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I need to sleep. I’ll decide what to do in the morning.
Chapter 6
When I wake up the next day, I feel no more confident in my decisions than the night before. How does this Dark Elder know so much about me? And whyme? I may be the child of a top official, but so are about another hundred citizens. That doesn’t make me special. Other than that, there’s nothing interesting that I’ve done up until this point in my life. It just doesn’t make sense.
I groan and pull the covers over my head, then reach for the note under my pillow. He wants me to meet him tonight. Though I feel apprehensive, I know deep down that I must go. This is what I’ve been waiting for, and I can’t back out now just because of a little fear.
With that settled, I get out of bed, ready to start my day. I quickly throw on a gray sweater and fitted gray pants and opt for a soft blue headscarf. Though I don’t always wear a scarf casually, it seems like a good option. I need to protect my energy as much as possible right now. As I’m situating my hair, I hear a knock at my door.
“Amelia? It’s mom.”
“Come in!” I shout with a bobby pin between my teeth, glancing over to my bed worriedly. My comforter is over the note, thank goodness.
The door slides open slowly and my mother’s head pokes through, an inviting smile on her face. “Hi, darling. The Guillards invited us over for brunch today, just wanted to give you a heads up. We’ll leave in a couple hours.”
My heart sinks. After everything that happened yesterday, I almost forgot about Elliot. How would he feel, knowing I was sneaking out to meet another man? Let alone, a Dark Elder.
I swallow my guilt and smile at my mother. “Sounds good. I’ll put on a good dress, promise.”
She nods once and closes the door, leaving me to my thoughts once again. I obviously can’t tell Elliot what’s going on, I’ve only just met him. There’s no saying if he can be trusted with such a secret, and I highly doubt the fact that it’s a Dark Elder would help my case. I don’t think he would necessarily be hurt by the information, it’s much too soon for that, but it’s not a great way to start our partnership.
A partnership I don’t even know that I want, not that it matters. And this new development only muddies the waters more.
I shake my head out of my reverie, instead concentrating on finishing getting ready. I stare in my own hazel eyes for a moment, reeling in how my life has changed in the span of a couple days. This isn’t me. I may complain about our traditions, but other than some harmless curfew breaks with friends, I’ve never fully gone against our customs. Yet, there’s something inside me that’s pushing me forward, telling me that our way of life isn’t all there is. I crave something more, but I’ve always been too cowardly to take action.
It was so much easier to accept that when there was no chance of actually acting on my feelings. Now I have an opportunity to defy, I don’t know if I can handle it.
I look down at my hands and find them shaking. I squeeze them together to stop the trembling and leave the bathroom quickly, instead focusing on my wardrobe. Most of my closet has been hand-selected by my mother, so there’s no chance that I’ll disappoint her in this department. I grab the closest dress and hang it on my door handle before quickly making my bed, making sure that the note is safely tucked nice and tight under the top sheet.
I need to learn to compartmentalize better, I decide. While I’m at Elliot’s house, I won’t think about the note or the Dark Elder at all. Hopefully that’s not easier said than done.
With a sigh, I leave my bedroom and prepare to face reality.
~ ~·~ ~
“Amelia, Mr. and Mrs. Asghar, come in!” Elliot’s mother greets us with a welcoming grin and ushers us into their house. Elliot is just coming down the stairs and when he sees us, he offers a small wave and a wink in my direction.
I smile and give a small wave back, then turn my attention back to Mrs. Guillard. “Thank you for inviting us, Mrs. Guillard. I look forward to getting to know you all better.”
She smiles at me and leads me to the dining room, a hand on my back. “Oh, me too, dear. We’ve been so excited for Elliot’s partnership, and we couldn’t think of a better choice.”
I resist the urge to furrow my brow. I don’t know how she could figure that, considering they barely know me.
“Yeah, mom, because we know them so well,” I hear Elliot mutter under his breath. It makes me feel better, knowing we’reon the same page. He walks over to me and offers a hug, which I accept awkwardly. “Nice to see you, again. Sorry for the last-minute invite. I mentioned itonceand my mother just had to set it up ASAP.” He rolls his eyes, but there was a slight smirk on his face.
I laughed, allowing him to pull out a chair for me. “No problem; my mother was over the moon at the invitation. She loves things like this.” I roll my eyes too, which he seems to appreciate. I look around the table but notice there’s nobody else present. “Will it just be you and your mom?”
Elliot takes a seat next to me and nods, chewing on a slice of Barbari bread topped with honey that he grabbed from the table. “Yeah. Dad’s teaching a class today.”
Before I can respond, the others file into the room and take their seats. I’m grateful when my father slides into the chair next to me, motioning for my mother to sit to his left, a silent bid of support. Though I’ve played up my joy at my partnership, I know that he still sees the slight discomfort in me. Elliot's mother motions for a team of caterers to bring in carafes of tea and coffee.
Once a cup of tea is in her hand, she stands and smiles toward Elliot and me. "Thank you for being here with us today, Amelia. And thank you," she nods toward my parents, "for joining, as well. I am so grateful that my son has been partnered with such a beautiful and intelligent young woman, though not surprised. The two of you will truly make a power couple, and I have no doubt you will both make an important impact on the Society movingforward.” She looks adoringly toward her son. She waves to the cook, who was peering through the kitchen door. “Now, let's eat."
I smile at her in gratitude, but guilt plagues me. If only she knew what was really going on; how I am already betraying Elliot.
No, I'm not thinking about that right now.
I need to push all of that away and focus on the here and now. I'm not going to think about how regardless of the guilt I feel, regardless of the fear that invades my mind, I will absolutely one hundred percent be meeting the Dark Elder tonight.
