Page 67 of The Amber Sunburst

Once they’re in the stairwell, Alexander can’t take the silence.

He could tell a joke or make an observation or ask a question or…

“Kallias.”

Kallias doesn’t look back. In fact, he doesn’t even stop walking. Alexander takes the stairs two at a time to catch up. “Kallias, I just had an epiphany.”

Kallias glares at him, which is much better than the expressionless silent treatment, so he barrels on. “The library. It’s a library. Of knowledge. A secret, lost library.”

The glare shifts into more of a so what, dumbass expression and Alexander gives himself a mental pat on the back.

“Sounds a lot like… The Library of Alexandria. Or, better yet, Alexander-ia.”

Kallias grants him an eye roll and Alexander simply wants to fall to his knees. Half an hour without one and he’s already going through withdrawals.

“Typical of a narcissist,” Kallias responds.

“Hell, yes. I love narcissism.”

Kallias scoffs and slows to a stop, leaning on a doorway that Alexander quickly realizes is his own.

“Goodnight, Alexander,” Kallias says quietly. He lingers for a second, and Alexander keeps their eye contact so maybe he doesn’t leave at all. It takes longer than usual for Kallias to turn on his heel.

“Night, Kallias,” Alexander whispers.

When Alexander climbs into bed, Zeno is muttering in his sleep once again. It reminds him that tomorrow is coming, bringing the Trials with it.

Will everyone he cares about come out unscathed? Will he?

Alexander, Zeno, and Eudoxos sit in silence, picking at their breakfast. Stress weighs on every surface of the quiet hall. Alexander is so in his head that he doesn’t realize Kallias is late until he jogs into the dining hall seconds before the Priestesses leave to serve finger foods in the viewing towers.

He waves hello, then zones back out and stays that way. That is, until he hears a crash from a few tables down and sees Kallias’ food knocked to the floor and Kallias himself wide-eyed and terrified, leaning so far back on the bench he’s in danger of falling.

Alexander is up in record time, but as he rushes over he can feel that something is wrong. His vision is fogging the way it did when he put on Kallias’ glasses.

He stumbles in Kallias’ direction but finds himself dizzily turned around to face Zeno and Eudoxos again, who are both asleep with their heads resting on the table. He shakes Zeno’s arm to wake him, but Zeno’s eyes stay shut even as his head falls onto Eudoxos’ shoulder.

Kallias. Don’t forget Kallias!

He turns back and sees Kallias looking right at him. His pale skin looks paler than usual, his eyes unfocused. Everyone around him is asleep too.

Alexander takes one step toward him before falling over his own feet and sprawling on the ground. As he loses consciousness from what feels like miles away, he realizes that the breakfast must have been spiked.

For the Trials, probably. So that they’ll wake up in some unspecified, unidentifiable environment.

Alexander doesn’t have time to think any further because his eyes close and his brain slowly comes to a halt.

Maybe he’ll wake up at home, and this will all have been a dream. His dad will laugh when Alexander tells him. And Kallias will be there too, because Alexander couldn’t imagine leaving him behind.

16

ZENO

When Zeno wakes up, his eyes are closed.

When Zeno opens his eyes, his eyes are still closed.

Well, that can’t be right, can it?