Page 175 of A Touch of Stars and Stones
“She had her chance.”
Crimson leaves the room, and Calix curses under his breath. Ever walks over to him and, to my annoyance, returns the hug he gave her earlier. I’m pretty fucking sure I warned him about touching her.
The rest of us leave my room and head towards the food hall. We still haven’t seen Raiden, Capella, Azur, or Ravi.
As we enter, the fire rages, but there’s nobody else here, the room deserted of trainees and Custodians. So, what is Rowan doing? Where was he going? And why does he think Ever should be in a cell?
“If training is suspended, is everyone just waiting in their rooms?” Calix asks before heading over to the door that will grant him access to the kitchen.
We all sit down, Ever next to me, conversation stilted.
“Everyone’s gone,” Calix reports back. “They’ve all left.”
“Weird. There’s always staff.” Micah says.
“Who can cook?” Calix asks.
“You’re serious?” I ask him.
He just shrugs.
I glance up and see Rowan enter and head towards us with far too much purpose in his stride for my liking.
“Good, you’re here. We’ve been summoned,” he announces.
“Summoned?”
“Every trainee, the Custodians and all members of The Chamber have been requested to attend an announcement outside The Tower.”
Ever’s body turns to stone beside me, and it takes everything in me not to run my hand down her back to soothe her worry.
“When?” I ask.
“Now. I’ll escort you.”
“Great,”I speak to Ever.
Eyes dart around to one another at the table before Calix makes the first move to stand.
We all follow, and as Rowan leads us out, we find Raiden and Capella, Azur, and Ravi waiting near the far end of the residence corridor.
“Do you guys know anything?” Raiden asks me.
“Did Darien say anything about Ever when you asked? Was he hiding anything?”
“Oh, now you want to share? No. Nothing out of the ordinary. Why?”
We still didn’t know if we can trust any of the Orders.
“Oh, you’ll take my information, but not offer it back. And here’s me thinking we were all in this together. Oh, wait. No. You decided to run off and leave the rest of us locked in our rooms.” Seems she’s pissed I didn’t invite her along to help.
I shake my head. This isn’t the time.
Raiden hangs back, and I’m glad not to have to defend my decision about that right now.
We make the well-worn journey over to The Court and pass the differing settlements on the way up and around the cobblestones towards The Tower, and every step closer, dread follows, like we’re walking into something that we can’t get out of.
“What’s wrong?” Ever asks.
