That was when I found an old trail cutting through the meadow that led to the river.
I swam like I used to in the pools of the Glass Castle, diving, letting the water carry me instead of fighting it. This was my way to relax. No fists. No flames. No echoes of the Hall of Mirrors. Just cold water, open sky, and the fragile illusion that I could still be at peace.
When I returned to my room that night, I was hoping Soehl would be in one of her usual library meetings with the Auroric Legion. But she wasn’t. I was ambushed.
Shakari was stretched out on my bed while Soehl sat nearby reading. I knew a lecture was coming. Before I could say anything, Shakari jumped up, grabbed my hands, and smiled.
“There you are!”
Soehl hugged me and said: “I almost called the Emberkeep guard this morning. You left before dawn, and we couldn’t find you.”
“I just needed to be alone,” I said. “I didn’t mean to scare you.”
“You’ve had your space already,” Shakari said, pushing me to sit beside her. Soehl joined us. “We know you confirmed your immunity.”
I raised a brow.
“You disappeared all day,” Shakari continued. “Soehl figured you went to Lorik, the best mind-bender in Elarion, to prove it.”
“You went to Lorik Draventh?” I asked Soehl sharper than I meant to. She shrugged.
“Yes. And don’t blame her,” Shakari said. “Last time you disappeared, you got stabbed.”
“I knew you had gone to him,” Soehl said quietly. “He said you needed time. That you needed space.”
“He said that?” My heart started beating faster. “What else did he say?” Soehl hesitated. Shakari answered instead.
“That you were in the meadows. Reading. Swimming by the river.”
Relief hit me first, then tension. Lorik hadn’t told them about the kiss. But he had known exactly where I was. This was the exact spot where he had caught me spying on him and his friends a few months ago. Maybe he remembered. Or perhaps this was just his usual Sunday walk through the King’s Forest. Either way, he knew.
“He’ll keep your secret,” Soehl said gently. My mother had said the same thing last night. “How do you know?” I asked.
“He said he would,” Soehl replied. “And I... I trusted him.”
“Soehl trusts everyone,” Shakari said. “But it doesn’t matter. Your truthfinding ceremony is in a few months. Ifanything leaks before then, we’ll know it was him and he knows that.”
“Not necessarily,” Soehl said softly. “She’s immune to truthfinders, too. She could lie if she wanted to.”
“One step at a time,” I said. “Let me survive the Dragontail Trials first.”
“Speaking of that,” Shakari said, standing. “I’m going to sleep. Rowan’s waiting.” “Are you really going to sleep?” I teased.
“I take my training seriously,” she said with a grin before leaving.
“Thea…” Soehl said once we were alone, but words didn’t come out of her mouth. “It’s okay,” I said. “I understand why you went to him.”
Her golden eyes softened and she said: “I value your friendship.”
“I know. Me too.” I pulled the blankets around me. “I’m just surprised Lorik told you anything at all. But I’m glad he did, so you wouldn’t worry.”
She nodded and went to her bed.
I extinguished the candles with a flick of fire and slept.
I woke at dusk the next day, the castle unusually quiet. There was no Hall of Mirrors practice scheduled, today marked the beginning of trial preparation.
The Dragontail Trials were three weeks away, and all regular classes for first-year Dragontail candidates had been suspended. We were given full autonomy to train, research, and prepare as we saw fit. Attendance in other courses was optional, left to our own judgment and strategy. The professorscalled it independence, an opportunity to hone our skills without interference.