Page 130 of The Amber Sunburst

“So we’re in Iceland?” Alexander asks, once he cools down enough to register what Kallias was trying to tell him.

Kallias smiles slightly, like he can’t help getting excited again about the discovery. “Yeah, it’s interesting, right? I mean, the technology hiding the city alone must be⁠—”

Arete interrupts him, bounding in with a book half her size, and scrambles onto the table to regale them both with tales of eating dinner at the Sun Temple. Kallias gives her his full attention, passing the map to Alexander so he can see for himself.

He inspects it as best he can, but he keeps getting distracted by Kallias’ eyes, black as night but still full of light.

He tries to convince himself it’s all going to be alright, and for a second, he kind of believes it.

Ten minutes of charting courses and debating boat types later, Ophelia barrels into the room like all Hell is on her heels. Then she abruptly stops, her hands shaking and her eyes wide with horrified adrenaline. “I know what the third Trial is.”

36

ZENO

“You what?” Zeno exclaims. Forms, this day cannot be that lucky, can it?

“I know what the third Trial is.” Ophelia doesn’t elaborate, just smiles smugly, daring them all to ask her.

Eudoxia is the first to rise to the bait. “Well? What is it?”

Ophelia breathes deeply, like she’s composing herself. Then her face drops for just an instant and it almost seems like there’s nothing behind her eyes. He would ask if she’s alright, but barely a blink later Ophelia is already moving, her wide smile back.

“Glad you asked, my beautiful Empress.” Ophelia curtseys. “You!” she enthusiastically points at Alexander. “Go get the chalkboard.”

Alexander bows and runs off.

“You!” she points at Kallias. “Go—Oh, what the Forms happened to you?”

“Nothing,” Kallias says with a shrug.

“Okay,” Ophelia says, matching his energy. Then she resumes her role of team captain with the same absurd fervor. “Then go get me the chalk.”

Kallias gives her his two-finger salute, and he’s off as well.

“Zeno—” she pats his head “—and my beautiful Empress—” she taps Eudoxia’s nose “—take notes.”

Zeno turns to Eudoxia instinctively, and she’s looking at him too. It only takes a second for them to break into laughter. Her hand goes to rest on his shoulder like she’s stabilizing herself, and he can feel the heat through his shirt. It’s overwhelming. Even more so when, after the laughter fades, Eudoxia moves it up to the back of his neck and keeps it there.

“Arete,” Ophelia bellows to a giggling Arete, “go into the stacks and find any books you can on the myth of Theseus. Holler if you need assistance.”

Arete bolts into the shelves.

When Alexander and Kallias return, they throw the chalk back and forth, playing catch over Ophelia’s head and forcing her to jump for it.

He can’t even focus on the hilarity of that because Eudoxia’s hand is still on his neck. When she gently fiddles with his hair, he nearly combusts. Forms, he’s so pathetic.

He just has so many questions. For one, does she even know she’s doing it or does she see it as a friendly shoulder pat? Would it be weird for him to sling his arm around her chair? Alexander does it to Kallias all the time and no one says anything.

She might not even notice. He moves his arm in slow motion, but a piece of chalk thrown at his head shocks him back into the moment.

“Earth to Zeno?” Ophelia yells. “I need you on your game, soldier. I’m about to change your life.”

“When did I become a soldier?” He’s swiftly interrupted by another piece of chalk thrown in his direction. Alexander laughs uncontrollably.

Ophelia slaps Alexander on the back of the head, much to his indignation, and then begins to draw. It takes a moment for Zeno to notice that she’s drawing a maze, probably why she mentioned Theseus earlier. It takes him another moment to see that she’s doing it without a reference.

He’s about to ask but Alexander beats him to it. “Are you drawing that from memory?” he asks, sharing a look with Kallias, then turning back to the board.