Lavender jerked awake suddenly when Finnikin tapped her shoulder. The book she was resting on toppled out of her hand and onto the floor. Lavender groaned and rubbed her eyes. She then leaned down to pick it up, but Finnikin was already holding it for her.
"I brought you some snacks," Finnikin said. "Technically we aren't allowed to have food in the library but if we're neat I'm sure they won't notice."
Lavender took the book and squinted at the lunch box in Finnikin's hand. "Is that box from Bellum?" She asked, recognizing the distinguishable seal from one of the local shops in Bellum square.
"Yeah, it is. My family goes there every month to sell clothes. Someday I want to open my own shop on Bellum square," Finnikin said cheerfully. He set the boxed lunch down on the wooden table and opened it up. There was a batch of sugar cookies and some chocolate bars in the box. "It's not the healthiest food. Sorry."
"No, it's fine! Thank you." Lavender smiled and took a cookie. "These are lovely." She took a bite and went back to the book she was reading.
They sat together in silence while Lavender breezed through her book on the patterns of human nature. She had gotten about halfway through the book when Finnikin broke the silence.
"Hey, Lavender?" Finnikin asked. "You've been pouring over these books and the records all week. Maybe you should take a break?" He shrugged and took a cookie for himself.
"I almost have enough information to know where to look next, though," Lavender sighed. The words on the page were blurry, and she couldn't bring herself to focus on it anymore.
"You look really tired. The information isn't going anywhere."
Lavender looked up at Finnikin, "But the D.C.s are going everywhere. I need to find out their next plan of action before they commit it. The longer I wait, the greater the danger is toward our people."
Finnikin's voice was pleading. "You're not the only one researching this. There are probably people in Bellum and Lux researching the same stuff you are. I really do believe you can do this. I just think you need a break."
"If I take a break will that make you happy?" Lavender asked., she didn't like how genuinely stressed he seemed on her behalf.
Finnikin nodded, "Just a short break, please. Maybe being out and about will help you generate more ideas."
"Okay... Finn, I trust your judgment." Lavender closed her book and put it in her bag. She cleaned up her workspace, complete with notes and theories. "Where do you want to go?"
"Well, you're doing all this research about the above... why don't we just go there?" Finnikin asked.
Lavender's jaw dropped, "We can do that? There's actually an exit to the surface through Nixta? I thought those gateways only existed in major cities like Bellum and the Capital and Lux?"
"Every city has its secrets. Have you ever been to the surface, Lavender?" Finnikin asked.
She shook her head, "I've seen the stars and clouds through the skylight at Bellum, but no, I've never been on the surface."
Finnikin took Lavender's hand, "You're going to see it today."
* * *
YOU ARE READING
Nix Terra
FantasyLavender Necros, the most powerful necromancer her age, graduated top of her class at the military academy. She expected immediate enrollment into the special forces to defend her people. Instead, she was assigned to guard the textile vaults in the...
