She wasn’t dumb. She was going to figure out who those initials belonged to. “P.S: You are special,” She repeated, her eyes on the note.
“Who is LD?” She asked, finding my gaze. “And why are you nervous?”
Perhaps, the note itself wasn’t going to give me away on its own, but my attitude would. “I am not nervous,” I said, my voice shaky, clearly nervous. “I just want to go to the party.” “You just said we were waiting for Soehl,” she said while standing up to see me straight in the eyes. “LD is Lorik Draventh, right?”
She stepped closer.
“A couple of weeks ago, you had just seen him in the Sky Terrace,” Shakari added. “And you said he didn’t want to help you with your third trial. Yet, you have a book to study all the
types of dragons in the Wastelands with a handwritten note from him. “
I stayed silent while Shakari’s expression was completely unreadable. I wasn’t sure she was mad or just observant. But I clearly was afraid, not of her, but for her if she realized what happened between the Moonveil and me.
For a long moment, we stood in silence while she just examined my face, my posture, all of me tensed in front of her.
“He is not threatening you. He isn’t just lurking around,” she said while pausing just a second. “The Moonveil is after you… “
I must have widened my eyes in surprise because she read me like an open book. “I am right? Am I?” Shakari asked again, her expression unreadable.
I opened my mouth, but no words came out of it.
“You slept with him, didn’t you?” She finally asked.
I didn’t need to respond. My silence was a clear answer. My friend didn’t flinch, though. “What’s done is done,” she said. Her expression softened. “You won’t be the first or the last to cross that line.”
“It won’t happen again,” I swore.
She didn’t respond. Her eyes just searched mine for more answers.
“I didn’t tell you because it's dangerous, even criminal if you knew and didn’t say,” I added. “A truthfinder could force the truth out of you and kill you just for knowing and not telling.” “I knew this Moonveil was up to something with you since he saved you,” she said, pausing for a moment. “I don’t fully trust him, but he has saved your life, kept your secrets. Perhaps there is more to this Moonveil than the first impression suggested.”
I swallowed hard because there was more to the mysterious, grumpy Moonveil he showed himself to be.
“You are my best friend, Thea Solenhart,” Shakari said. “For the God of Solvir, you are my family. I would hold your secret no matter what. I would be even if this wasn’t a one-time thing.”
Of course, she was going to be by my side.
“I would freaking look for a cure for the curse if it came to it,” she said while grabbing my hands. “But I would prefer to know everything. And this... this needs to be a secret, no one can know, it's too dangerous.”
I hugged her with all my strength. And before I could tell her more, Soehl entered the room. “I got the masks,” Soehl said with kindness. She was holding two masks in one hand and a rose in her other, likely from Jan. Her own mask was alreadytight on her face, her black curls falling slightly over it. The light blue long dress screamed her auroric legion.
“We will have time after the Dragontail trials to figure out everything,” Shakari added, stepping back and grabbing a golden mask from Soehl’s hand. “Today, focus on forgetting everything and having a clean slate for your Dragontail trials tomorrow.”
Chapter 33: Solstice Celebration
Soehl, Shakari, and I walked to the arena with our masks on, where the celebrations were taking place. Soehl was so reserved that even after all these months of friendship, she didn’t ask about the suspicions she must have noticed between Shakari and me. If it were any of the twins, they would have already forced us to tell them.
It was almost sunset, and the arena was filled with music, chatter, and students dancing.
Everyone was wearing their legion dress and faction mask, attire that signified their
allegiance and identity within the academy. Music hummed through the air, performed by Auroric and Emberkeep students, adding to the evening's vibrant tapestry. At the center of the arena, a large fire blazed in honor of the God of Solvir, with gold necklaces and bands burning within it as offerings. These trinkets were gifts of prosperity and strength, offeringsmeant to secure the sun’s favor and gratitude for the sun’s magic. At the opposite end stood an eternal shadow, crafted to mirror fire’s nature, holding silver jewelry as offerings to the God of Lunareth. This was the Moonveil way of giving thanks for their lunar magic.
The masks, intricate and unique to each wearer, were not only symbols of faction pride but also served as vessels for anonymity and expression, encouraging freedom in the celebration. Despite the revelry and laughter permeating the air, it was hard to imagine that this very arena would mark the beginning of the Dragontail Trials tomorrow. These trials, a test of courage and skill, would demand the utmost from each participant as they sought to prove themselves worthy among their peers.
Rowan and Tran approached us, both wearing green tunics and golden masks. Each held a rose in one hand. Rowan gave his rose to Shakari, who gladly received it and kissed him passionately in front of everyone, for a bit too long. I cleared my throat loudly, signaling for them to stop.
“You guys can’t keep your hands or tongues, inside your own bodies, right?” I teased.
