Page 51 of Fated

All this time, she had known, and yet, she had never told me. Why?

I pushed the thought aside, not wanting to dwell on it. Glancing at Ash, I was surprised to find him watching me again, his expression soft, showing what looked like concern.

“How could I use my power on that ripper guard and Ash, yet I can’t manage to summon anything now?” I asked, turning my focus back on Madam Pearl.

“Before settling, those with great power often manifest in small bursts a few days early. Usually, such small releases of magic go unnoticed. When Sebastian had you wear those gloves to block your magic, it was probably building up inside of you, and then when you were endangered, you instinctively tapped into that magic.”

I nodded, but had one more pressing question for Madam Pearl. “You said the divine are nearly immortal, so does that mean I will also live for hundreds of years?”

“With your power,” Madam Pearl said, “I suspect you will age slowly over many, many thousands of years.”

My mouth fell open in shock.Many thousands of years?

Most would have been delighted to hear such a thing, but the idea felt like a weight pressing down on me, a heavy burden. Only a long, lonely life stretched out before me in my mind.

Just then, the door opened, and Lilly appeared; she made her way over to Madam Pearl and the two exchanged a few quiet words.

Madam Pearl handed Lilly something from her desk before she stepped away.

“Sebastian, Areya, I will show you to your rooms,” Lilly said politely, bowing her head.

“It’s just Ash,” he corrected her quietly.

“Of course.” Lilly smiled, studying his face for a long moment before turning away to lead us out of the room. We followed her up the grand staircase, two sets of floors above, and down a long hallway lined with doors. She finally stopped in front of the second-to-last room.

“Areya, this will be your room, and Ash, the next one is yours. The rooms should have everything you need but let us know if you require anything else.”

I gave her a grateful smile as she continued. “Madam Pearl asked me to have clean clothes sent to your room, Areya. I hope you don’t mind turquoise; it’s the standard color we offer our visitors.” She paused, appearing to gather her thoughts.

“Oh yes,” she added, reaching into her pocket. “Madam Pearl also insisted I leave a sum of money with each of you. This way,you may buy whatever you need while you’re here and enjoy your stay in our city.”

She handed a small satchel to Ash who accepted it with a slight, polite smile.

Then she turned to me, placing another satchel in my hand, but she didn’t let go right away. Instead, she cupped my hand in both of hers.

“Areya, your settling will begin tomorrow night, sometime after midnight. You already know it can be physically and emotionally challenging, but I will be downstairs in my room if you need me. Please, do not hesitate to call for me at any time.”

“Thank you, Lilly,” I said, returning her smile, fighting the instinct to shift my eyes away from the awful scar on her face.

Instead, I forced myself to meet her eyes, not wanting her to sense my discomfort.

She bowed her head quietly and walked away.

I left Ash outside of his own room as I entered mine.

It was rather large and spacious, much bigger than my room had been back home, and I suspected it had once belonged to one of the slave children who had lived in the manor. The pale blue walls had been painted with playful bubbles and colorful fish. The large bed looked comfortable with its fluffy purple comforter and an abundance of plump pillows.

I wandered over to a desk in the corner, next to a closet.

Opening the closet door, I found a pile of neatly folded towels and various personal hygiene items. I shut the door and made my way to the attached bathroom, delightfully simple with its light blue walls matching the bedroom. It included a shower, sink, and toilet.

A loud growl from my stomach reminded me just how long it had been since I last ate. If I didn’t get something soon, nauseawould set in. I slid the satchel of money into my pocket and headed out of the room, making my way to Ash’s door. When I knocked, he opened the door just far enough for me to see his face. He looked … oddly bothered by something.

“Something wrong with your room?” I asked.

Without a word, he let the door open all the way, and the sight inside immediately explained his mood. His room, like mine, had obviously belonged to a child, but the walls were painted a glaring hot pink, and the bed was covered in frilly pink bedding of a similar shade.

Above the bed, large letters spelled out,The Princess Sleeps Here.

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