Mage

Quinta

I went to bed that night, somehow more confused than before. It bothered me that Rinn didn't explicitly get my permission to lay out his plan before The Council. Things had been tense with mom and dad, and Rinn's parents as well. Out of fear of making things worse, as I often do, I didn't talk to my parents about it, I didn't want it to look like I was betraying anyone.

It just feels like all the people I love are pulling me in different directions and it's stretching me too thin. Howan must have suspected something or other and had found herself in my room earlier.

I carefully explained everything to her, she looked as stricken as I felt, and I expressed to her my desire to support everyone and keep everyone safe, and asked her advice on how to manage it. If anyone would know, surely it would be my older sister.

"Esca..," She'd said, "Sometimes you can't save everyone, and you have to choose. And, with this situation, every option hurts someone."

"Yeah, you think I haven't been thinking about that this whole time?" I had asked her.

She sighed, "I'm not going to tell you what to do, but I want you to follow your instincts, and trust yourself, because whichever you choose you are powerful enough to handle it," She had placed her hands on my shoulders, "You don't need to be a Water Mage to be powerful and strong, Esca. I will always support and love you, and don't think for a second that your family will ever turn their backs on you. But you have to pick, I'm sorry."

Her words were currently echoing around in my head, as they had been for the past two hours since she left my room. I have to betray someone. I have to choose someone.

It was the late hours of the night when my mind settled on Rinn, his desperation, his weakness, his loneliness. He doesn't really have anyone. I can't leave him alone. I drifted into a fitful sleep.

My dream was hazy, I heard someone saying my name, they were close, they were begging me to come with them. The same eyes I'd seen so many times in my life were urging me forward. I felt something warm press to my forehead and then suddenly it all stopped.

My body feels cold.

I lifted my crusty eyelids open, wiping out the corners, and the streaks down my cheeks. Had I been crying?

The day was early, the sky still a grey-blue. I found my temperature culprit. I wobbled out of bed and closed the window. Who had opened it?

Percival was still asleep in his cage, he normally tweets when the window is open because he wants to stretch his wings, but for some reason, I didn't hear him at all during the night.

I slipped out of my nightgown and pulled on a regular beige dress and my leather cord underneath one of my normal blue robes that had the family crest on them.

After I stepped into my leather boots I turned towards my bed to straighten the covers. But then I saw an ornate knife and a small piece of parchment folded and discarded on the ground.

I picked it up and opened it, reading what had been hastily scribbled inside.

I'm sorry

~R

Rinn... What did he do?

I jumped as frantic knocking sounded at my door, "Esca!" it was Adrian.

I rushed to swing my door open, looking at my panicked brother, "Esca, the spellbook is missing."

Despite having warmed up since I woke up, my blood instantly ran cold, "Hurry!" my brother yelled, taking off down the hallway. I followed him, shoving the parchment in my robe and shakily grabbing a knife sheath from my trunk and the discarded mystery knife at the foot of my bed, hiding it under my robes.