would mean spending way too much time in Orion. I’m not really sure what I want to do after graduation. I just wish I could stay at Rosewater forever. I love it here. In any case, I do know that I want to stay away from the Selpes.” She winked at Ariella. “Besides, I’m not going up against my best friend. She’d win.”
“Maybe you should have applied,” said Ariella. “You’re the only one who’s ever beaten Trinity. She’ll be the one to get the job.”
“Her endearing personality won’t win her any points,” Isis replied. “Being the high king’s aide requires more than impressive fighting skills and a big mouth. In fact, that big mouth will get her into trouble. Just ask Davin.”
He didn’t know how he was supposed to take that , but he answered anyway. “Isis is right. You need to be able to keep a cool head when dealing with the Selpes, or they’ll use everything you say against you. My father doesn’t want an aide with a hot temper.”
Isis closed the lid on her new box and slid it over to Ariella. “Hold onto that for me, will you? If it’s right in front of me, I’m afraid I’ll gobble it all down. And that’s the last thing I need right now with a big test on the horizon.”
She piled up her and Ariella’s plates and silverware into one stack and deposited it into a box at the door to the kitchen. Ariella held onto the two boxes, and the three of them left the dining hall.
“How long until your interview?” Davin asked Ariella as the three of them walked toward the girls’ dormitory house.
“A few hours.”
“Shall the three of us do something until then?”
“I can’t. Big test, remember? I have a practical exam with Raven this afternoon.” Isis said the words with absolute dread.
“What will you have to do?” Ariella asked.
“No idea. I already told him I’m not killing anyone. As long as he’s not decided to forget that again, we’ll be ok.”
“Do you think he’ll forget?”
Isis sighed. “I don’t know, Ariella. I really don’t. When Chimera got me partially enrolled in the assassin track, he promised it was just for the extra combat training. He said I wouldn’t need to kill anyone. But this last year, Raven’s gotten it into his head that I would make one spectacular assassin. The whole reality of Prophetic Whiplash seems to be going right over his head. I don’t know what’s wrong with him, but arguing about this over and over again is the one thing I will most definitely not miss about Rosewater.”
“He’s really strange. I’m glad I never had him as an instructor. Last week, he came up to me and demanded…” Ariella stopped in her tracks and began to swirl the end of her ponytail around her finger. “What are they doing here?”
“Who?” asked Davin.
“Over there.” Ariella pointed down the path. “My parents are here.”
King Fathom and Queen Crystal sat on the bench in front of the dormitory. The queen of Zephyr stood up with easy grace and glided over, her peach lips spreading into a wide smile as she looked her daughter up and down.
“You have grown into such a strong and lovely woman,” she said, sliding her fingers through Ariella’s hair. She turned her aquamarine eyes on Davin. “Wouldn’t you agree, Prince Halo?”
Davin had never met Ariella’s parents, but they certainly knew who he was. Probably because he looked a whole lot like his father. Some of the Selpes even got the two of them mixed up, though the members of the Advisory Council were able to tell them apart. That left Davin with the aggravation of sometimes being confused with his father without the perk of actually being able to impersonate him.
“Most certainly,” he said, dipping his chin to Queen Crystal.
Ariella’s cheeks blushed pink. “Mother…”
“It’s amazing what a difference a few weeks can make. No, not weeks. Months. You were supposed to visit us during your last school break, but then something came up. We’ve really
“Maybe you should have applied,” said Ariella. “You’re the only one who’s ever beaten Trinity. She’ll be the one to get the job.”
“Her endearing personality won’t win her any points,” Isis replied. “Being the high king’s aide requires more than impressive fighting skills and a big mouth. In fact, that big mouth will get her into trouble. Just ask Davin.”
He didn’t know how he was supposed to take that , but he answered anyway. “Isis is right. You need to be able to keep a cool head when dealing with the Selpes, or they’ll use everything you say against you. My father doesn’t want an aide with a hot temper.”
Isis closed the lid on her new box and slid it over to Ariella. “Hold onto that for me, will you? If it’s right in front of me, I’m afraid I’ll gobble it all down. And that’s the last thing I need right now with a big test on the horizon.”
She piled up her and Ariella’s plates and silverware into one stack and deposited it into a box at the door to the kitchen. Ariella held onto the two boxes, and the three of them left the dining hall.
“How long until your interview?” Davin asked Ariella as the three of them walked toward the girls’ dormitory house.
“A few hours.”
“Shall the three of us do something until then?”
“I can’t. Big test, remember? I have a practical exam with Raven this afternoon.” Isis said the words with absolute dread.
“What will you have to do?” Ariella asked.
“No idea. I already told him I’m not killing anyone. As long as he’s not decided to forget that again, we’ll be ok.”
“Do you think he’ll forget?”
Isis sighed. “I don’t know, Ariella. I really don’t. When Chimera got me partially enrolled in the assassin track, he promised it was just for the extra combat training. He said I wouldn’t need to kill anyone. But this last year, Raven’s gotten it into his head that I would make one spectacular assassin. The whole reality of Prophetic Whiplash seems to be going right over his head. I don’t know what’s wrong with him, but arguing about this over and over again is the one thing I will most definitely not miss about Rosewater.”
“He’s really strange. I’m glad I never had him as an instructor. Last week, he came up to me and demanded…” Ariella stopped in her tracks and began to swirl the end of her ponytail around her finger. “What are they doing here?”
“Who?” asked Davin.
“Over there.” Ariella pointed down the path. “My parents are here.”
King Fathom and Queen Crystal sat on the bench in front of the dormitory. The queen of Zephyr stood up with easy grace and glided over, her peach lips spreading into a wide smile as she looked her daughter up and down.
“You have grown into such a strong and lovely woman,” she said, sliding her fingers through Ariella’s hair. She turned her aquamarine eyes on Davin. “Wouldn’t you agree, Prince Halo?”
Davin had never met Ariella’s parents, but they certainly knew who he was. Probably because he looked a whole lot like his father. Some of the Selpes even got the two of them mixed up, though the members of the Advisory Council were able to tell them apart. That left Davin with the aggravation of sometimes being confused with his father without the perk of actually being able to impersonate him.
“Most certainly,” he said, dipping his chin to Queen Crystal.
Ariella’s cheeks blushed pink. “Mother…”
“It’s amazing what a difference a few weeks can make. No, not weeks. Months. You were supposed to visit us during your last school break, but then something came up. We’ve really
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