Page 133 of The Amber Sunburst

But it’s okay. It’s okay! His friends don’t need to know this conversation ever happened. He will protect them; that’s what he does. He’ll make sure they’re subtle and silent and nothing bad will happen, right?

And maybe then keeping the violin won’t be so selfish because there is no one who will ever know it exists except for his friends, himself, and Kleia and he’ll protect them and everything will be okay, right?

Right?

37

EUDOXIA

Eudoxia is worried. And not just because of their impossible plan.

Ophelia has been… off recently—like she’s been stuck in some kind of fog. She’s not herself, but she’s not not herself either. And they’re all afraid—what they’re trying to do is impossible—but whatever is happening to Ophelia is more than that.

Cool sea wind whips Eudoxia’s hair around where she sits on the balcony outside their room, and she tries not to think about all of her anxieties. About Ophelia, about the Trial, about the groove she practically paced into the floor after leaving Arete at the Sun Temple. If she thinks too much about it all, she’s overwhelmed by her fears.

And yet she can’t not think about it. About branding, exile, death. Something worse than any of those.

She feels it from outside of herself as she descends, descends, descends into her anxiety. The sound of the balcony door opening behind her jolts her into the present before she loses herself completely.

Arete doesn’t say anything when she walks out of their room and plops into the chair next to Eudoxia. She lets the silence sit for several minutes, like she’s waiting for Eudoxia to get used to her presence.

“You looked like you were fading away,” Arete finally says.

“I was,” Eudoxia confirms.

“I wanted to help even though I know you don’t want me to.”

Eudoxia turns to her sister, who is staring into the sea. She is so small, so heartbreakingly young. But Eudoxia still has some resentment left, though she wishes she didn’t.

“You always help, little bird,” Eudoxia replies.

Arete’s shoulders drop in relief. “You help too.”

Eudoxia hums with a smile too small for anyone but Arete to notice. Arete sticks out her tongue in response. She doesn’t seem disappointed that Eudoxia can’t bring herself to be silly back.

When Eudoxia holds out her hand, Arete takes it.

It’s enough.

38

LAZARUS

Lazarus is down at the beach again, basking in the soft sound of the waves and the heat of the sun.

He stopped going to class two days ago. Recently the slightest touch or noise or sensation sends him into overdrive and he’d rather not have a breakdown in front of everyone, thank you very much.

No one has checked-in regarding his whereabouts, but fresh meals have materialized every night at his doorstep since he started skipping out on the dining hall.

He knows who it is, obviously. No one would make that effort except for Zeno.

It made him smile until he remembered that Zeno and his crew are ‘leaving’. How they intend to do that is completely beyond him. Lazarus knows that Kallias has his ways, but that doesn’t mean they’re not going to get killed in the process.

He’s had half a dozen panic episodes about that alone.

But being by the sea helps. The knowledge that he can walk right in and never come out is comforting.

Or, at least, that’s what he tells himself.