If Stratagor Ziras doesn't kill me, my training program will!
Every day I wake up and go through the motions, but they've figured out that I'm not a Knight. I can't ride, I can't fight, I can't do magic, and worst of all, I can't see whatever it is...
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Whoever said confession is good for the soul is a liar. I should have kept my big mouth shut. If Jonah tells anyone what I said, they could kick me out of Cromsmead, and then what would I do? I don't think Auntie would take me back without the Orb. I have no idea where I could possibly go.
Jonah's wrong when he says that Sarpedon doesn't get mad. I'm going to be in trouble, either for being late or for running through the castle. The choice is easy. I would rather anger numerous armed guards than one old Nüwa.
I fly through the scary foyer with the dreaded skull and crossbones on the door, but since our first meeting, the door hasn't wanted to talk anymore. My steps echo through the narrow, dark hallway leading to the Great Hall of the Temple. I'm annoyed when neither Sarpedon nor Gurador are waiting for me. Instead, there's a young human guy sitting on the onyx table in the center of the room.
"Hey," he says with a wave.
He's almost as pretty as a faerie, but I can clearly see he doesn't have wings. His jeans and T-shirt make me jealous. Why doesn't he have to wear elf clothes?
"Hey," I quietly say to the black and white tiles on the floor. I'm confused. I thought that Kyrbast and I were the only humans here.
"You're Agatha, right?"
I'm not good at talking with boys, particularly ones as good-looking and blonde as this one. I nod and lean on the rail in front of the chairs surrounding the altar. I put as much space as I can between him and me.
"I'm Ethan." When I don't respond, he asks, "So, they captured you a few weeks ago, right?"
My gaze snaps up. "I wasn't captured. I came here willingly." I should leave, but I don't want to make a scene.
"Yeah, me too. Me and my sister." When I don't say anything, he asks, "Have you tried to leave yet?"
I don't respond. I haven't tried. A few times I said I wanted to leave, but I was always talked out of it.
"You know, back on Earth we were taught to fear these creatures, every one of them. Have you met Locklo yet?" I shake my head. "I swear to God, I saw him in a horror movie last summer. He was that alien that ate all the astronauts in the space station. Did you see that one?"
I shake my head again. "I haven't seen a lot of movies."
Ethan hops off the table and sits on the rail next to me. "They're lying to you. Look at them. Have you ever heard of a vegetarian snake? And Jonah is the Angel of Death, or hadn't you noticed?"
Sometimes I wonder if I was lied to. Auntie raised me; maybe she was trying to help me, not hurt me. I willingly and unquestioningly went with Jonah. Maybe I've been tricked. I'm miserable here. Everyone's always making demands on me, criticizing me, and judging me. Maybe Ethan can help me figure out what's really going on.
