I nodded, understanding. Morgana’s terror was slowly moving into Eldoren too.
As we walked through the quiet, sleeping town, I felt like someone or something was watching me, and I glanced back twice. It was as if some presence were boring into my back, but when I turned there was nothing but shadows. Rafe did not seem to notice anything unusual, so I decided not to say anything. Maybe it was just my tired mind playing tricks on me.
We came at last to a large wooden house two stories high. Above the heavy wooden door was a sign: The Dancing Daisy Inn. Rafe knocked once and waited. A short, fat little man opened the door. He was wearing his nightclothes and looked very sleepy and angry to be woken at this hour, but when he saw Rafe, his eyes widened and he gave a short bow, silently ushering us in. “I have your rooms ready.”
Erien, Aunt Serena, and I followed him up the rickety wooden stairs. Rafe came up behind us.
The inn was a warm, cozy, well-kept place. It was basic but better than what I’d expected. Four unpolished wooden doors lined the small pokey corridor. The little man led us into the first one, unlocking the door and opening it ever so carefully, as if he were opening the door to a treasure chamber.
“Thank you, Bumbletree.” Rafe patted the man on the back, setting him at ease. The little man bowed again and continued bustling about the room, closing windows and tidying up.
The innkeeper showed me to my room, which I would share with Aunt Serena. It was small but comfortable, sparsely decorated with a frayed crimson rug on the otherwise bare floor. Two wooden beds with fresh cream sheets lay by the wall under the window, and a desk and chair were placed next to it. Across the room, a small candle lantern, half burned, lay on the little dresser, and a comfortable armchair that was patched in many places stood beside it.
The room was relatively clean and tidy, and I was too tired to be fussy. I washed in the copper basin with the jug of water and rough cloth that was left in the room and then lay down on the bed.
My body ached all over from spending the whole day in the saddle. I loved riding, and when I was little my parents would take me riding in the country, but I was not used to being on top of a horse for more than an hour at a time. My thighs were in agony, and my hands were blistered. I wondered if I would even be able to walk the next day.
Aunt Serena was asleep before I knew it. But I lay in bed thinking about the days to come. My thoughts whirled around in my head: names of people I had never met, places I had never seen, and my change of name and identity.
I rolled over in my hard bed, trying to get some sleep, but I was filled with dread. Starting a new school was going to be a challenge. I was not a very outgoing person, and I wondered what the other students would be like. Would I find anyone to be friends with? Even if I did, I would have to lie about who I really was.
Nothing could be worse than what I’d suffered at my old school, I told myself. At least here I had a fresh start without Cornelia to make my life hell. In fact, thinking about Cornelia didn’t bother me anymore; Morgana was now definitely the one I had to watch out for. At least in Evolon, I would be safe for a while until I learned how to wield my magic.
I clutched the gold amulet around my neck and looked at it closely for the umpteenth time. Who knew that such a small thing could be so powerful? I slipped it back under my shirt. Finally, I fell into a quiet sleep without dreams of gleaming daggers or Morgana.
The next morning I woke quickly, got out of bed, and went over to the window. The sun was shining, and it was a crisp spring day. The sleepy, deserted town of last night was now a colorful, bustling place. I opened the wood-framed window, and from my window seat, I could see everything that was happening in the streets below.
Different colored stalls and traveling vendors had parked their wares at various street corners, which led out from the town square. The main street was busy, noisy, and full of people haggling over prices and carefully choosing the best items.
Some of the men were dressed in dull old clothes and looked like they were going about their daily work. There were women in dreary, homespun wool dresses and linen bonnets who were chatting away at street corners, carrying baskets filled with fruits and vegetables on their arms. Children dressed in patched, ill-fitting clothes, many looking very poor and underfed, were running about in the crowded streets.
There were shops and multicolored outdoor stalls selling all kinds of delicious-looking fruits and vegetables, flowers, and even pots and pans. There was also a small group of entertainers who were putting on a show for the people in the town square.
I washed my face and dressed quickly. Aunt Serena had already left the room, and I wasn’t really sure what I should do. Should I wait for her to come and call me? She hadn’t said anything last night, so I decided to go check on Erien—or at least I told myself that it was Erien I was searching for. He wasn’t in his room either, and neither was Rafe. I warily went downstairs to ask the friendly innkeeper where everyone was. They were probably having breakfast. But why hadn’t they woken me?
The main room of the inn was bustling with life and full of diverse people. A few long tables and benches were arranged round
