Page 50 of Fated

The words took me by surprise. Ash, the man who had pushed back so fiercely against the idea of being healed …?

“I’ll try,” I whispered.

Madam Pearl’s eyes softened as a smile tugged on the corner of her lips.

“There’s hope yet,” she said.

Chapter 14

“This manor has many rooms. You two can stay here until Areya settles,” Madam Pearl said, her voice calm as she walked over to the window, watching the children playing outside. Her gaze lingered on them, her thoughts clearly elsewhere.

“Why are there so many children out there?” I asked.

“The manor is home to the only school in Cresinthia,” she replied as if lost in a distant memory. “There was a time before human slavery was abolished when this manor housed orphaned slave children. Many of our citizens are descendants of those orphans.

“Back then, slave owners had no use for children without parents to care for them—they were often abandoned or killed. Our people, working in secret above, would smuggle them out whenever the opportunity presented itself.”

She paused, her expression softening. “Sebastian spent much time down here as a boy. He would sit with those children, telling them stories about the world above. He never saw those children as slaves or as anything less; they were simply his friends.”

She smiled, still looking out the window.

Hearing that about Ash made me smile.

He seemed lost in thought, his eyes fixed on a random spot on the carpet. Looking at him, I tried to imagine a younger Ash, but then a thought struck me. If Ash had spent time here with those children before slavery was abolished three hundred years ago, then that meant …

My eyes widened as the realization hit me. “You’re over three hundred years old?” I asked, my voice laden with disbelief.

He slowly moved his gaze from the floor to meet mine, but he didn’t respond, only running his fingers through his hair in that familiar, nervous way.

Sitting back in my seat, my eyes were wide, trying to process the revelation.

Madam Pearl was watching us.

“Thank you for letting us stay here,” I offered her.

She took a few steps toward me, placing a hand on my shoulder. “Sebastian is my family. Bring him back, Areya,” she said, patting my arm. My chest tightened. Was it really possible to cure Ash? I desperately wanted to. All the people in Astern—my people—were counting on us. If Ash were cured, maybe he could provide insight into Agidius’ weakness.

“The two of you are welcome to explore Cresinthia. You will find our people very welcoming. If anyone asks, tell them you are my guests. You met Lilly. She is one of my head teachers here and my most trusted confidante. She will take you up to your rooms.”

Madam Pearl pressed the button on her desk again. “Lilly, would you kindly see Sebastian and Areya to their rooms?”

“I’ll be right there,” Lilly responded.

Madam Pearl turned back toward me. “Areya, did your mother from the human world prepare you for the settling?”

Ash’s gaze flicked toward me, and I shook my head slightly.

We had left out the part where my mother had been murdered.

“Most divine grow up learning about the settling,” Madam Pearl explained. “For an average divine, it might cause a slight fever or some body aches. But for a royal … settlingmight be quite uncomfortable. Your body undergoes an actual transformation, shedding its mortal limitations to enable you to hold your power.”

I swallowed hard.

“Physically, you will be stronger. Your senses will sharpen, and you will heal at an accelerated rate. I will have Lilly send a tonic to your room to ease the transition’s pain. If you like, Lilly can stay with you during the settling. She has supported many students through it.”

Panic stirred in my gut, not knowing what to expect; I certainly hadn’t known it would be painful. I desperately wished my mom could be here to go through this with me.

I wondered when exactly she had planned on telling me about my body transforming into something other than human. We would have been on our vacation right now, had she not been murdered. The thought hit me like a fresh stab of pain, but with that grief came something else—something I hadn’t wanted to feel—betrayal. She had kept so much from me.

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