“The Blue Library here has the most amazing books,” Valeria mentioned at one point while sealing a rather large crack in the wall opposite him.
Teryn shot her a sideways glance. The Blue Library was filled with textbooks. It was almost a punishment to be sent there. Besides, how would the new girl know about it so soon, anyway?
“Really,” he sighed at last.
“Yeah, there’s a whole section in there devoted to tales of the Sages and their grand palace. It’s in the restricted section. I should show you sometime.”
“How do you-” He was about to ask her how she was so knowledgeable about the library on her second day here, but if he didn’t know better, she’d just asked him on a quasi-date. “Uh, sure. That sounds great. We can go on our free day tomorrow,” he offered.
“Why not tonight after work?”
His cheeks grew redder at the suggestion. “We can’t. Curfew and all. No one’s allowed out after curfew.”
“Huh.” She looked confused but accepted him at his word and shrugged. “Well, tomorrow it is, then. It’s a date.”
Teryn’s eyes grew wide and his cheeks grew hot as those last few words passed Valeria’s lips. He wanted to say something cool, but instead he mumbled something under his breath and gave her a goofy nod.
A great bell off in the distanced tolled five times. It was supper time. Time to stop their work and go back to their dorms. Teryn led Valeria back to the dormitory area and then said goodbye for the night. He went back to his dorm with a big, dopey grin on his face, ate some dinner, and went to sleep.
The next day, Valeria made good on her word. They met outside the library and she took him inside and showed him all the books in the restricted section. For some reason, the Book Warden let them in there without argument. Though why, he never could tell. They looked at a few books and read she read him several passages. One of the books even had tales of the great Sage Gallian. That one was Valeria’s favorite. Teryn didn’t really care that much. He listened more to her voice than the substance of the stories. For the first time in as long as he could remember, he was well and truly happy.
* * * * * * * * *
Several months passed in a similar fashion. Teryn and Valeria would meet up on their free days and hang out at the library or some other common area. He truly enjoyed her company, which was why one day, when he wanted a little more privacy with her, he showed her his ‘usual spot.’ It was a quiet area away from the hustle and bustle of the city where no one else ever tread. Even the guards avoided it for some reason.
There was an old, broken-down bench there in the shade of a statue of the great Sage Olon, hidden away in the back of an old sculpture garden that had fallen into disrepair. The ground was rough and cold, and everything around them had seen better days, but to them, it was heaven.
The two moved their meeting spot to this new area and spent many more days there, hiding away from the Guild, enjoying each other’s company to the fullest.
Until one day, when Teryn found her there after class, acting distant and sullen.
He frowned. What’s going on? She’s always so happy and cheerful, even on hard days.
As quietly as he could, he approached her. He put a hand on her chin and lifted her eyes up to meet his. They were puffy, and tears streaked out of them, rolling gently down her cheeks. She had been crying.
“What’s wrong?” he asked.
She sniffed a few times and used one hand to wipe at her cheeks, then she lowered her gaze again. “It’s nothing.”
Teryn wasn’t the most personable, but he knew better than that. He decided to press her a bit for answers. “Come now. Whatever it is, I’m sure it will be okay.”
She looked up at him again. “You think so?”
He nodded firmly. “I know it. Now what’s going on?”
“It’s probably nothing. I just got a little scared by the suddenness of it all.”
Teryn frowned again. “The suddenness of what? You’re not making any sense.”
She shook her head slightly. “I’m sorry, I guess I’m just still trying to process everything. I’ve really enjoyed our time together lately and well, I’m not sure I’m ready for it to end.”
His eyes narrowed and his face contorted into a bewildered expression. “You’re still not making any sense. Please, start from the top,” he insisted.
She stared at him for a solid minute, then she nodded her head and complied. “It was after classes today at lunch. I got a message to go to the front desk. There was a guard there from the Guild Council chambers. He said the Guild Council wants to talk to me tonight. But you’re right, it’s probably nothing.”
Teryn’s facial expression quickly turned even more sour. There were only two reasons for a wizard to be called in front of the Guild Council – to be punished for some slight, or to be transferred to another kingdom. Either way, it didn’t bode well for his relationship with her. He found himself selfishly hoping it would be the first option for a moment so he could stay with her longer, then reprimanded himself for wishing harm on someone he cared about.
Surely there’s got to be some third option, right?
“That’s, um . . . interesting,” he managed at last. His cheeks burned again as he thought of how foolish he must sound right now.
“Right? I’m not too worried. I haven’t done anything wrong that I know of, and I’ve been so helpful around here that I can’t imagine they’d just cart me off somewhere else. I’m sure it’s nothing.”
He attempted a smile. Somehow, both their
