35. Chapter 35
Chapter thirty-five
I still had a million things I wanted to ask Sin, but it all seemed rather pointless. I knew he cared about me, and that he would tell me whatever he could. So instead of asking him a bunch of questions that would likely only cause more distress, I let him direct the next steps.
“So what do we do now?” I asked as we left the small office and passed through the library. Sin said he would stay and wait for Corym to explain what happened, though I hoped it would be a somewhat modified version of the truth.
“You need to go to breakfast,” he said, pausing at the entrance to the library. “Verren would have questions if you didn’t show up. I think for now it’s best if he believes nothing has changed.”
“You mean about us, right? You can’t possibly mean that you want me to keep my magic a secret?” To my complete and utter frustration, his firm expression confirmed the ridiculous idea. “Sin, I was literally prepared for you to slice and dice me yesterday, that’s how badly I’ve wanted this. And now you want me to hide it? No. Sorry, but no.”
He leaned back against the door frame and observed me. “Why is it so important to you that everyone knows?” he asked with a familiar cool tinge to his voice.
I leaned against the opposite door frame, mirroring his posture. If he wanted to slip back into these roles, fine.
“I already told you,” I said, my voice a mimic of his casual disinterest. “I want everyone here to stop making fun of me behind my back. I’m not stupid. I see the looks I get at dinner. I don't enjoy feeling like a lesser citizen. I got enough of that in my world.”
“Ah, but there’s the rub,” he replied smoothly, that infuriatingly hypnotic smirk making a reappearance to my own twisted delight. “That excuse doesn’t work on me. I saw you in your world. You’ve never once tried to be someone you’re not just to fit in.”
I scoffed. “Please. You saw me for a handful of days. It doesn’t make you an expert on all things Rain Solis.”
He blinked a couple times, his cool mask slipping for a second.
“What?” I asked.
“You never use your last name. I forgot that I even knew it, that's all.”
I wrinkled my brow. “It was just a random name. When Jenn and I turned eighteen we chose new last names. Neither of us was a fan of the state chosen 'Smith.' They weren’t too creative, I guess. Jenn helped me pick mine out, but it never mattered much to me. A last name is a family name, and I never had a family.” I paused, then asked, “What’s yours? I actually don’t think I know anyone's last name here.”
“We don’t have last names in Rivella,” he answered, the casual mask back in place. “Only a first name and sometimes a title or designation. I’m Cennux Dreisin. Dey is Deylan the King’s Foster. It doesn’t matter what family you come from here. Only what you can do.”
I considered that. “I suppose that’s a nice change of pace from the rampant nepotism of my world.”
“Indeed.” He was quiet for a moment, then added softly, “It means sun.”
“What?” I asked, nudging his boot with one slightly burnt sneaker.
He straightened and cleared his throat. “Solis. Your last name. It means sun in Rivellan. I think it’s just kind of fitting.”
“Because of my fire magic?”
He moved into my space and wrapped his hand around the back of my neck. I let out a tiny shudder at the contact. He had always been the hotter one, but now his skin was so cool against my new constant warmth.
He bent down and pressed his forehead to mine. “Because you shine so brightly it cuts through my darkness.”
I should have laughed. If anyone back in Jersey ever said that to me, I would be rolling on the ground. But when Sin said it… my heart thumped a little faster.
He kissed me then, deep, passionate, and over far too soon. He pulled away before I could even get my hands on him, yet that simple kiss had me breathless.
“Whatever your reasons, Rain. Can you please trust me in this? It’s a bad idea to tell anyone right now.”
With my legs still wobbly from the way he pressed himself against me, I found myself absently nodding. “Okay.”
“Good girl,” he said, smirking, and if I wasn’t trying so hard to keep my knees from buckling I might have smacked him.
I managed to pull myself upright and turned to walk down the hall. I made it maybe three steps before I heard his voice.
“One hundred and fourteen,” he called.
I looked over my shoulder and cocked an eyebrow.
“You said I only spent a handful of days with you. It was actually a hundred and fourteen. I know you better than you think, Rain L. Solis.” And with that he gave me a wink and disappeared back into the library.
I stared at the space he vacated and tried to figure out why my stomach all of a sudden felt like it was full of fluttering baby crescia.
Damn.
Of all the possible dangers in this world, I was pretty sure he was the blade that could cut the deepest.
I went up to my room, showered, and quickly threw Peywyn’s clothing back on before the sisters showed up. I had no doubts that if they saw my ramentum, they’d run straight to my father.
After breakfast, Dey left me at the door of the Sylvarium with a kiss on the hand, and a reminder that visitors would start arriving at the castle tomorrow for the King’s Council, so I should enjoy the relative peace and quiet while I could.
