Page 2 of Enchantment of Silver and Sea
“If you do, toss some banana bread over the railing.”
She giggled politely, and I chuckled along with her.
Brielle was, without question, the sweetest person that I knew. After six years of friendship, I was still amazed that she maintained such kindness. But I often found myself wondering if she understood just how hard life could be.
We never discussed incidents like what happened this morning. Times when she could hear me burst out onto the balcony before the sun was up, gasping for air as if I had been submerged underwater. Our interactions were lighthearted and surface level, and I preferred to keep them that way.
“Hey, Mai! Brie!” a familiar voice called from behind us.
We both turned to see Zander approaching. With his long stride, it was only a few moments before he fell into step with us.
I bit my lip. Something about the way Zander shortened my name had always irked me. I liked the name Maila well enough, but every time he called me Mai, I couldn’t help but think of the word “My” and feel like there was something too intimate in it.
And anyway, Zander lived on the tenth floor—what was he doing on the seventh? Was he purposely trying to run into us?
“How are you ladies doing today?” he asked.
Much like Brielle and her trademark braid, Zander’s appearance didn’t change much from day to day. As anEnforcer, he was required to keep his sandy hair close-cropped and his face clean-shaven. His navy-blue uniform was equally well-maintained, without so much as a stray thread, much less a wrinkle or a stain.
“We’re doing fine,” Brielle replied brightly. Her delicate skin had begun to turn a flattering shade of pink, like it always did when Zander was around. “How about you?”
“Great, now that I’m walking with the two of you,” he replied. Even though he was only joking, a mockery of being smooth, it still had the desired effect. Brielle’s blush deepened. “How about you?” he continued, giving me a playful nudge. Since we were still in the living quarters, he was allowed to be a little more relaxed and informal.
“Can’t complain.” When my gaze drifted to his, our eyes locked.
I wasn’t thrilled to see him this morning. But I would also be lying if I said my cheeks didn’t heat a bit too when he stared a beat longer than he should have.
“It’s so nice outside,” Zander said after a moment. “Perfect weather.”
He wasn’t looking out the windows. His eyes were still fixed on me.
“I might take lunch on the deck,” he continued, a hopeful suggestion in his voice.
I turned to look at the approaching wave of people at the other end of the hall, getting ready to converge with us as we all headed down the central staircase. Maybe it was immature, but I pretended something there had caught my attention.
But thankfully for Zander, he still got a bite from Brielle.
“We take lunch there every day. You should join us.” Both her braid and ankle-length skirt bounced as she twisted to face him more fully. “Unless you’re having lunch with Trena.”
She tucked a stray strand of hair behind her ear, her tell for when she was nervous.
“Oh, no. Definitely not.” Zander cleared his throat. “We went out a few times, and it was fun. But Trena and I are better off as friends.”
I could almost feel Brielle’s sigh of relief beside me.
“She’s an amazing woman, though,” he added enthusiastically.
Typical Zander. Even if Trena were the most disliked person in the Knowledge Center, he would never speak an ill word about her. Or anyone, for that matter.
“She is!” Brielle agreed. She and Zander continued to make small talk while we descended the staircase to the first floor.
The living quarters housed almost everyone whose work assignments were in the Knowledge Center, plus theEnforcers. Our apartments and other shared living spaces were located here, along with a small market that stocked essentials like nonperishable food, basic first aid items, and toiletries.
I had heard that prior to The Awakening, the building used to be a hotel. It was an interesting concept…a dwelling that you only lived in for a night or two at a time.
From the main building, many other buildings branched out, forming a self-sufficient network that was practically its own world. Considering that all our needs were provided for here, and our lack of free time due to the rigor of Knowledge Center work assignments, Zander and his fellow Enforcers were typically the only ones who even bothered venturing out into the heart of Cyllene.
It was ironic, really. We were an isolated city within an isolated city.
