Page 20 of Of Stars and Lightning
Lora opened her mouth to respond but was interrupted by a creak of hinges and a scoff.
“My useless father.”
Sol looked up to the second floor of the Inn, where a window was now open and a woman with a single black braid looked down at them. Sawyer’s dark eyes shone. “Your uncle-in-law, technically. Also, current King regent of Rimemere.”
Lora smiled up at her. “I do hope Arnold is well, Sawyer.”
Sawyer laughed. “I sure don’t.” Without another word, she disappeared beyond the wavering curtains.
Sol sighed, her attention lingering on the window. “There’s no way we are related.”
Lora arched her brow. “I kind of see it.”
“Sunny!”
Sol swirled to find Leo jogging their way, relief flooding his eyes while he threw his arms around her.
“I didn’t see you walk by last night on your way home, and I went to see if you were there just now, but you weren’t and—” He panted, holding her back by the shoulders to look at her. “I thought something happened.”
She smiled. “I’m fine, Leo.” A moment of silence, then she added, “Well, sort of.”
“Let’s talk inside, children.” Lora gestured to the Inn. “We have much to say.”
Six
BARMAIDS DON’T MAKE GOOD TEA
THE FOUR WIELDERSwere already in the tavern, Sawyer being the last to enter. She gave Sol a smirk as she made her way down the stairs to join them.
They all wore similar armor, thin enough to keep their agility but reinforced with something like scales, the type of thing Sol had seen merchants marketing for hundreds of coins.
The tavern wasn’t open to the public yet, available only to guests before noon. But besides them, no other guests were in sight.
Sol would have walked herself right back into her room if she had seen the people before her too.
“Who…” Leo stepped closer, gently tugging Sol behind him as he surveyed the Wielders.
Nina was the first to stand from her seat, her hands clasped in front of her, a small smile pulling at her lips. “Hello,” she said.
“We are…”
“Friends,” Lora interjected, saving Nina from coming up with anything.
Sol scoffed.
She would not call these people her friends. Perhaps not enemies…but definitely not friends either.
Leo sensed the word was too casual and gave Sol a side glance.
“Friends?”
Sol shuddered. “Let’s talk in the kitchen.”
Without waiting for permission, she tugged Leo to the right toward the kitchen, painfully aware of the eyes that followed.
And as soon as they were behind the swinging door, Sol told him. Everything Lora had said, everything she had pieced together, she told him. Every single, life-shattering bit. By the end of it, he was silent. Sol wasn’t even sure he was breathing. He gazed ahead, eyes glazed. But his breathing eventually evened out.
Sol was messing with a cluster of tea leaves on the counter when she finally whispered, “Please say something.”
