Page 122 of The Amber Sunburst

“You only have one shot at this. Make it count.”

Zeno doesn’t respond, so Alexander nods. “We will.”

When he leaves the room, he hears Zeno’s parting words to his father.

“Forever and always.”

33

EUDOXIA

Eudoxia runs her hands over the grain of the wooden floorboards in a rhythmic pattern to distract herself from the fact that there’s been scarily little progress made since Zeno and Alexander spoke to Bios.

Arete, who she still isn’t talking to, is reading some book about a demigod summer camp that she and Zeno found in the Library. She watches in a tired haze until an unfamiliar knock sounds at the door.

Zeno always raps three times before he shouts her name. Alexander will normally knock for a few seconds and then start banging on the door. Ophelia jiggles the handle until someone lets her in.

This knock is just a simple double rap, as if they’re confident she’ll come get it without any bells and whistles.

Arete eyes widen at the unfamiliar know and she jumps to her feet, drops her book, and rushes to Eudoxia’s closet to hide.

Once she’s away, Eudoxia opens the door, ready to fight at a moment’s notice if it’s Kleitos waiting out there for her. Instead, it’s someone she wasn’t expecting.

“Can I come in?” Kallias asks politely, leaning on the wall next to her doorframe with his arms crossed.

“What for?”

Kallias’ expression doesn’t change. “I need to talk to you.”

“Where’s Alexander?”

Kallias’ brows furrow and, though she’s sure he doesn’t mean for it to, his resting scowl turns into a bit of a pout.

“We’re not together all the time, you know.”

“I know. But you are together most of the time,” she says with a teasing smile. Ophelia’s proclivity for matchmaking has really worn off on her.

“He follows me around.” Kallias rolls his eyes.

“Mm. He’s like a puppy, always at your beck and call.”

Kallias glares, and Eudoxia can’t help but feel bad for him. So good at keeping a handle on his emotions, but he’s too pale to hide the slightest blush.

Clearly she’s gone too far because Kallias pushes her door open over her head and enters without waiting further for an invitation. He shuts the door behind them, and Eudoxia puts herself back on guard. He may be friendly with their group, but he is not a friend.

“You have a secret,” Kallias says.

“No, duh,” she replies with a false air of confidence. “Why do you think I’m leaving in the first place?”

“Not that secret,” he clarifies. “Another one. And if it’s going to affect our getting out of here, I suggest you fill everyone else in.”

“There’s no secret,” she insists, but she’s never been good at lying to people’s faces.

Kallias scans her room, then picks up Arete’s book from the floor.

“This is interesting reading for a twenty-two-year-old,” he says, and she knows he’s got it. Or at least, he’s very close.

She should probably just tell him, but at this point, why let him win?