Page 53 of A Requiem of Fire and Ice

But they’re the Knights of Eraminia for a reason, and if that mutt is with them, it won’t take him long to sniff me out.

Breaking away from the crowd, moving towards the other ships floating against the dock, I move to the group, which mainly comprises a few earth elemny but also includes a majority of water and some air elemny.

They head toward the steep stairs leading to the entrance of Tempest Hall.

I let the confident elemny go ahead of me so I can mimic their movements.

I strain a smile, but a sick, queasy feeling cramps my stomach. It’s not until a rush of warmth sticks between my legs that I know the reason. Knitting my brows together, I grit my teeth at the thought that my period has to come now…When I just got off the damn ship.

And I don’t have tampons in my backpack because I didn’t think I would get my period when my mind was consumed with fright over Prince Reen finding me before I fled home.

They are early. A week early. Is it because of the stress?

Shit. This is a nightmare.

“Hey. Are you okay?”

A young, awakened water elemny watches me through curious, sickly illuminated blue eyes. She’s elegantly tall but thin, and I have to look at her through my lashes to see her face.

A tight blue dress shapes her slim figure and clings to her from the sticky rain pouring down on us. Children swarm around her, and one latches onto her shoulders, piggybacking her.

“Uh…yeah. I’m working up the courage to tackle the stairs.” I smile, but it’s strained and hard to muster through my irritation over everything.

“You can join us.” She beams a smile. “After hearing about the whirlpool, I thought I’d come down and help the families who don’t want to wait for high tide to arrive. There’s also word of another whirlpool opening nearby. The docked ships will have to leave until it passes.”

I scan the group again and frown. It consists of kids, all wearing fabric over their eyes.

“Their parents have to care for themselves on this journey. That’s why you only see the children here with me. The parents’ trust that I will look after them.”

I nod once and say, “Okay. But if I’m too slow, you can leave me behind. It’s fine.”

“Slow and steady wins the race, right?” She raises her hand toward me and says, “My name is Rose. Yours?”

“Myra,” I say mechanically, thinking of the memories of when Dad wanted to keep my identity hidden for most of my life. I had two interchangeable names: Myra and Averis. But I’m going by Pandora Averis now, so it’s a name I can’t use anymore without question.

Two children in inflatable red floaties move ahead of us and wrap their arms around the railing as if it’s their lifeline. Rose has a toddler in her arms, and two young teenagers walk behind us. Rain pours down on us, but the flowing, sloshing water on the stairs weaves around our feet like the parting of the sea. Rose seems capable of her abilities.

The stone underneath each step I take grips without effort. She’s draining every drop of water from the crevices of the stairs to keep a solid grip on every step anyone takes. Even the railing I grip has water flowing away from where my hand glides before it sprays down the rest of the railing behind me.

“Uh…Can I ask why the kids are wearing blindfolds?”

Since I saw them, my curiosity has been piqued. No one in the Kingdom of Crystal wore blindfolds, nor have I seen anyone do so in Oceanview Harbour.

Were there any who wore them in the Kingdom of Flesh? When I think about it, my mind wanders elsewhere. Always on killing King Ragan, or in my distant memories of whenever Xavier…

Deep breaths.

“It’s the only rule in the Kingdom of Storm that cannot be broken. Children cannot enter without something covering their eyes,” Rose says. “There’s a chance they may tether to someone older; otherwise, if that were to happen, one of the Knights of Eraminia often has to come out and set things right.”

My brow furrows. “Why is it only here?”

“Oh,” Rose says with a smile, “everywhere else, most children wear coloured contacts that match their eye colour, so no one notices. But here, we don’t want to take that chance. We ensure they are blindfolded in case someone isn’t wearing contacts.”

“Huh…” It’s all I can say.

“I’m guessing that because you asked, does that mean this is your first time here?” Rose says over the rumbling of thunder.

A flash of lightning illuminates her face, but she still holds the same sincere smile from when she first spoke to me. No signs of suspicion. A genuine question from someone who wants to converse with another.