Page 123 of The Amber Sunburst

“Yeah, I’ve been pretty into it.”

Kallias’ eyes fill with a kind of pity, which is both disturbing coming from him and Eudoxia’s least favorite expression to receive in general.

“Your commitment to whatever you’re hiding is admirable. But you’re a shit liar.”

“Screw you,” she spits.

“Look—”

“Get out, Kallias.”

He puts his hands up in surrender, but before he can make it all the way to the door, a sneeze echoes through the room. They freeze for a moment before Kallias tilts his head and walks to the closet.

Forms, how cliché.

Eudoxia doesn’t even try to stop him.

If he sees Arete and says she can’t come, then neither will Eudoxia. She, Zeno, and Ophelia can craft their own plan.

When Kallias carefully opens the door, Arete tumbles out like she was leaning against it, listening in. Kallias’ eyes go wide in shock—strange, given that Eudoxia thought he’d put it together.

Arete and Kallias are locked in a staredown, completely still. Eudoxia almost moves to stand in front of Arete in case he tries anything, but it’s unnecessary. Kallias just sits on his heels and says, “Hello.”

Arete crosses her arms and then looks from Kallias to Eudoxia and back again. “Hello,” she responds hesitantly, before taking a seat.

Then Kallias does something entirely unexpected. He plops on the ground, leaning back on his hands with his legs crossed in front of him, and smiles at Arete in his tiny, subtle kind of way. “I’m Kallias. Eudoxia’s friend.”

He extends his hand for a handshake in an endearing way that makes it obvious he has no idea how to act around children. Good thing she raised Arete right.

Arete gives him a firm shake. “I’m Arete.”

She must have heard their conversation because she still won’t look him in the eye, glancing at Eudoxia to see if she should be speaking to him.

“It’s fine, Arete. He’s telling the truth.”

Eudoxia has to stop herself from rolling her eyes when Arete bounces off the floor and runs up to Kallias.

“Your hair is the coolest thing I’ve ever seen in my life. How do you get it to look like that? And you kind of remind me of a painting. Have you heard that before? I heard you talking about my book to Eudoxia. Have you read it? Do you like books? You look like someone who would like books. Or someone who would tell people’s fortunes, you know? Can you teach me how to see the future? I could be a prophet!”

Unlike Ophelia, who matched Arete’s energy and jumped right in, Kallias hesitates for a few long seconds before he says, “There’s a set of cards you might like. For telling the future. They’re down where Eudoxia got you those books. I’ll bring them up next time I stop by.”

Arete smiles from ear to ear and throws her arms around him. Kallias flinches when she does, then looks at Eudoxia with big eyes.

As sweet as this whole situation is, and as much as she’s tempted to reevaluate her view of Kallias, she needs to talk to him about this for real.

“Okay, Arete, Kallias has to go now,” she says, and Arete releases Kallias as he pushes himself to his feet.

Arete points at him and says, “I expect you to have those cards with you the next time I see you.”

Kallias puts two fingers to his temple in a lazy salute. “Yes, ma’am.”

Eudoxia reaches for Kallias’ shirt collar and pulls him outside, closing the door behind them.

He shrugs out of her grip but can’t seem to find it in himself to glare.

“Sorry. Without some force she never lets people leave.”

Kallias just nods.