Page 51 of Body of Echoes

His brows knitted as he sighed. “I’m borrowingyourmagic. I don’t own magic. I cannot enter.”

The words buried in my ear and pulled at my heart. “I just—I just want you there.”

“I’m sorry.” His velvety voice softened the blow. He grinned, leaned down, and kissed me slowly, whispering over my lips, “Thank you kindly for the invite, but I will not be able to attend.”

Fletcher dropped me off outside the barriers of Elizy the next morning with my coin pouch he had found in a bowl by the front door. I quickly kissed him goodbye, afraid anything more would make it harder to leave him, and made a beeline to the bookstore where Rosaanne was already holding up a copy ofThe Wizened Navigator.A big smile graced her freckled face and her unruly, sparkly hair puffed out from a high ponytail. “For you, Princess.”

I squealed in delight and laid two coins on the counter for her. “Thank you!”

She giggled, took the coins, and placed them in a box. “I will see you at your ceremony later today.”

I curled an upper lip as my shoulders sagged. “Don’t remind me.”

Some level of hope drained from her eyes. “Do you not wish to be welcomed home?”

“I—” I sighed. “I do. It’s just complicated.”

“Oh.”

I clenched my jaw, not knowing whether I wanted to make friends with her or hate her.

“Because of now being associated with Fletcher?” she continued.

“I’m more than just associated with him,” I claimed. Jealousy curled in my stomach.

Her eyes widened in confusion.

“I’m with him,” I snipped, feeling both nervous and overwhelmed by having to say that to her.

Her eyes flitted over my shoulder. “Really? Where?” she said while smoothing out errant strands of frizzy hair.

“No. He’swithme. Him and I are… you know… together,” I ground out, not liking the feeling of rubbing it in her face as much as I had thought I would. “I love him.”

I could see her hope snapping over her face and across her yellow eyes as the words processed through her mind. “Oh,” she nervously chuckled out in a huffand looked away. “Of course. I-I don’t know why I thought otherwise.” She slapped her forehead. “I’m so incredibly rude. I’ve just—oh gosh—I can’t believe I did that.” Her eyes trailed down to her boots, now mumbling to herself. “Ah! The princess. I just did that to the princess.”

“What?” I asked, dropping my hand.

Her sunshine eyes darted to me. “I’ve just insulted you,” she whispered then made her way behind the counter. She turned back to me, flattening her hand over her heart. “Please forgive me. I hate that I’ve overstepped that boundary. It was never my wish to take what is yours—who is yours.”

Then, I felt myself stepping toward her with a sad sympathy swelling. She’d just been told she could not have Fletcher. I’d been told that many times before. And it was always painful. I took another step forward and rested a hand over hers. “I’m sorry.”

She looked at our hands and smiled. “That’s okay. I guess I’ll just have to try my luck elsewhere.”

I stepped away, smiled at her, and held up the book. “Thank you.”

She bowed her head. “I will see you at the ceremony.”

I had been the first one to arrive to class. I sat on the floor off to the side as I did not want to take anyone else’s seat.

Talia arrived about five minutes later, setting down her bag on the front desk.

“Hello, Princess Ripley.” Her hair was drawn back into a low bun, dark strands of hair framing her oval face, and her bright indigo eyes looked well-rested.

“Hi, Talia.”

“You are quite early.”

The trip to the bookstore hadn’t taken as long as I had thought it would. “I have a lot of catching up to do.”

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