no sign of academy branding on his person.
“I could ask you the same question. Yarrow, right? Does your esteemed father know about your dealings with pirates?”
Erinna faltered, finally recognizing the utility of her buried anxiety. It reminded her she still had things to lose. “How do you know who I am?” It was never a good sign when someone like Afton knew your name—not when you spent your life trying to live under the radar and avoid recognition.
“Who doesn’t know about the druid Kenneth Yarrow and his dud daughter?” he sneered.
Talent buzzed beneath her skin in response to the insult, but she pushed it away. She would worry about her magical re-awakening later. “Do they know Iprix’s pet project is among them?” Erinna spat back. She latched onto her hatred like a lifeline, using it to distract her from gnawing distress.
Afton shrugged. “They know. We have a mutually beneficial relationship.”
That caught Erinna by surprise. From what she knew, the academy didn’t take kindly to pirates, and Afton’s presence on the island wasn’t adding up. She was missing something. Still, she couldn’t stop her resentful tongue. “So you decided to slum it here while the rest of the nation is preparing for your mentor’s funeral rights?”
“And what about you? Were you just so taken by Kane’s roguishly good looks and wanted to be swept away on some adventure?” Afton shot back.
Erinna’s face flushed red, but she was running out of retorts and, most importantly, out of energy. “Well, a shame they took the wrong apprentice? If they wanted a useful mage, they would have chosen Haru.”
A dark anger morphed his features. “I don’t care what you heard, nor do I give a shit what opinions you have of me, but let me offer you a bit of advice, Yarrow. Don’t cling so hard to assumptions. They tend to blind you from the truth.”
The hairs on her arms stood on end. Maybe she pushed him too far. Her hand went instinctively to her wrist and the precious cord of protection. Cool. Unperturbed. Safe.
Afton’s gaze darted to the adornment, and his lips twitched into a half-sneer. “Leaving someone behind, are we? That’s well-crafted arcanum. Expert level abjuration.”
Erinna glared, and her Talent prickled once again, licking at the edges of her skin, asking to be released. “Maybe you should heed your own advice, Darkwood.”
It was almost too quick, but Erinna caught it. The flicker of wariness across his eyes. Good.
Erinna turned on her heels, hoping to put as much distance between them as possible. If she didn’t get away from him soon, she would learn firsthand how difficult it was to wallop a Chancellor’s apprentice. And she knew better than to think she’d win. But one good punch would be very cathartic.
Erinna returnedto her small room, legs heavy with fatigue while her mind replayed her confrontation with Afton.
She still hated him; that wouldn’t change anytime soon, but maybe he had a point about assumptions. Everyone on the island was keeping secrets—gods knew she had plenty herself.
Maybe it was worth considering why Afton was there, why he turned to Kane instead of the academy, which could offer immeasurable resources. For whatever reason, that still unnerved her.
She brushed thoughts of him away, kicking off her boots and slinking to her side of the room. Candlelight wrapped the spacein a calm amber glow; the flames guttered from the draft as she walked by.
On the opposite end, Inez sat cross-legged on her mattress, strands of light blonde hair escaping from a lopsided bun. Light glinted off metal as she drove a needle through fabric—a shirt that was far too large for her delicate frame.
Erinna’s brow furrowed as she stripped away her sweaty clothes and pulled on a nightdress. She was fairly certain that particular shirt was not among the ill-fitting collection they were both given on their first miserable day at camp.
“It’s Lila’s,” whispered Inez, not looking up from her work. That certainly explained the size. And the number of rips. But the way Inez had sensed her unspoken question was…unnerving. If Erinna hadn’t already known Inez was a diviner, she would think the young woman was some sort of mentalist.
“I see.” Erinna chewed on her bottom lip as she watched Inez’s methodical stitching. She should tell Inez that Afton was on the island with them, warn her about the chances of crossing paths with the mage, but Inez seemed so peaceful, and Erinna was suddenly reluctant to shatter any level of contentment the girl had found.
“I think you should know,” Erinna finally said. “The Minor Apprentice is here.”
