Castor fell back, but he only laughed. It disturbed her more than if he’d lashed out at her, and she stilled. Braced for what, she didn’t know. Her spine tingled.
“They’re not just hair pins, Lila!” Castor accused, his demeanor souring. “You thought I wouldn’t find out abouthim!”
“Him?Who?!”
“Youknowwho!”
“I have no idea what you’re talking about!” Lila clenched herfists.
“Isawyou…going in his house on my way home from the banquet. Your…your…little crush. Is that where you’ve been disappearing to for an aeon? Sword-fighting? Hair pins? Is that what you’ve really been doing?”
“You’re out of yourmind.I only went to tell Luc that Earth is beautiful beyond belief, which you would have known if you’d bothered to come see it with me.”
“Then what washisarchitect pin doing inyourdesk?” Castor held Luc’s old pin aloft, the one he’d given her right after they’d graduated, and she snatched it away. She clenched it in her palm like that might save it from Castor’s wrath.
“See, you say that, butyou…were always looking at him,” Castor sneered. “During lessons. Youwere.”
Lila swallowed. Her face heated, but she hardened it, neither confirming nor denying the statement.
“You know, I do feel sorry for you, Lila.” Castor’s honeyed tone didn’t match his words. “I’m sorry that you’re stuck with me for eternity, and there’s nothing you can do about it. I’m sorry that no matter how many lessons you take, you will never be anything more than what you are right now. A stupid, useless whore.”
His words crashed into Lila like he was a hammer and she was a nail he kept beating into place. Beating into submission. But where she once might have swallowed them, she spit them out.
Because Earth was beautiful beyond belief, and she had done that. Even if no one knew but her and Luc and Eva,she had done that.
She might be a whore—she’dgivehim that—but she was neither stupid nor useless. A fact Castor would do well to remember, or he’d lose what little standing he had in their community. Their shop always produced the finest wood pieces, and that was her work, not his.
At one time, she’d done Castor’s work, Luc’s work, and her own work. The work of three angels, all by herself.
And at one time, she’d designed a whole damn world.
“Did you really fling my belongings into the Void?” Lila lowered her voice to a deceptive calm. “Or did you just bribe a warrior to do it?”
Castor scowled at her implication; he was a coward, and he knew it. Everyone did. He made a move toward Lila, but she shoved off the desk and entered his space instead. Caught off guard, he staggeredback.
“You think I’m stupid?” Lila drew herself up. “Fine. I will not lift another finger to do any work in our shop. You think I’m a whore? That’s fine too. You never have to touch me again. In fact”—she traced a delicate finger down his cheek—“if you do touch me, I’ve been told I’m quite handy with a sword.” She smiled with false grace. “Perhaps I will give you the pleasure of experiencing pain.”
Present Aeon
Lila’s scrap of parchment rested on the table. Her work cooled, unfinished, on the anvil. She always left something with him, but never herself.
Luc didn’t know why he’d thought this time would be different.
He took a deep breath, as if doing so would expel her from his lungs.
So he was truly alone. No matter.
He’d always been alone, more or less. Alone in his ideas and his passions. Alone in his visions of what could be. Alone because he’d been brought up that way. Or because something inside himwascursed. He didn’t know, and it didn’t matter.
Because Luc did his best work alone. He did his best thinking alone, staring out into the Void. And as soon as he finished this sword, he would take whatever he wanted and go wherever he wanted and create whatever he wantedalone.
Nevertheless, Luc snatched up Lila’s parchment and studied it: the straight, uniform sketch and her artisan signature, unchanged in the past aeon. He stuffed the design in his pocket next to her old carpentry pin and the crystal containing her vision.
Luc didn’t know if he would return to his house once he left; he should take the essentials with him.
Eventually,Braun returned. In Luc’s workshop, he gaped in childish delight as Luc drew the finished sword. Taking the sword in hand, the student warrior inspected it, testing its balance and maneuverability.
Luc smiled, pleased to see the sword met with such awe.
