The Paragon

Chapter Seven

"Your room is bigger than mine," Eli complained. He'd let himself in, as per usual with him, and was standing in the doorway now.

The room they gave me was, in fact, large; it was big enough to fit three copies of my bedroom from the hideaway. But it wasn't fancy or elaborate; like most everything else we'd seen here, function came before form. The bed was large and sturdy-looking, set high off the ground. There was a wardrobe and chest of drawers on one wall, and a table with two chairs in the center of the room. A door led to a small private bathroom.

Phoenix hadn't said, but I could tell that this was the room meant for the Paragon. After he'd left me here earlier, I'd spent a few minutes just staring around the space. To be in the same room as so many powerful figures from history was a humbling thing; to be considered the next in their ranks was equally terrifying.

"Don't complain," I told him, sitting up on the bed where I'd been lying down for a moment. "Mine comes with baggage I bet yours doesn't have."

I'd spent the past few hours in this room by myself. Phoenix had implied I was meant to settle in and freshen up after the long journey by airship, but what did I have to settle in? I'd gratefully taken a shower, not having taken the time for one on the ship, but other than that, most of my time had been spent in thought. Around lunchtime, a girl had delivered food, and darted off as quickly as she'd shown up, undoubtedly to spread the gossip that she'd seen the Paragon.

"Where's Casp?" I asked.

"Phoenix mentioned extensive libraries," Eli said with a shrug. "Casp jumped at that, and I'm not really one to get in his way when he finds a pile of new books."

While he talked I saw in his face something I hadn't fully noticed yet; he had this certain look anytime he spoke about Casp. It was adoration mixed with a touch of worry and something else I couldn't quite name. But it reminded me of a question that had crossed my mind several times since I'd woken up on the Jasmina. "Eli," I said quietly. "Why is Casp here?"

"What do you mean?" Eli asked, puzzled. "He was on the ship with us; he can't exactly leave."

"Yes, but why did he get on the ship in the first place?" I elaborated. "He didn't need to come; I was in fine hands, and you said he couldn't do me any good. And for all my worry, he was well-hidden and safe in Foster."

Eli sighed, walking into the room with his hands in his pockets. "He wouldn't let me go without him," he said. "I mean, he couldn't have stopped me, but he just said he was coming too. Just like that. He said the thought of not knowing where I was or if I was all right would kill him."

I took a deep breath. "He loves you, doesn't he?"

"Of course," Eli murmured. "And I love him."

It made sense now. I had thought their relationship was sort of like the few I'd had in the past—nothing deep or really meaningful, just a bit of companionship with a side of sex. But I could see it now, in my brother's face—he loved Casp with his whole heart.

When had that happened?

For a long time, I'd been the number one person in my brother's life, just like he was in mine. He was my best friend, and the only real family I had left in this world. I always thought we were a team for life. But now, suddenly? Everything seemed different. If he were asked to choose between me and Casp, who would he choose? How did you choose? Your twin or your one true love? The idea sent my stomach turning in knots on his behalf. "I'm glad," I said, trying to cover it up. "That you're happy, I mean."

"Thanks," Eli replied. "But I came in here to check on you. Are you actually okay, or do you have an escape plan worked out by now?"

"I think escaping from a place like this is beyond even me," I said with a laugh, sliding my legs off the side of the bed and standing. "I don't think I really have a lot of options anymore. I think..." I sighed and looked towards the ceiling for a minute. "I think I have to see this through at this point."