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“Aislinn,” I said, my voice low.
She jolted abruptly, only relaxing when she looked up and saw me.
“You scared me,” she said.
“It’s not like you’re alone in your room, where no one should be able to approach you,” I said, offering her an amicable smile as I sat across the table from her. “What are you reading?”
“The art of prophecy, by Villam Dunn,” she said.
Guilt rose in me again. Here she was, studying the craft in a way I didn’t bother to do.
“Did you...” She sounded excited. “You had it?”
It took me a moment to realize what she was talking about.
“No,” I replied guiltily. “It’s not the prophecy.”
“What is it?” Aislinn asked.
I checked our surroundings to make sure no one was close enough to hear me, then kept my voice low as I explained my findings to her. Trying not to get excited about the subject was more difficult.
“You think they found one of the former monsters?” Aislinn asked once I was done. Her tone remained flat like all the other times we discussed secret things.
I nodded. “And they are planning to retrieve them.”
My voice broke with concern, which earned a little glare from her. It was difficult to imitate her composure, but I tried my best to suffocate the feeling of worry as she went on.
“I should send a message,” Aislinn replied. “They can do something about it, perhaps.”
“We should go to the shop,” I replied. “I’ll come with you.”
“The shop is no more,” Aislinn said cryptically.
I gave her a look.
“It happens,” she said. “After the last time we visited, they found it. Luckily, we weren’t there.”
Her face became sad for a moment. I knew at once that she was keeping something from me.
“Who was it?” I asked.
Aislinn seemed surprised that I picked up on her tone. When she spoke again, she hid her feelings.
“Remember the girl waiting outside?” She asked.
I did. The girl who had told me to open up to Aislinn.
“What happened to her?” I asked.
“She died,” Aislinn said. “She didn’t let herself get captured.”
My chest was tight as I stared at Aislinn. She looked sad. I was angry. Neither of those things was a good idea. I forced myself to calm down.
“Was that what you were going to tell me last night?” I asked.
Aislinn’s cheeks flushed red. “No. I found out this morning.”
“And now, they found what they were looking for. We can’t let this happen,” I said flatly. “Do you know a way to reach them?”
