The Key of Astrea

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Jenny's body was hot from embarrassment after Sadi had tripped her. She could still hear the laughter as she made her way from the mess hall. Still, she could have handled the situation better than bringing up Trey. It was never Jenny's intent to hurt Sadi, let alone be on her bad side. But, it was now hurt or be hurt, and Jenny didn't plan to be Sadi's target again. This also meant that she had to win the bet.

Before she knew it, Jenny had reached the top floor. The door to Lin Song's office slid open and Kensei stepped out.

"Hey, Jenny," Kensei said.

"Hi, how'd your meeting go?"

"Not bad." He pulled his backpack onto his shoulders. "But I got stuck with cleaning the men's bathrooms."

"I figured we'd get something like that." An idea crept into Jenny's mind. If I win the bet, then Sadi may have to clean bathrooms for me. A grin spread across her lips.

"What are you smiling about?"

"Nothing, I just thought of something funny."

"I was wondering..." Kensei shuffled his feet. "If you're free, maybe we can hang out?"

"Sure, but I have to meet with Lin right now. How about after?"

"Yeah, sounds good." He shrugged his backpack off his shoulders.

Inside Lin's office, a large brass floor lamp illuminated a simple desk in the middle of the small space. A silk-covered box, a bamboo whisk, and a cast-iron tea kettle rested on the wooden surface. In the corner was a cabinet of curiosities. The top shelf held a collection of black-and-white cow figurines. The other shelves held a panoply of kitsch. There were primitive talismans, religious symbols, and bizarre figures.

"Come in, Jenny, have a seat."

Jenny moved from the doorway and sat on a simple wooden chair. Her eyes landed on a half-eaten plate of treacle tarts. Though she had just eaten, her mouth watered at the sight of the delicacies.

"Take as many as you want." Lin pushed the plate toward Jenny. "I love them, but my eyes are bigger than my stomach."

"Thanks." Jenny picked a crispy tart from the plate. "I'm just so hungry all the time."

"Your mind and body are growing and strengthening—that requires a lot of fuel." Lin twisted an owl-shaped ring on her finger. "How's your first day?"

"Good. I'm learning so much. It's all a bit overwhelming." Jenny bit into a tart and immediately wished she had some water to wash it down.

"I know, it's a lot of responsibility to put on you all at once. And I'm sorry, but I'm about to give you one more."

Jenny chuckled. "That's okay." Cabin had provided her with a priceless amount of benefits. It seemed a small price to pay for room and board.

"To protect the Selkans all duties must be performed by those with proper clearance, which means that we all have to pitch in to keep things clean and functional. I have a shift in the mess hall myself. Mazu is responsible for health care and research. As a tradition, our newest members are tasked with keeping the community head clean."

Jenny shrugged. "Yeah, that's what I expected."

"Good. I knew you would understand." Lin's chair creaked as she leaned back. "So, I heard about the fight between you and your sister."

"Kensei told you?"

Lin nodded. "We encourage healthy competition, but not to the point where anyone gets seriously hurt."