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I wanted to turn back, not wanting to embarrass myself further. I thought I might have messed up some of the translation. Perhaps I got the last part of the text wrong.
Maddox smiled when we reached them. Mud and stretches of grass turned to concrete as we moved onto the patio. Everyone was standing in front of a weathered fountain filled with murky waters and forgotten skal turned to wishes by those who’d lived there before.
“Eleanor Moore. Viktor Raiden.”
I scoffed loudly when I heard his supposed last name for the first time. He really was far too cocky for his own good. His eyes twinkled with mischief, and I curled my lips behind my teeth.
“Something amusing?” Alma asked, and I shook my head. Her thin gray hair was pulled into a tight knot at the back of her head. Her eyes, duller now, watched me carefully. “Good, then we shall proceed. I have been called here, as we find ourselves in an unusual situation.”
Raiden smirked. I wanted to throw another dagger at him.
Edmund cleared his throat. “It appears there was a tie.”
My lips parted, and I held my breath as Maddox gave me a wide smile.
Edmund continued. “As Elle has more experience, we have decided she will be the next keeper in the coven.”
Every hair on my arms and at the back of my neck stood erect. A lump formed in my throat as a single tear crept down my cheek. “I’m the keeper?” I asked, double-checking I’d heard right.
“Congratulations, Eleanor,” Alma said, then turned her attention to Raiden. “You are a clever, studious young man with unprecedented talent. Because of the close tie, the council and I have decided to offer you the option to immediately fill a keeper slot once another opens up.”
“If it does,” I mumbled under my breath, then realization shocked me still. Raiden would do anything to get his family back. Would he go as far as to use brute force to get the keys? Would he want to kill one of us to take the spot? He said he didn’t before because he’d wanted to avoid killing innocents, but he’d lost hope.
Suddenly, my win felt more like a loss. He eyed me as they gave me the keys to the vaults and read the oath of being a keeper. Shaking, I took the oath, and before I could process it, I was a keeper.
Chapter Sixteen
The next afternoon, a magic quill tingled my skin. My heart leaped when I saw her message. I’m ready to talk. Our old meeting spot? Naomi.
I quickly sent one back. On my way.
I grabbed my black leather jacket from the back of my chair, then put on the makeup Naomi had made and gifted me. She was so talented at creating things. I picked up the black paste with an applicator she used to create a line over the eyelids. It really made my eyes pop. Some others in town had caught onto the trend, but none of their makeup made a dent in what Naomi created.
I hadn’t been in town since I went looking for Raiden that night, and I hadn’t had a chance to enjoy it. I headed to the front door, successfully avoiding Raiden in the kitchen as I grabbed my umbrella in case it rained.
I walked through the iris, a part of town where artists painted on the streets, musicians played on the corners, and palm readers sat at small erected tables covered with purple cloths. I tapped my fingers to the music. I threw a skal into the musician’s hat, then shot him a smile.
People sat outside tearooms, enjoying the late-afternoon sun. I paused at the fence, where local artists hung their paintings, then past the red tent where the paintings were sold. I moved through the open gateway between the black wrought iron fences and made my way into the park. I spotted Naomi sitting on our bench in front of Mr. Star’s Potions Store.
I could hear the frown in her voice as she stood. “Elle. You’re here.”
“Nai.” I smiled, reaching out to hug her, but she stepped back. I took a seat next to her. I had assumed by her message that we were okay and she’d finally come to her senses about the whole Craig ordeal.
“I didn’t get it.”
Before I could say anything, her tears fell thick and fast.
“Craig passed, but I missed one spell and—” Her voice broke.
I put an arm around her and squeezed her to my side. “Oh, Nai.” I rubbed the top of her neck. “I’m sorry.”
“I have to wait three years, Elle. My dad sent me a quill, letting me know I was an embarrassment to the family, so I haven’t seen him since.”
“Ignore him.” The muscles in my jaw tightened. “You’re not the first person it’s happened to.”
“Most who don’t pass just drop out of the coven and look for some other career,” she said between sobs, sniffing against her blocked nose. “It’s so embarrassing being an apprentice for that long.” She gave me a look. “Sorry.”
“Don’t be.” I didn’t want to tell her I passed. Not yet.
