Chapter 7 #3
I followed with a healthy dose of reluctance. The walk was short-lived, and I was grateful. The overflowing bags at my hips had become impossible to carry. My arms were practically screaming in revolt.
Osta reached the entrance and pulled the door open, blocking it with her foot as she ushered me to go inside. I saw the floral sign as I passed her.
Talia’s Elixir Lounge .
“Shun? Is that you I see working the bar today?” Osta called out with a grin.
“Always good to see you, Osta!” Shun responded without looking our way, seemingly absorbed in the creation of one of their renowned concoctions.
“Hey Shun,” I said, and his eyes shot up to meet mine. I couldn’t believe he was still working here after all this time.
“Fia, is that you?” He asked with wide eyes.
“I finally got her to come!” Osta squealed, spinning around to look at me. “See, Fia? It’s totally dead in here. Just like I told you.”
I couldn’t help the blush that tore across my face.
“Hey now, Osta. Come join us tonight and see how dead it is.” He clicked his tongue but smiled playfully.
Osta giggled, and flung her bags onto the counter, “Shh, don’t say that. She might leave.”
I rolled my eyes and joined her at the counter.
“I haven’t seen you since that night we all went to that traveling show I can’t remember the name of.
Damn, it must have been, what, four or five years ago?
Kieran was heartbroken for weeks when you rejected him, Fia.
” There was a teasing to Shun’s words, and I was able to brush it off with a small laugh.
There had been nothing particularly wrong with Kieran.
In fact, he had been quite charming. The night in question, many women had tried to gain his attention, but he had been dead set on trying to go home with me.
At least I didn’t have to feel bad after gently turning him down.
He’d have plenty of shoulders to cry on.
My past encounters with both men and women had left me disenchanted, to say the least. All too often, I found myself dismissed as a passing novelty after a night spent together. That part of my life had been over for a long time. I’d made my peace with celibacy .
Besides, I never had any interest in getting involved with one of Osta’s acquaintances. I wouldn’t want to risk her social standing. She could intermingle with the commoners and the upper class alike.
Most people found her delightful and endearing, despite her Riftborne status. I’m sure the Nobility even fell victim to her charm during her hours of dressing them for galas, solstices and balls.
Osta was the assistant to a renowned seamstress in Luminaria. She hoped to grow under Thearna’s influence and become her prodigy, but it seemed unlikely. Osta was too talented, too visionary, and that meant she was a threat. Thearna would make sure that Osta stayed safely tucked under her control.
My sympathies extended particularly to the unfortunate ladies compelled to parade around in Thearna's antiquated designs. She wouldn’t know style if it stabbed her in the eye with a sewing needle. But legacy mattered above all else in Luminaria. And Thearna had plenty of it.
"Any space for us on the patio today?" Osta chirped, eyeing windows overlooking a garden outside. I lingered at the counter, managing a balancing act with the groceries.
“There is always room for you.” Shun gestured towards the back. “It’s all yours.”
“Thank you Shun! You know you’re my favorite!” Osta gave him a sly wink, flipping her honey golden hair over her shoulder.
Making my way to a table and finally putting my arms out of their misery, I plopped down onto a padded leather chair and lowered the bags to the ground.
Stone-tiled floors, mahogany tables, and comfy loungers set the scene. I took in the soft lighting that hung overhead and the potted plants that filled the space. I breathed in the scent of florals that drifted around me, allowing my body to slump into a timid state of relaxation.
Osta had been right. The lounge wasn’t busy.
A patron here or there, but no crowds. As I settled back into my seat, foreign tendrils of comfort slipped into my mind.
A part of me sank inside knowing that I wouldn’t have this opportunity with her again.
I should have spent more time doing things like this—having fun outside the confines of our apartment.
Guilt radiated through my core. She deserved a better friend than me.
Osta made her way to the table a few minutes later, two drinks in hand. The flutes were filled with shifting shades of lavender, swirling as bubbles sparkled up the sides of the glass.
“Shun says he’s calling this one Moonlit Nectar. ” Osta smiled, wiggling her eyebrows, and fell into the chair across from me, playfully sliding one of the drinks in my direction.
I lifted the glass to Osta’s, clinking it softly before taking a long sip. “Cheers!” Osta cooed.
It tasted floral and sweet as the bubbles rushed across my tongue. My body hummed in satisfaction.
“I told you it would be worth it to come here. They must put some sort of addictive substance in these things.” Osta had all but finished hers.
“Yes, I think that's called alcohol,” I joked, taking another sip.
Osta rolled her eyes behind her lashes, still smiling triumphantly. “You know what I mean,” she said. “After this week… We absolutely deserve this. I didn’t think I’d survive Thearna.”
“What did she do this time?”
“I have been working endlessly on sketches for the upcoming season. You know how late I’ve been at the studio.” She tossed her hair over her shoulder and sighed with exasperation.
“Mhm,” I murmured, stirring my drink.
