Page 14 of A Dose of Agony
“Do you think…” I start after a long pause of silence.
“What?” Janet asks.
“Do you think it’s fair concern that… well, what if the attention is overestimating my connection to Jarron? They’re acting like I’m a princess. Like I’m for sure the future bride of the crown prince. What if—what if it all changes?”
Janet’s eyes are sympathetic. “You’re still doubting if —“
“No,” I say quickly. “Yes.” I frown. “I don’t know.”
Lola snuggles in closer to my neck, offering comfort.
“I trust in Jarron. I just can’t help but wonder…”
Janet’s eyes soften. “It’s definitely a fair concern…” she says slowly. “But only emotionally.”
“What does that mean?”
“I mean, it’s scary for sure, and it’ll hurt if it all ends and things change, but you’re not losing anything logically. What happens if it all goes away? You’re back to the badass potions prodigy you were before. You don’t need the attention. You don’t need the extra surface-level allies. You don’t need the leg up it all gives you. You will have a great future with or without—” she waves vaguely “—all this.”
I swallow and look down at my hands.
“Janet’s right,” Lola says. “It would be heartbreaking, but it isn’t worth fearing the loss. All three of us have a great future ahead, with or without Jarron Blackthorn being part of it.”
“I love you guys,” I whisper. “Have I ever told you that? I feel like I don’t give you enough appreciation. You’ve always been amazing to me.”
Janet pulls us both into a hug. “You just added us to an Elite inner circle list, and you think you don’t appreciate us enough?”
I roll my eyes but laugh along with them.
Things are already so different. What will change next?
6
DEAR DIARY
Liz is alive.
Liz is alive.
Liz is alive.
Liz is alive.
It’s still hard for me to wrap my mind around that. After months of searching for vengeance against my sister’s killer, I found out there is no killer. She isn’t dead. She’s alive.
It’s incredible.
But it doesn’t mean she’s safe. I could still lose her after all of this.
My little sister, who was my best friend, is now a powerful magical being that I somehow have to save.
How do I save her? How do I manage all of this?
Me.
No one. Inconsequential.
I know that’s not true. I am not no one. No matter how all of this shakes out, I am not no one.