By the time I entered the serene indoor garden, I thought my head might implode under the weight of all the secrets I had to keep.
Opal flitted over to me and landed in my hair once again. I laughed at the standard greeting of nuzzles and chitters, though it did seem like she was a bit more aggressive than usual. I searched for Jenni since she was normally the first one to claim a spot atop my head.
“Jenni?” I called, walking around to the different hanging vines. I couldn’t spot her scarlet coloring anywhere among the sea of crescia.
“Jenni!” I called, louder this time. Opal started chirping anxiously, and I gave her a couple of quick, soothing caresses.
“It’s okay, Opal. I’m just worried about Jenni. I don’t suppose you know where she is?”
Okay, maybe talking to her was a little silly, but it was better than the alternative—accepting that Jenni was gone.
Before I could return to my usual bench, Opal gave another loud chitter and flew from my hair. She tore across the Sylvarium and landed on the rim of a wide planter that overflowed with enormous lily-like flowers.
“What’s going on, Opal?” I asked, trying to suppress my rising apprehension.
As I approached, the small crescia bobbed up and down a few more times, then hopped into the planter, nudging aside one of the large flower petals and disappearing underneath it.
Carefully, I shifted the leaves to the side and took in a sharp inhale at the small, shiny white bundle that lay nestled in the dirt. I leaned a bit closer and could see that it was moving, shifting ever so slightly. The white threads that covered it were expanding and growing. I pushed a few more flowers back so I could see the whole thing and caught the slightest glimpse of a red wing before it, too, was encapsulated by the shimmery white strands.
It hit me then, something Dey had said.
“Crescia draw themselves into sort of a cocoon once they have bonded.”
Bonded.
This had to mean Jenni was my crescia. A squeak of excitement leapt out. I actually had a bonded crescia. And I had magic. My world hadn’t shifted this much since I landed here a week ago.
Opal sidled up to the cocoon and lay beside it, apparently happy to assume guard duty. I slumped back against the planter and let the flower petals slide back into place to protect them.
The grin on my face was so huge it started to hurt. I couldn’t remember the last time I had been so happy. Crescia. Magic. It didn’t fully hit me before with Sin, but in the peace of the Sylvarium, it dawned on me that I was, in fact, not entirely human.
Holy shit.
It didn’t change anything, this confirmation, but I felt like it should. I felt like my entire world had flipped upside down, and I only now learned how to walk on the ceiling. This place could be my home. I could stay here. I could stay with Sin, Jenni, and everyone else.
Then the roller coaster of excitement came crashing to an end when Jenn's face popped into my mind. The reality was that I still needed to go home because gaining magic didn’t change who I was, and I was not someone who abandoned her sister.
“You seem distressed.”
My head shot up at the sound of Jo’s voice, and I searched the Sylvarium. Pushing a few vines aside, she walked over and sat down across from me, a small cloud of dust settling onto her light blue leggings as she took a cross-legged position.
“I did not see you here at first and nearly left, but your mind is so tumultuous I could sense you from across the room. What is wrong, Rain?”
I opened my mouth to tell her about Jenni being in the planter behind me then hesitated. Sin had been very clear that I shouldn’t tell anyone about my new ability. But Jo was… she was Jo. She would keep it quiet if I asked.
“You can keep a secret, right?” I projected into her mind.
She perked up a little at that. “ Of course, Rain. What has you so troubled?”
“I’m just a little sad because I was thinking about my decision to go home when this is all over.”
“Have you changed your mind about staying?” she asked with uncontrolled excitement.
The hope in her eyes was a knife in my heart. “I’m sorry,” I said, looking away. “I can’t leave my sister. It’s not an option. But…” I tried to find the words to tell her what I was feeling, but thankfully she saved me.
“You feel bad about leaving now. Is that it?” When I nodded, she asked, “What has you questioning your decision?”
I gulped. It was now or never. I either trusted Jo or I didn’t.
Pulling back my sleeve, I showed her the intricate ramentum that now covered my arm.
The squeal inside my head was deafening, and I wiggled a finger in my ear absently despite knowing the damage had been purely mental.
Jo grabbed my arm and pulled me closer to her. She gasped as she ran her fingers over my shiny new tattoos.
“Red,” she said softly into my head. “You have red in them.”
“Yeah, I wanted to ask… is that normal? I haven’t seen any colored ramentum before, but it's only a few accents so maybe I missed it on others?”
I kicked myself for not asking Sin earlier, but we’d had larger issues to discuss at the time.
“It is beautiful, but no. I have never seen anyone with color before.” Her round eyes swam with adoration. “I knew you were special, Rain.”
I shifted uncomfortably at the adoration. Sin had also said my ability was unique, but the problem was that different didn’t always mean special. Sometimes it just meant you were a weirdo, and that was more likely when it came to me.
