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That's not too bad. I know they'll help me. And I may not know what I'm doing, but they definitely do.
We make our way out of the building and into the grove in the centre of the academy. Just like the other times I've been here, the magic thrums through me almost instantly.
"Does this place feel different to you than everywhere else?" I blurt, wanting to know whether they feel it too.
"Yes," Mathias answers.
"Like the magic makes my blood sing," Juliet adds. "I love coming to the grove. Sometimes I come down here when I need time to myself. I sit in the trees and just...be."
"That sounds peaceful." And like something I may have to do myself from time to time.
"It is," she agrees.
"So, what happens now?" I ask, searching around for some kind of clue about where we might be making a scythe.
"We head deeper into the grove," she responds. "Once we're there, you'll be able to pick the right materials and the smith will do the rest."
Relief crashes through me as I realise I'm not going to have to do all of the making myself. I'd be clueless about how to do any of it to the point where step by step instructions wouldn't necessarily be helpful.
We head through a bow in the trees and find ourselves in a shaded clearing. A guy who looks oddly like Mathias strides towards us. It isn't until he pulls Juliet into his arms and gives her a swift kiss that I put the pieces together. He's Mathias' twin and Juliet's boyfriend. They've both talked about him over the past few days, but he hasn't shown up until now.
It'll be good to finally meet him and put a face to the name. Though I should have been able to do that from the fact he's Mathias' twin.
"You must be Syxe," he says as he pulls away from Juliet. "It's good to meet you." Tobias holds out his hand for me to shake.
I take it to return the gesture. "And you must be Tobias."
"The one and only." He grins widely. "I'm sure you've heard all kinds of terrible things about me from these two."
"Not at all," I answer hastily, not wanting him to think I've been gossiping about him with his friends.
"Hmm. Then they need to do something about that. I have a reputation I need to uphold."
Juliet snorts. "Yes, your terrible reputation as the youngest ever Ilex Grove Captain."
"Ignore him, he doesn't know what he's talking about," Mathias adds. "Are you ready to choose the materials for your scythe?"
I nod, though I'm not sure if that's the truth. I'm more nervous than anything else. I don't know enough about how scythes work to know whether I'm going to be stuck with what I pick today for the rest of my life. What if I make the wrong choice and I can't do any reaping?
Juliet and Tobias walk ahead, the two of them chattering away as if they haven't seen one another in a couple of days, which I suspect isn't the case.
We follow, giving them enough space so we don't intrude on the conversation.
"You don't have anything to worry about," he says quietly. "Just follow your instincts like you did in the grove when you first arrived and you'll be fine."
"Is that really all it takes? What if I make a mistake?"
"It isn't really possible to," he assures me. "So much of it is done by what feels right. On the off chance you get it really wrong, you'll be able to do something about it. Most reapers use the same scythe until it breaks, but others change every few years. It isn't unheard of."
"Oh." Phew. At least no one will think I'm a failure of a reaper for not getting it right the first time. "Thank you for being so patient with me. I know it must be annoying to have to explain all the basics over and over again."
He shrugs. "It's not a problem. We don't get taught the specifics until we come somewhere like Scythe Grove anyway, so you're not that far behind."
"Except that you've had eighteen years of knowing you're a reaper to prepare for this. I didn't even know I was one until a few days ago."
"But you're picking it up quickly, and that's all that matters."
"Because I haven't started classes yet," I point out. "Once I do, I'm sure the lack of knowledge will become far more prominent."
