“Very well.”
He steps back into his room and slams his door without returning my small nod. I don’t appreciate the rude dismissal but do appreciate his readiness to get started.
I, too, can forget my pleasantries when an exciting task is presented to me.
“You haven’t told the others about this, have you?” Sevryn asks as I make my way toward their front door.
I’ve had enough of the awkward tension.
“No.”
“Why not?”
“That’s simple. We’ve been stuck under our father’s thumb our whole lives. Even after coming here. That agreement ensures he has access to us, and I don’t want to lead them into believing there’s a way out of it if there isn’t.”
He hums and hesitates before opening his door for me.
“Yeah, I don’t see them taking that well.”
“They wouldn’t. It’d be cruel to dangle a desire like that in front of them, only to rip it away.”
“Well, hopefully, that snobby prick finds something you didn’t.”
That’s one way for him to describe how he feels about his Valtrue member.
With a nod, I pass through their threshold and once again call my power forward. Not wanting to startle anyone, I starshoot a couple of feet away from the table I left Thayla sitting at. Instead of wearing a bright smile, though, a deep frown mars her face.
She attempts to hide her sour features the second she realizes I’ve materialized, but it’s too late.
“What’s wrong?”
“Nothing, I’m fine. That really was quick.”
“Not quick enough. What happened?”
“Really, it’s nothing. Let’s go to your office.”
“Amick, a word, please.”
“Lambrit,” Thayla warns and my concern deepens.
“I won’t say anything about that. There’s another matter I need to discuss with him, remember?”
My attention falls on the folded paper he has pinched between his fingers. Between the bickering that just took place at Yemi’s and now this, the annoyance in me is brewing hotter.
“Come, Lambrit.”
The two of us make our way to my office silently. Thayla’s footsteps echo behind us, but at a purposeful distance.
“You realize she followed us,” I say as he shuts my office door behind him.
“I’m aware. She’ll give us a minute before bursting in.”
“What happened?”
“I’ll let her tell you what’s bothering her, but my matter is different.” He passes me the folded paper, then takes a step away from my desk. “Chancellor Ellian came looking for you while you were gone. He found us and asked me to give that to you as soon as you got back.”
My body falls still as I devour the obscure but incredibly clear warning scripted across the page.
