“I didn’t want one anyway,” I replied. “No need to worry.”
“Good,” he responded, having already devoured the first apple fritter in the span of the short conversation we’d had. “I didn’t get any for you either way.”
“You’re truly such a good friend, Finn. I honestly don’t know what I’d do without you.” My eyes caught on my sister’s elemental affinity mark, and the grin slipped from my lips as I refocused on the prior conversation we’d been having.
I thanked the stars that she had marked as an elemental affinity. Water was good. Honestly, fire or earth would have been just as welcome. If I were wishing, I would have loved for her to have two affinities—giving her the ability to place higher in society. But at the same time, one affinity was perfectly acceptable and would keep her under the radar—not someone Luc would focus his attention on. Which was just the way I liked it.
They both seemed to have noticed my somber silence as I felt two pairs of eyes settle on me, not that I had any answers for what had happened during my sister’s marking.
“You don’t think . . .” Kira started before trailing off with a soft shake over her head. “What if . . .” She tried again. “What if Iget in trouble with the Solis Guard? What if it comes to light that my marking results were tampered with? What if?—”
“It won’t,” I replied with absolute certainty.Okay, maybe not absolute certainty, but at least I sound confident, right?
“Not to state the obvious, but it could still come to light,” Finn interrupted, and I shot him a withering glare from across the table we were nestled around.
“And what exactly would come to light?” I replied. “How exactly would it even be possible for a mark to be tampered with? Our affinities come from the gods, Finn. Or did you fall on your head a while back and forget that? We are given our affinities. They aregiftsfrom the gods. It’s not something that can be altered or changed. We are born with an affinity—gifted by the gods—that comes to light during our Marking Day.”
“So I don’t need to be concerned about the random males looking over my results?” Kira asked with hesitancy.
Finn and I glanced at each other, unsure of the answer. The silence that fell across our table felt too long, too loud, as the café’s music played in the background.
“For now,” I replied, after what was most definitely far too long to wait if I wanted to sound reassuring. “Let’s just focus on the positives. You made it through Marking Day and are a water affinity, just like me.”
Kira smiled more excitedly at that. “I can’t wait to start training next week!” She lifted her hand, and a droplet of water started to form as Finn and I lurched forward, yelling, “No!” simultaneously.
“What?” Kira asked, confusion swarming through her eyes at our reactions.
“Don’t you remember anything our mother told us?” I scolded as my hand tightened over hers, preventing her from calling her affinity to the surface.
“I assumed she was joking.” Kira looked between us with wary eyes.
“We don’t joke about untrained affinities,” Finn stated.
“Fine,” she said with a begrudging reluctance. “I’ll wait until my training starts.”
“Thank the stars,” Finn muttered as he eyed her cautiously.
“Kira!” I heard the shout from across the café and tilted my head, recognizing a group of my youngest sister’s friends as she darted over to join them.
“You’re still worried, aren’t you?” Finn asked, his green eyes narrowing as he regarded me.
“Worried about what?” Emberly chimed in as she slid into the seat beside Finn with an easy smile on her face.
“Worried about Kira’s results. Suppose she’s right . . . if they were tampered with . . . I don’t know how I can get her out of that mess. And why would the gods do that to her to begin with?”
“Her results were tampered with?” Emberly questioned as Finn began to catch her up on Kira’s Marking Day ceremony.
I stilled in my seat, feeling the nausea begin to creep in, and an internal groan arose at the feeling. With a quick glance around the café, I spotted Kira across the building, chatting with some of her friends, letting me know that she wouldn’t be returning to our table soon. My eyes squeezed shut on their own volition as I began to pinch the bridge of my nose, praying to Astara that the nausea wouldn’t get any worse.
“Rae?” I heard Emberly’s voice over the throbbing behind my eyes, and I cracked a lid open, looking over at my friend. “Are you even listening?”
“Sorry,” I mumbled, regret flooding me as I realized I’d entirely tuned out my best friend.
She let out a small huff of air as she swirled her lavender kava, directly moving the ice in the drink with her water affinity. “Well, as I was saying, I was able to move our schedule around for our team’s dance time slots. That way, we won’t loseany clients, but can still appease His Majesty.” She said his name with as much disdain as I felt.
“You’re the—” I didn’t even finish the sentence as she interrupted, waving her hand.
“I’m the best. Blah. Blah. Blah. You don’t know what you’d do without me. Yada. Yada. You’re eternally grateful to have a friend like me.”