“She destroyed them. Right in front of my face. Tore them into pieces and claimed they weren’t right for the upcoming collection. I’d normally be in tears if I wasn’t so used to it.”
“I don’t know how you still work with her.” I sighed. This truly was a weekly occurrence .
“Like I have a choice! I don’t know another seamstress in this town that would hire me.
I only have Thearna because of Lady Fairbanks.
You know my plan. A few more years with Thearna and maybe I can build up enough clients to open my own studio or get a job working for one of the noble families, but that’s only going to happen if people see my designs… ” Osta went on.
I tried to listen intently, but I found my mind drifting off. We were sitting for the first time in hours, and the chaos of the city was muted in the background. I was one Moonlit Nectar in, and the effects were already starting to take hold, allowing the thoughts I’d buried away to resurface.
I tried not to compare our situations. Thearna sounded like a bloody nightmare–
“Fia!” Osta prodded, annoyance straining her voice.
Reality snapped back into focus. “I was listening!”
“Yeah right. Your eyes were doing that thing they do when you’ve checked out. Perception is my gift, after all. What’s on your mind?”
I took a deep breath and set my glass on the table. I guess now was as good a time as any. She needed to understand. She deserved to understand.
“General Ashford came to see me yesterday,” I stated, keeping close attention on Osta’s reaction.
Her eyes widened. “And you’re just telling me this now?” she gasped.
“I was trying to process everything. He showed up at the Apothecary before closing time. He told me that Bekha and Jordaan were still alive...” I trailed off.
Osta leaned back and sighed with relief. “I knew I saw them leave.”
I nodded. “You were right, like always. Healers were able to mend them in time.” I hesitated before continuing. “But, that's not all. He thinks he can train me to use… well, whatever it is that I can do.” I rolled my eyes, contempt curling at my upper lip.
“I mean… that sounds like an intriguing opportunity, right?” She raised an eyebrow.
“What do you mean intriguing ? He wants to use me as some sort of weapon for the Guard, Osta. To join the Guard. Why would I ever put myself in that position?”
The crease in her brow deepened.
“I get that… I just wonder if maybe you should consider it… especially after what just happened at the party. You could finally learn to control the one thing that holds you back from living your life normally. You wouldn’t even try it?”
I flashed her the Riftborne mark on my hand. She looked around cautiously, only returning her eyes to me once she confirmed we were alone.
“They made sure we would never have that opportunity a long time ago,” I hissed.
“Fia, people aren’t nearly as hateful as you make them out to be.”
“You think our late friends would agree?” I glared at her, feeling my skin tingle. The guard’s cruel blue eyes drifted into my mind, as if he was taunting me. It had been so easy for him to pull the levers of the dam. So easy to release the currents. To kill our friends.
Calm down.
“Fia, sometimes you have to make the best of the cards you’ve been dealt. And sometimes you have to know when to let go, when to move on. And when to help yourself when the rare opportunity comes around.” She shook her head, disappointment sprawled across her face.
“That’s easy for you to say,” I mumbled, pinching the bridge of my nose. It was true. She had no idea what it was like to live with this thing inside me. How could she?
“Listen Fia… You can’t live the rest of your life like this. What if you could stop it from ever happening again? What if you could actually help people?”
“I think we both know that my focus won’t be used for helping people, Osta. I can’t believe you think this is a good idea. I don’t even know what to say.”
My eyes welled up, but I wouldn’t lose it here.
“Of course you don’t. Because you refuse help. You run away from everything…” Osta trailed off and looked down, biting her lip. I hadn't even told her I planned on running.
“You’re a fool if you believe that General Ashford or anyone of authority on this Isle is trying to help me.
He sees a power to be yielded, to be collected for his little faction.
And he’s sadly mistaken. I cannot be helped.
You know it. I know it.” My fingers twitched and I felt a rush of heat wash over me.
“I can’t deal with your innate pessimism tonight, Fia. We just had an amazing day. I’m only trying to reason with you. To offer another perspective, but you can’t see past yourself. You’re so negative, you can’t even imagine your life taking a turn for the better!” Osta was holding back tears.
Before I could respond, she shoved her chair back and walked off into the lounge.
I scoffed and shook my head. Unbelievable.
The static that ran down my arms had lessened, but the curse still crept in the shadows. I took a deep breath.
How could she be so delusional?
The elite played these games all the time with people like us. How could she not see it?
My mind went to that sharp place. She just didn’t want to see it. She fawned over them just as much as the next groupie, I just managed to ignore it most of the time.
And how is it my fault I never learned to control my focus? It came naturally to everyone else around me. I shouldn’t have to become some General’s project to figure out how to wield it. I was a lost cause.
Right ?
I tipped my glass back again, savoring the last drops. My eyes closed as the warmth of the alcohol swirled in my gut.
Osta and I rarely fought, and now it was twice in a matter of days. I had to get out of here. My pulse was already racing.
Something stronger than alcohol stirred as I steadied myself. I gathered my things in a hurry and stormed through the patio gate without a single glance back.