Built on smoke and mirrors

Chapter 13

I barely made eye contact with Eydis two days later as we got ready to go to our responsibilities. There had been very little words exchanged between us since I returned. 

I think there were a few times she wanted to say something to me but I walked away before she had a chance. It would take me a long time to forgive her. The fact that she didn't even try to get in after leaving work was a terrible thought. She knew how much it meant to me for her to be there.

Without saying anything, I left the dorm room to get to the ice rink for the day of training. The walk was short. The winter was now warming slightly, and spring would be here soon enough. 

In Hell, spring was always marked with festivals and good food. Spring meant a new start, a chance for things to be better, for the harvest to be good, for the days to be longer. People in Hell loved spring more than I ever did. Spring meant that my ice time was over and I would have to wait months before I could skate again. Spring lead to summer which was always a frustrating time for me. 

But spring here would be different. There would be ice year round. I could skate year round. And that was what I was counting on. 

"I heard the ice is soft today," Ari said as I walked into the rink. 

My attention snapped to him. I heard that phrase said before but I didn't know what it meant. Ice was always hard and cold to me. How could it be 'soft'? 

He chuckled as he shook his head. "I'm guessing you never skated on soft ice. Well be ready to get wet."

"How does the ice get soft?" I asked as I found an empty seat to sit at. 

He shrugged. "I heard the ice rink is having a hard time cooling itself. The pipes are old and broken or something. Warmer weather means softer ice." 

I would have never imagined the Motherwealth would have any problems with piping. I thought this place had everything in perfect shape. My mind went back to the light up map Yuri had and how it refused to work when we arrived. Maybe the Motherwealth wasn't as flawless as I thought.

"Isla! Get over here," Irena shouted. 

I jumped to my feet and walked to her without a word. I braced myself for anything that she could say. Although I wasn't sure what she would say. 

"Your skating in the show the other night..." 

And here it went. This is what she wanted to talk about. I'm sure she had something to say about my show performance. It was probably not up to her standards. 

"It was a great show. Most of the officials there are already talking about having you come again." 

My mouth dropped only a centimeter before I regained my composure. Out of everything she could of said, I was not expecting that. Irena did not give complements. At least, never had I heard one. 

"You have massive talent and something the Motherwealth has not seen in decades. You should be proud of the skill you have." 

I nodded. "Thank you." 

"You should thank your parents for giving you such talent." 

I would if I could. Maybe one day I would tell dad, but my mother, the one that taught me everything I knew, she would never now. That fact made my throat tighten just a little. 

"Speaking of your parents, have you written them? I can deliver any letters to the post office." 

It had been a few weeks since I left and I had not heard anything from Kol. He said that he would write to me and for a moment, I forgot about that. But now that she mentioned it, I wanted to know why I hadn't received any messages from him. "Where do we pick up letters?"