“Allyra? Are you ok?” Jamie asked gently.
She shook herself and managed a smile. “Yes – fine. It’s just a lot to take in.”
“Do you want to tell me about it?”
She went rigid. Despite Alex’s musings regarding her father and Jamie being Gifted, she hadn’t really believed it. She hadn’t wanted to believe that those closest to her could keep something so profound from her.
During her time in the Between, she hadn’t allowed herself to think too much about Jamie, hadn’t allowed herself to miss him because missing him would’ve launched her into the deep void from which she might never have climbed out of. And so she had closed her mind off to him. She hadn’t given herself time to think about what she might say to him, and never considered having to lie to him.
It was one thing to lie to the Council, to people she didn’t know and didn’t owe anything to. But Jamie was different.
Jamie noticed her reluctance, he knew her too well not to.
“It’s ok – you don’t have to say anything. There’ll be plenty of time. We just need to think about the Trials now and how we’re going to get you into the winner’s circle.” He said lightly.
“We?” She asked, suddenly afraid. What had he done?
“Of course.” He replied with his familiar smile. “You didn’t honestly think I was going to let you do this alone? We’re going to do this – together.”
She nodded blankly, shock tearing away all emotion.
Of course he would’ve entered the Trials – she should’ve known, should’ve expected this. If Jamie were Gifted, he’d stop at nothing to protect her, just as he’d done her entire life. But he didn’t understand the stakes – she wasn’t sure she did either.
Chapter 20 – Jamie
The questioning by the Council had been mercifully brief. Allyra had taken it all in stride, remaining perfectly impassive throughout. Certainly she’d been calmer than he had been. Perhaps he’d had enough nerves for them both.
Allyra’s story hadn’t filled in the many blanks and questions that remained. Her story was that she had apparently stumbled into the Between and once there hadn’t seen anything other than the Revenant that had driven its black, jagged sword through her.
She’d wrenched herself off its sword fallen backwards and through some perfect alignment of the stars, fallen back through the open Gate at the Elemental College.
Allyra had explained that it had seemed to be no more than a terrible nightmare to her.
The Council had been extremely skeptical. They’d recognized her as being an Atmospheric, which tied up with Allyra’s story that she’d seen nothing but grey within the Between. This meant that she hadn’t been responsible for the actual opening of the Gate.
All in all, Allyra’s story had created more questions than it had answered. But despite her best efforts, and a multitude of pointed questions, High Master Jameson had been unable to find any cracks in Allyra’s story.
Afterwards, the Council had allowed him to escort Allyra to the dormitory. He led her through the beautifully landscaped gardens just as dawn was breaking over the Hex River Mountains.
Allyra walked beside him silently, her mind apparently miles away, or perhaps worlds away. She shuddered when he reached for her hand and with apparent effort drew her mind back to the present. She gave him a vague smile and he couldn’t help but think back to Eva’s words about how you never really knew Allyra, at least, not unless she wanted you to.
Jamie halted, stopping Allyra next to him.
“How are you?” He asked quietly.
Allyra considered his question silently, her eyes drifting past him towards the sun rising over the horizon.
“Tired. A little scared.” She replied eventually.
“I’m sorry.” He said, aware that his words were significantly lacking and painfully late.
Allyra gave him a familiar, wry smile, one corner of her lips lifting more than the other in appealing lopsidedness. “None of it matter now, does it?”
Jamie put his hands on her shoulders and searched her face, unable to believe her lack of concern. She met his eyes frankly and sincerely, forcing him to look away first, guilt gnawing away at the edges of his thoughts. He couldn’t help but think that he was somehow responsible for this, that despite Sam’s request, nothing good had ever come from keeping secrets from a loved one.
He chose to avoid the difficult subject. “The Trials start tonight, we don’t have much time. You’re going to need to learn to control the Air Element.”
Allyra nodded distractedly, still watching the sunrise behind him, the pale pinks and yellows of dawn reflected in her grey eyes.
Jamie rushed to continue, “Don’t worry, it should come naturally. Just close your eyes and reach for –“
She cut him off, “I know.”
“Sorry?”
“It’s ok, I know how to.”
“How?”
She finally seemed to drag her thoughts back to him, as if she’d been having the conversation on autopilot to this point. She shook her head. “I’m sorry, I didn’t mean to suggest that I don’t need your help. I just – well it feels like instinct.”
Allyra gently untangled her fingers from his and bent down to pick a dandelion by its stalk. She broke its stem gently, managing not to dislodge a single seed. She lifted it between them, perfectly delicate and spherical.
Her eyes fluttered closed and Jamie felt a gentle breeze gather around him, tickling the nape of his neck. Green eyes met grey over the dandelion as the breeze strengthened.
There was quiet intensity around her as she focused her attention on the dandelion. The breeze lifted each seed out individually, lifting them, keeping them hanging in the air around their heads like tiny spinning parasols.
Jamie stared at her in wonder; amazed at the perfect control she managed. He’d never thought of his Gift as anything more than utilitarian, but in Allyra’s hands it was more – the sway of enchantment swirled around them.
Jamie reached his hand to her cheek and brushed his thumb across the corner of