Page 136 of A Touch of Stars and Stones
“Plan?” Calix asks.
“We’re all training Ever. We’ve agreed to that already, but we need to keep it a secret now. We can’t let my father, or the rest of The Chamber or Custodians know why we’re doing it, or what else we’re looking for.”
“Okay, fine. But why, and what elsearewe looking for?” he asks.
“We’ll explain everything later. We promise,” I add.
“Dinner tonight. Ever, ask Micah to get the word to Kyra, and she can join after. No more secrets. Nobody’s in the dark from now on. Everything is on the line.”
“Wow, Ten, this sounds…” Calix doesn’t finish.
“Trust me, Calix. This isn’t just about Ever anymore.”
thirty-four
. . .
Aten
Perrin had mended Ever’s cheek, as well as everyone else who was still hurting after yesterday.
As if doling out a punishment for a slight, Rowan had us on basic fitness training all morning. It sucked. My mind was shot, only focused on Ever and what she was thinking after last night. As my power returned with Aslendrix, so did the urge to test for what Ever was feeling. But I kept my magic locked up, at least until later.
We were all bone weary by the time we met in the dining hall, later than usual.
Micah, Calix, Crimson, and Capella all join our table, where Ever is sitting opposite me, her hands clasped in her lap and her eyes low, avoiding eye contact with everyone. Her nerves pulse around her like the beat of her heart.
“Are you going to keep us here all night, Ten?” Crimson complains.
The hall is empty except for our table.
I look at Ever, and after what we did earlier this morning, give her a little nudge.“Hey, ready?”
Her eyes shoot to mine, telling me it worked.“What are you playing at?”she chides me.
“Glad to see that still works. Want to start?”
“This is your plan.”Her eyes cast off to look around the table.
“Are you sure? You want them to know about my theory?”
“Yes. Nobody’s in the dark. That’s my one rule.”Okay, she’s still mad.
“The Orders are keeping information from us. Specifically, about Ever,” I jump in.
“Right. And that’s important to us because?” Crimson rolls her eyes, telling everyone she doesn’t want to be here.
“Because they knew she was a Fifth from the moment she got here. They are preventing her from training properly and using us as tests, which is fucking dangerous. But there’s something else they’re afraid of. Something that will jeopardise the peace in Kirrasia.” Re-living the argument and feeling everything again has me focusing on the other questions I have. “So, not only are we going to find out what they’re hiding and why, but we’re keeping everyone except those around this table?—”
“And Kyra,” Ever’s quick to add.
“Right. We keep everyone except us and Kyra in the dark as to what we’re doing.”
“And what exactly is that, Ten?” Capella asks.
“Taking training into our own hands, preparing for the trials, and researching. Finding out what the zuns is going on that’s got my father worried about one girl and why he doesn’t want her investigating what power she might have, or… who her parents might be.”
Silence drops over everyone at my final words.
