Page 49 of The Amber Sunburst

Eudoxia rolls her eyes and ignores the tightness in her stomach. “That would be fine.”

Ophelia boops her nose. “Oh, you are so into him. Don’t worry, I wouldn’t even think about stealing him away. And, from how Arete describes him, it seems like he only has eyes for one person.”

“Who?” she asks reflexively.

Ophelia laughs. “Oh, I adore you, Eudoxia.”

Arete jumps over Ophelia and into Eudoxia’s lap.

“You look sleepy, Xia. Do you wanna nap before Zeno comes?” she asks, and her sweetness is too much for Eudoxia’s heart.

“I’m okay.”

“Well, can Ophelia and I braid your hair, then? Ours is too curly, but yours is so perfect and shiny.”

“Just lie back and we’ll make you look amazing,” Ophelia says, subdued and wistful like she’s lost in a memory.

Eudoxia drops into the pillows and allows them to sift their hands through her hair, weaving Forms-know-what kind of patterns on her head.

Eventually the combination of ocean sounds, a soft bed, and gentle hands lulls her to sleep. She’s more tired than she thought.

Eudoxia wakes up to the sound of sweet giggling and barely audible whispering. She opens her eyes slowly to find Zeno, Ophelia, and Arete huddled up, talking to each other quietly. All of the people she loves, laughing in each other’s company. She’s never seen something quite so wonderful.

Zeno turns like he senses her looking.

“The Empress awakes,” he booms, and thank the Forms for soundproof dorm walls. She suspects the rooms were designed this way to give the Guardians plausible deniability as to the more salacious actions of the Auxiliaries and Priestesses, but for her? Well, they muffle the sounds of her loud kind-of-roommate, louder younger sister, and loudest… Zeno so people can’t hear them all the way on the top floor.

“Thank the Forms! I feared we might have to start performing spells. My new friend Ophelia has been instructing Arete and me on Sun Priestess prayers to wake the dead. They cost part of your soul, but it would have been worth it for you,” he says with a wink.

She desperately hopes he can’t see how much she melts.

“Thank goodness no one had to sell their soul.” She mirrors his melodrama. “Though, if someone did, I’d hope it would be you and not my darling sister.”

“Arete? Never. She has no soul to steal, the little satyr.”

Arete laughs maniacally and jumps into him hard enough to knock him over. Then she gingerly sits on top of his chest to deposit her last few pieces of candy into his mouth.

Ophelia curls into the bed next to Eudoxia.

“Arete, don’t give me ones with wrappers still on.”

“Oops!”

Eudoxia must be giving Zeno heart eyes or something because when her gaze makes its way to Ophelia, Ophelia bites her lip suggestively. Eudoxia sighs in response.

Then Ophelia shoots up to stand on the bed in an uncalled-for burst of energy. “I believe I was promised a concert.”

“Concert time!” Arete yells, jumping off Zeno—eliciting a pained, “Oof”—and onto the mattress with Ophelia.

Zeno looks at her expectantly. “I cannot play, my wonderful friends, if the Empress does not allow it. Royals as beautiful as she must get their sleep, or else how will she reign over her kingdom?”

She recognizes this for what it is. He’s giving her an out in case she wants Arete to go to sleep now, or if she’s tired herself.

Forms, he’s thoughtful.

“The Empress reluctantly agrees to a concert as long as it’s no more than two songs, plus a possible encore if the crowd is encouraging enough,” Eudoxia announces, and Zeno bows to her before taking his violin out of its case.

She, Arete, and Ophelia position themselves along the bed as Zeno takes his place by the window and puts the violin under his chin.