Page 26 of The Last One
There must be more to this goddess than this story.
Olivia takes the book from my hands, then shoves it back beneath the bale of hay.
“Why are you hiding it over there?” I ask, squinting at her.
Her face colors red as a blister.
I grimace. “Must you steal every shiny thing in Maford?”
“This didn’t come from Maford,” she sniffs.
“Oh, pardon me. You would never steal from this pigsty of a town, would you? Olivia Ealdrehrt steals only fromfancy-nancyplaces withincrediblehauls. Is that how you’d say it?”
Color splotching her face, Olivia looks like she’s about to argue, but the rage disappears, and she peeks over the edge of the loft at the forge before saying, “Don’t ever mention that I have this book, okay? It doesn’t exist, understand?”
I stare at her.
She holds my gaze with her own.
“Olivia,” Jadon calls from below. “Kai really should get started.”
Olivia shouts, “We’re coming down now,” without losing eye contact with me.
I whisper, “Does he know you have this?”
“He does.” Olivia continues to stare at me, eyes solemn and steady.
This is not her normal demeanor. Finally, I blink. “Okay, I won’t say anything.”
She exhales and tosses me a grateful smile. “Get changed and come on down.”
As I pull off the tunic and drag the peacock-blue dress over my head, I think about the story in that jeweled book. Who is Kaivara? Did my parents worship her and take the smaller version of her name for me? Or did they name me “Kai” because they saw something in me that reminded them of her? Also: Where is this sea called Devour? Is it anywhere near Chesterby? How long would it take me to get there? And if I go there, will I find my family?
Jadon has sent the frizzy-haired woman away, and he’s examining the broken cleaver.
Olivia and I join him at his worktable. “Good morning again, Jadon,” I say, smiling.
Jadon turns to me, and his mood instantly brightens. “Good morning again, Kai. Wow. That dress looks great on you.”
And now, I’m grinning like a dewy-eyed fawn. Ridiculous.
Olivia wriggles her nose. “It’s a little tight around the bust—”
Jadon’s gaze drops to my bust.
I stand perfectly still and arch an eyebrow in challenge, my pulse racing.
“Looks okay to me,” he says.
I snort. “Just okay?”
“How about…” He scans me as if analyzing a sculpture, then searches the sky for a word, eyes narrowed, his finger tapping his chin. “Celestial? Or elysian?”
“I’m thinking supernal,” I say with a nod.
“I’ll accept that answer,” he says. Heat arcs between us like it has since we met.
“Are you two done?” Olivia snarks. “Or shall I come back for the baby shower?”
