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“That's not an illustration. It's a star map.”
Julie now looked focused as well.
“What do you think the golden snake means?” Larissa asked curiously. “Or here... Shadows of the past.” She gestured past Bayla, who still seemed to be staring at the VR. “Or the bond of the seven?”
“I don't think we should pay so much attention to this crap. It's a waste of time.”
Miles could be right, but I would keep that to myself.
“Maybe you're right.” Larissa sounded indecisive before her worried gaze wandered to Julie.
I pursed my lips.
No matter what we believed, our families agreed that this child from the prophecy would decide the fate of an entire city.
“I know I'm right,” Miles snorted with amusement. “Someone just laughed up their sleeve forty years ago and made a huge joke of the founding families.”
“And yet our families believe in it.”
Julie's voice sounded unexpectedly cold.
“Julie's entire life is now under the influence of this prophecy. Maybe we should get to the bottom of it,” Bayla remarked, studying the words on the fragile paper once more.
Miles threw his arms in the air.
“Do whatever you guys want.”
I would have loved to look into it, because, to be honest, I didn't know what to think about it.
It made me feel incredibly sorry for Julie, especially if the Circle believed she was the mother of the chosen one. The pressure she must be under...
“So many babies are born... Why yours?”
I looked at Julie questioningly.
“The Councils and the Circle assume that a powerful Quatura will have this baby, and, based on this constellation chart, have calculated a period of 782 days within which the due date would fall on a full moon night. We are currently within this time frame.”
I couldn't help but glance at the small curve of her belly, which was slowly becoming more noticeable under her white blouse.
I noticed that everyone was silent. Either they had become thoughtful or didn't know what to say.
I broke the silence with words I would have preferred to keep to myself, but I couldn't just disappear.
“I have to go somewhere.”
Slowly, I got up and left the seating area to pick up my black backpack, which was still leaning against the window.
I absolutely had to come back here again, preferably alone.
“Let me guess. To study for the next law exam?”
Miles grinned with raised eyebrows, reminding me of my failure and of Olivia.
“Imagine that, Miles. I have a social life too,” I replied with growing irritation.
“Anything I need to know?”
For a moment, I looked at Bayla.
