25. Lora #3
She pointed to one wall, where two doors nestled between shelves. One stood ajar, revealing a narrow bedroom with a neatly made bed covered in a faded quilt. The other, her workshop, was closed.
Erion’s face brightened. “That sounds perfect.”
He lingered inside while I washed up in the river, then hurried out as soon as I returned. Even though I would have had no qualms about getting undressed in front of him, I appreciated the gesture.
I creaked open the workshop door, revealing a cramped space dominated by a massive desk beneath the window.
Papers sprawled across its surface in organized chaos—some stacked in neat piles, others scattered with half-finished notes.
Pens of varying sizes lay scattered like fallen twigs among ink bottles of different colors.
Two pallets lined opposite walls, their simple bedding a welcome sight.
I stumbled onto one of them, and the thin mattress might as well have been stuffed with clouds. My body melted into it, exhaustion pulling me under before my eyes fully closed.
The groan of wood stirred me awake as Erion slipped out through the workshop door into the main room.
“Good morning!” Caldera’s voice drifted through the doorway, warm and bright.
Was it morning already? My muscles protested as I pushed myself upright and followed him.
Caldera had breakfast waiting—thick porridge studded with dried berries, fresh bread warm from the oven, and tea steaming with the scent of sweet honey.
As we settled to eat, she explained how she’d relayed our message to the Queen’s council through the town’s moon seer. Given their usual response time, Caldera expected us to receive an answer within a day or two.
After breakfast, she wiped her hands on her apron. “All right, Erion. Time to start your training.”
Carrying a clay bowl filled with coal, she led him outside. I trailed after them to the small patio facing the waterfall, shielded from neighbors by the house. No way I’d leave him alone with a sun wielder.
With a flick of her fingers, she ignited the coal. “There we go. Learning to control an existing flame is easier than conjuring one from nothing.”
She crouched beside the bowl, her dark eyes reflecting the small fire within.
My fingers twitched at my sides at the brazen display of her powers. A sun wielder hidden in plain sight. Everything about her was deep-twisted wrong.
Her voice softened as she guided Erion through basic fire manipulation with patient explanations, gentle corrections, and encouraging smiles that crinkled the corners of her eyes. She demonstrated each technique with fluid grace, never rushed, never harsh.
Scowling, I slumped into one of the garden chairs. Her act was flawless, but she wasn’t fooling me. It only proved how dangerous she truly was. Traitors didn’t survive this long without mastering deception.
By noon, she served us a light meal before heading out. “I must leave you for the afternoon, but please, make yourselves at home.”
Suspicion crawled down my spine. “Where are you going?”
“I have duties in town I must attend to.” Her smile turned to Erion. “Keep practicing what I taught you.”
She stepped outside, leaving us alone.
Glancing at Erion, I kept my tone casual. “She’s right, you should keep practicing. But I think I’ll go for a walk.”
His shoulders sagged, and those hazel eyes wouldn’t quite meet mine as his fingers worried at his sleeve. “Of course. Good idea.”
Something tightened in my chest. Had he hoped I’d stay?
The answer struck me like a tidal wave. Of course he had. He didn’t have a moon master anymore. Since those rotten pirates attacked, he hadn’t trained moon wielding even once. I hadn’t thought to encourage him either, too focused on reaching Brookfalls.
My promise to teach him echoed through my mind—the one I’d made almost three weeks ago in Six River City.
I’d resume our training sessions, but a more pressing concern demanded my attention: whatever Caldera was really up to.
Following the path toward town, I broke into a jog once Caldera’s house vanished from view. When I spotted her, I slowed, keeping just enough distance to follow unnoticed.
She stopped before a modest building near the town’s center.
Weathered stone walls supported a wooden roof sagging with age.
Children clustered outside, their chatter filling the air.
A few adults greeted Caldera with warm smiles before heading off, leaving their children behind.
The boys and girls buzzed with energy as they followed Caldera inside.
Apprehension twisted in my gut as I ducked below an open window.
The group gathered around a large table, each with parchment and ink, their eager voices rising in enthusiastic babble. Caldera’s patient instructions drifted through the window as she demonstrated how to form letters on the page.
Something inside me faltered.
Was this why she’d refused to come to Six River City? The duties she’d claimed she couldn’t abandon hadn’t been a cover for shady activities. She was teaching children to read and write.
The image of the cunning traitor I’d constructed wavered, but I shoved it back into place. This was just part of her elaborate ruse.