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I've never been in the position of making bargains or political deals with anyone. Being the heir in title alone truly means nothing in the halls of kings and rulers. Although, I'm not entirely certain I could have made out any better than I did. My terms were simple: I wanted to stay in the Harland House, be given proper training at the School of Magic, and granted access to Calmara. King Soren granted all three of my requests.
I can't go back to Midori until I get some answers, but maybe Atlas' concern should be reason to worry. It's far too late for regret. I'm here now. I have classes to attend in the morning and when I can, I'll be combing through every book I can get my hands on at Calmara.
Damn you, Atlas Harland. His reaction to the deal I made causes me to second-guess myself.
Even though I know I'll probably be awake, staring at the ceiling for hours, I make myself comfortable in my bed, when I hear a tiny knock on my door.
I sit up and scrunch my drying hair a bit in hopes of making myself look decent, just in case it's Atlas on the other side. "Come in," I say.
"Are you sleeping?" Eris pokes her head inside.
I smile and shake my head. "No, I'm wide awake."
"Good!" She opens the door wider to show me a red and white pinstriped rectangular box with a green ribbon tied around it from the pastry shop across the street. "I thought you could use something sweet after the day you had."
My mouth waters the second I see the pastry box from Treats and motion for her to come inside. "Get in here before Nyx smells those!"
Eris barrels in and quietly shuts the door, so it doesn't squeak and alert the snack-loving Harland brother at the other end of the hall. She claims the spot I pat on my mattress and once she is settled, she crosses her legs and places the box in her lap. She grins widely before opening the box, as if she's a pirate showing off her trove of treasure. There are twelve perfectly sculpted pastries of sugary goodness staring back at me, and I have to restrain myself from snagging two and taking bites from one and then the other.
"Take one," she insists, so I grab the one covered in chocolate drizzle and bite into the flaky morsel.
I moan and my eyes roll back in my head. "This is so good. I swear I'll gain ten pounds over the next week, if I'm not careful."
"Gain the weight, girl!" Eris waves a flippant hand as she rips into a caramel topped pastry. "You'll still be gorgeous."
I giggle. "I'm sure a few people in Midori might argue with you on that, Eris."
When I see her eyes water and notice that she stopped chewing, I realize I might have ruined the moment. I immediately clutch her hand in mine and squeeze. "I say, we finish this box tonight and tell Nyx all about it in the morning."
Eris laughs, the sound melodic and peaceful, and she nods in agreement. "So," she breaks the momentary silence. "How did your meeting with King Soren go?"
I shrug, "Like I told you and the brothers, it went as well as I could have expected."
"How do you feel about what happened?"
"I'm scared," I admit, and it feels like a weight has been lifted off my shoulders. "I feel this enormous pressure to make a lot of life altering decisions quickly, and I'm not sure what I'm doing." I take another bite of the dessert and through a mouth filled with food, say, "Atlas is of the opinion I made a mistake in agreeing to his uncle's terms, but I don't see what other choice I had. It was either agree or be shipped back to Midori and I…"
"What do you want, Shaye?" She asks when I trial off.
"Answers." I meet her gaze and realize she's only halfway done with her treat while I've already demolished mine. She offers up the box and I take one covered in raspberry jam, but I hold off on eating it. "I just want the truth. I want to know who I really am, where I come from, why I have magic reserved for the Celestials, why I have Frost Elf features but Midorian parents."
She pats my knee. "It can be terrifying searching for the truth, and I won't lie and tell you it will be smooth sailing, because it won't. Eventually you will find what you seek, you'll have your eyes opened, and it just might break your heart."
"Well, that's… comforting." I suddenly lose my appetite.
"You find what you're made of and what you're truly capable of when there is no other choice but to rise. Your professors will be tough on you, especially with the type of rare magic you wield. When you train, you will be injured. When you discover the truth about your past, you might be crushed. But once you are equipped with what you need to survive, you will grow, and you will thrive."
The corners of my lips tug upward. "You seem to be putting a lot of faith in me, Eris Talay."
"And I always will." She smiles and rips another piece of her pastry between her teeth. "So," she says between bites, a mischievous look flashing in her blue eyes, "tell me about Atlas."
Without thinking, I blurt, "He's a pain in my ass."
"Shaye."
I groan, taking another bite of my food, before meeting her knowing glare. "What about Atlas?"
"Come on, Shaye. Clearly there is some kind of tension, some attraction between you two." She uncrosses her legs to wiggle into a more comfortable position before saying, "Everyone can sense it."
