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“You have to have this to see the cosmos of stars and lights on the ceilings,” Kai mutters as he walks across the large space to a door on the other side. Finn cracks the door open and waves us into the study.
Raine goes first and I follow behind him. Kai winks at me and stands guard at the door lest Kallos return.
Kallos’s study is what I would consider organized chaos. It’s stuffed with loose pages and notes, piles of wax-sealed letters, and books stacked high on the floor near his desk. Old framed photos fill the entire length of the walls. The scent is musky, mixed with freshly blown-out candles and sage.
Finn smiles at me, eyes dipping down to my lips briefly before he catches himself and clears his throat. My cheeks warm and Raine looks between us, seeming to notice a change in the air. “There are plenty of notes in here to compare. Kallos is on the messy side though, so you might want to check his desk first,” Finn says.
Raine gives him a quick once-over before nodding and looking for something he can compare on Kallos’s desk.
“Have you been in here before?” I ask Finn as I step closer to the photos on the wall. I’m drawn to the images of people; they look sad and hopeless, yet small smiles crest each of their faces. That’s when I catch the cloaks they’re wearing. They are the same style and colors we’re wearing now.
Finn moves to stand beside me and his scent of crisp pines warms my senses. I’ve missed his presence. I’ve missed him. The kiss we shared in the gardens reminded me how utterly hopeless I truly am in his hands.
“I have actually—on my first night here.”
I raise a brow. “Get in trouble?”
He laughs and his amber eyes find mine. “Something like that.”
“I wonder what it was like for them back then.” I trace my finger over the photo of the group of friends. I quickly recognize Arthur and Kallos. One person looks like Nekane and… is that Elias? My eyes widen. This is the group of friends we’re looking for. I trace each one with my eyes and memorize their features. Unfortunately, I don’t recognize most of them. I lower my hand and am surprised when Finn threads his finger through mine gently. “Do you think we’ll survive the exam?”
Our eyes meet and he grins weakly. “Honestly, I’m scared, Terra. I don’t think this gets easier; they’re training us for war.” His gaze hollows as he looks back at the photo. Kallos had so much life still in his eyes. Arthur too.
Finn’s father has been training him for war since he was a fucking kid. That monster’s face surfaces in my mind, cruel and hardened by his callous life.
“Do you think your father is in Whales of Tauh? Preparing for Fernestia’s next assault?” I say as I walk down the row of photos. Near the end of the wall I stop and stare at a small, unframed picture tacked to the wall. It’s crumpled and depicts a boy in black and white. But I’d know that face anywhere. My fingers brush along the tattered picture and my lungs clench.
Elias. He already looks broken, frowning, eyes cold as he stares into the camera. Why does it make my soul ache to the bitter center? Did he ever have a chance to find his heart in this cruel world?
I doubt it.
“I don’t know.” Finn’s voice startles me and I slip the loose photo into one of my pockets to look at again later. It wasn’t even framed, so I pray Kallos will not notice its absence. “My father was supposed to be in Navasik that day, but the Skyfell happened before I could get home.” He says the words with deep dread and the pain of that day flickers across his eyes.
“I’m sorry, Finn,” I say, setting my hand on his arm.
He offers me a sad smile and an insignificant raise of his shoulder. “I’m just glad you weren’t there. I can… still hear them screaming.”
A shudder rolls through me at the thought of it. Barkovah will forever haunt me, and I’m grateful my Shadow keeps most of the phantoms at bay.
Muffled voices speak on the other side of the door.
Raine stuffs some samples into his pocket and the three of us quickly exit the study, finding Kai and Corvus waiting for us with grim expressions.
I let out a relieved breath. For gods’ sakes, I thought it was Kallos.
Finn nods at his friend like he was expecting him. Raine shares an uncertain look with me.
Corvus looks like he has a million things he needs to say, but he chooses one I didn’t expect. “I was just with Edgar in the infirmary.”
My stomach drops. “What? What happened to him? Is he okay?” My feet are already carrying me to the exit. Corvus steps in front of me, earning him a low grunt from Raine as a warning.
“He’s fine—he’s already back in the Nova House,” Corvus says as he nervously looks at his friends. “But Kallos placed a cast on his Shadow, which is going to make the second exam difficult for him to pass. Arthur said—” He quickly stops talking and shakes his head. “If he can’t break the cast before the exam, he doesn’t have a chance.” Corvus’s dark eyes hold secrets. I study Finn’s features; he must sense it too.
“What the fuck is a cast?” Kai sits on one of the couches and we all awkwardly follow suit. Raine doesn’t lean back in comfort though; he remains sitting straight and ready to leave at any moment.
Corvus holds out his palm and a small black feather appears, floating just an inch above his skin. We all lean in, awed, as Corvus whispers, “Kallos said Edgar’s power was too dangerous unchecked, so he placed a sort of containment blanket over it with his own. This will keep Edgar from being able to harness his power.” Corvus trembles as he waves his other hand over the feather. A thin layer of black dust tops the feather like a cloth draping over it.
I’m impressed with his ability to control it so delicately—obviously, he’s been paying close attention in Nekane’s class.
