A Sky of Rain

Chapter Thirteen

        “Fancy seeing you here!” Adrian says, throwing his head up slightly and grinning.

         I roll my eyes. “If you say so.”

         “Well,” Lance begins to speak. “I don’t really need to introduce your first guard since you already know him. But this…” Lance gestures to the man next to Adrian. “…is Loki.”

         Loki steps forward towards me and slightly bows. He seems to be a few years older than me, and he is definitely taller. “I’m Loki,” He says in a rich, soft tenor tone, his chartreuse eyes sparkling as a stray lock of his long, dark slicked-back umber hair falls forward as he bows.

         I smile softly. “Lyra,”

         Loki lets out a soft laugh. “Yeah, I kinda already knew that.”

         “Oh eheh, right…” I say, absentmindedly brushing a strand of my hair back.

        “Well I’m starving, so why don’t we continue talking over lunch?” Adrian says vociferously, pushing himself into our conversation, and for once I agree with Adrian.

         Lance glances over to the chefs, who give him the thumbs up. Lance turns back and nods at us all, and we each take a seat at the table.

         The first meal is delivered to us, and we start to eat. Having only eaten breakfast today and barely anything the day before, I am pretty famished so a lunch like this is much appreciated. “So,” I say in-between bites. “What are you doing here, Adrian?”

         He laughs. “What do you think? I’m from Nyden, a tracker to be exact. Your tracker, before Lance was called as back-up,” Adrian explains, winking at me.

         I roll my eyes, and a small groan of distaste escapes my lips. “Well yeah I know that now, but-”

         “Fire, and also the power to control fire.” Adrian says, cutting me off.

         I nod slowly. I would assume that he really doesn’t like Raine then, since fire and rain doesn’t agree with each other. Though, I find it fascinating he was able to keep his ability so concealed from not only me, someone he was around a lot (not that I wanted him to be), but also the rest of my town. “And you, Loki?” I ask, for he has to have a power also…or at least I assume.

         “I can control and make…” Loki starts to say, pausing to ponder for a moment. “Illusions, I suppose you could call them.”

         “Wow,” I say, a bit surprised. I didn’t know that was a possible ability to have. No wonder he is one of my guards.

         Loki smiles kindly and lets out a soft laugh. “Yeah, I know. It can be really useful at times.”

         “Oh yeah,” I reply quickly. “I would definitely think so.”

         “And Lance-” Adrian starts to say, but is quickly cut off by Lance.

         “Yes Adrian,” Lance declares. “She already knows.” Adrian swats across the table at Lance, exasperated. I suppress a laugh, and we continue to eat. The rest of the meal is fairly successful. I get to know Loki a bit more while devouring enough mouth-watering food that could last me the rest of the day.

         Once everyone has finished eating to their stomach’s content, Lance announces that he has to show me to my new room. Lance and I rise from our seats, but Adrian and Loki also do. I shoot a look of confusion towards Lance. “They are coming also?”