“I’m sorry.” She whispered.
He nodded and withdrew his hand, which he’d left hanging midair in bewilderment. He wasn’t sure if she was apologizing for drawing away or the dandelion obliteration.
Jamie smiled, covering up his confusion. “Instinct huh? I don’t know why I’m surprised, you were always the perfect student.”
They walked the rest of the way to the dormitory building in silence and he showed Allyra to the Atmospheric room where Gemma was still fast asleep, her bright pink hair just visible in an ocean of sheets and blankets, muttering occasionally in her sleep.
Allyra collapsed into the closest bed and fell asleep almost immediately, apparently without a care in the world. Jamie couldn’t help but be envious.
Jamie hovered over her for a little bit, unwilling to leave her so soon. But exhaustion washed over him – he hadn’t slept all night and in less than twelve hours the Trials would begin. He needed to get some sleep.
Eva slipped through the front door as he walked from the Atmospherics’ room. Her hair was tousled and there was a deep tear in her sleeve. It didn’t require a rocket scientist to deduce where she’d been. Apparently Marcus had found a convenient outlet for any frustrations he may have felt about Allyra’s lack of answers before the Council.
Jamie was too tired to hide the disgust he felt at her willingness to warm the bed of someone so clearly working against Allyra.
Eva started when she saw him and flushed with embarrassment, but made no move to apologize for it. She lifted her head and walked briskly past Jamie, not uttering a word. Apparently they were back to not speaking to each other.
Anger flared within him. “Don’t you want to know how she is?” He called after Eva. “Or has Marcus already told you?”
Eva halted mid-step. There was no mistaking the fury in her expression. “Don’t Jamie. Just – don’t.”
“Don’t what?” He snapped. “Don’t ask you why you pushed your way into our lives? Don’t ask why you pretended to be Allyra’s friend, my friend? Or don’t ask about the fact you’re sleeping with Marcus and he obviously enjoys hurting you?”
She slammed him against the wall, with more force than he would’ve expected from someone so small. “That’s right – don’t ask me about any of it. And most of all, don’t you dare judge me for my choices – choices you haven’t bothered trying to understand.”
“How am I supposed to understand Eva? You won’t tell me anything!”
She hesitated for a moment then turned and stalked away, her hands bunched into fists. The conversation hadn’t provided any further enlightenment regarding Eva’s motives and he was sure he’d barely managed to avoid being punched in the face.
But one thing was clear enough – Eva couldn’t be trusted, at least, not once the Trials started.
Chapter 21 – Allyra
Allyra woke up feeling restless and not quite of this world. After sleeping on the ground and under a massive open sky, the bed felt too soft and the room too small. In the Between, she’d been desperate for some indication of time, but with the sun starting to dip behind the mountains, and throwing long shadows into the room, the immediacy of time was suddenly made all too clear.
There was a tray of food next to her bed, and pushing all thoughts of the impending Trials out her head, she fell on it with the enthusiasm of someone who hadn’t eaten for a month – which, technically, she hadn’t. She polished off two sandwiches and a plate full of French fries with little effort and was wishing for more when the door opened.
Two women walked into the room. Allyra guessed the first to be in her mid-forties and based on the same delicate pixie features, pale brown skin and dark eyes; she took the second to be a close family member, a niece or perhaps a daughter.
She gave them a tentative smile, but received only blank, disinterested stares in return. Similarly, she was met with silence when she tried to introduce herself. They led her out the room, into another, much smaller one.
Allyra allowed them to hustle her into the shower where she obediently washed herself, relishing the pressure of warm water hitting her skin, suddenly realizing just how much she’d missed modern conveniences after six odd weeks of having to wash off in a freezing cold river.
The women were waiting for her as she stepped out the shower, immediately setting to work on her. She sat docilely as they plucked her eyebrows, cut her hair and put, what felt like several layers of makeup on her. It was obviously quite an uphill battle making her look presentable.
As they worked, she appreciatively ate her way through a hamburger and plateful of chips, all the while trying not to dislodge the makeup that had been so painstakingly painted on her.
Once she’d scooped up the last bit of tomato sauce with the last chip, and the women had tweaked the last hair into place, they forced her into a simple black dress and a hooded yellow cloak made of the finest, lightest gossamer. They fussed over her for a little longer before finally drawing her to stand in front of the mirror.
The reflection that stared out at her was barely recognizable. The women had worked their own brand of magic and transformed her into a creature of mythology. What they had achieved was nothing short of a miracle.
Her hair cascaded down her back in waves, light as the Air Element itself. Tiny pearls had been braided into the waves, catching the evening light, giving the illusion of a hundred glittering dewdrops. The makeup they’d labored over for so long over was delicate, highlighting the sharpness of her cheekbones and making her eyes appear large and luminous, accentuating the paleness of her