“So what power did you get first? Did it happen last night? Oh dear, I hope you were not by yourself when it hit. Manifesting is such a beautiful process that it would be a shame to go through it alone.”
My cheeks blushed at the reminder of what Sin and I had been doing when my power hit. “Um, not exactly. Sin was there.”
Her brow furrowed. “You were with Cennux Dreisin? Interesting.”
Something about the way she said 'interesting' made me think she had another word she would have rather used.
“Yeah, he just sort of happened to be around by coincidence.” It wasn’t a lie, so I hoped she wouldn’t sense any deceit. I still felt the need to hold back the new development between Sin and I. If she didn’t like that he was there at the time, then she really wouldn’t like knowing what triggered it.
“So what is your new power?” Jo asked. “Most Rivellans get healing first but not always.”
“I—”
I started to tell her about my fire magic but stopped. I kept snagging on the way she had said 'interesting.' It was a single word. So innocuous and completely understandable. And yet…
“It’s a secret,” I said quickly. When she frowned, I added, “ I thought it would be fun to reveal it at the upcoming ball. You know, add a little excitement or something like that.”
Lying to Jo was so awkward, and I was certain she could tell that I wasn’t being entirely truthful. It was a secret—that part was true—I just didn’t give a shit about the ball.
If she sensed my dishonesty, she hid it well. She smiled at a crescia who landed on her arm, and I hoped it was enough of a distraction.
“That reminds me,” I said after the small critter took off back to its branch. “I think I bonded to a crescia, but I don’t know what to do now.”
I leaned over the planter and pulled the flowers back to show Jo the cocoon. Opal released an annoyed trill at the movement, then nestled back into her spot.
“Oh, how exciting! Yes, that must be the crescia that has chosen you. It should emerge shortly, and you will be able to see what form they have chosen. Make sure you save the silk after they awaken. It is very valuable.”
“So I’ve heard,” I said, thinking about my dress. The cocoon was so small, I couldn’t see that amount of silk making more than a pocket square. I could only imagine how many crescia were needed to make my gown.
I dropped my arm to let the leaves fall back into place, but Jo thrust out a hand to stop me.
“You cannot leave your crescia here!” There was so much horror in her voice you would think I just threatened to go on a murder spree. “You should keep it with you until it emerges. They draw upon your magic to help their transformation. You must not leave them alone for too long. ”
“Got it, sorry. All new to me. ” I gingerly picked up the cocoon and cradled it in my hands. Opal promptly flew out of the planter and took her spot against Jenni once more, nestling into my palm.
“They must be related,” Jo mused. “She will likely act out when you take your crescia away, but do not let her distress upset you. It is the way these things go.”
Opal let out a sharp string of chitters as if she knew what Jo said and had a strong opinion to the contrary.
“You know so much about them. Do you spend a lot of time with your crescia?” I had seen quite a few in the glen out back. Maybe I’d remember hers.
“I do not have one, ” she replied, and the sadness that filled my head was so intense it felt like my own.
“I’m so sorry. Did they pass away recently?”
Jo stood and turned her back on me. She looked about ready to walk away when I heard her say, “I never had a crescia. Never bonded to one.”
Oh. I opened and closed my mouth a few times doing my best imitation of a fish while I tried to figure out a response.
“I should go,” Jo said. “There is still much to do before the Council.”
“Ok, ” I replied, hoping she wasn’t leaving because of me.
“Take care of your crescia, Rain. You do not want anything bad to happen to it. ” And with that slightly ominous warning, she disappeared out the door.
I contemplated the little bundle in my hands that was roughly the size of a peach, if not slightly more elongated. I needed a nap. Manifesting a new ability then lying to the person who was arguably my best friend here took a lot out of a girl.
“Okay, Opal. I’m going to my room for a bit, and I know you’re not supposed to come with me, but I don’t have any energy left to fight you.” I set them on the edge of the planter, then pulled the tie off the end of my braid, setting my thick waves free. “If you want to stay with Jenni for a bit longer, I’m going to need to sneak you out of here. So either you rest on my neck and let me bury you under my hair, or you remain here. Your choice.” I lifted my thick mass of black hair and gave her a pointed look.
It was ridiculous to think she would even understand me, but to my surprise, she wordlessly flitted up to land on my neck. I released my hair to hide her against my nape, then carefully picked up Jenni. Cupping her inside my closed hands, I left the Sylvarium and headed to my room to take a little nap. If I was lucky, I would have a new friend by the time I woke up.
“Take your time, Jenni,” I whispered as I set her down on my nightstand. I lifted my curtain of hair, and Opal flew out to resume her self-appointed guard duties.
“I’ll be here whenever you’re ready.”