“Excuse me, sorry, but could you show me where to find an empty room for Light?”
The woman in front of my desk has a camera in one hand and clutches it tight to her chest. I smile, bow my head, and step out from behind the counter.
“Of course. I have to ask that you leave your camera here, however. Unless that’s your Gifting?”
Her fingers weave around the dark strap and she nods. It’s fast, blink and you miss it, and I lead her down the corridor. Her heels echo softly on the marble, as the stone lightens and branches off into separate cells. I face her as I turn from the open doorway, gesturing her in.
“Everything you need should be in there, but you can always press this and I’ll come check in, alright?”
She nods again, ducks into the room and closes the door behind her. I add in the necessary information on the computer once I’m back at my desk, watching the candles flicker by the entrance as a breeze moves through the atrium. A group removes their shoes as they enter the courtyard, rinsing their faces with the cool water trickling from mossy stones in the center, laughter tinkling at a joke from the tallest.
Their voices hush as they enter the temple, but eyes remain shimmering with unsaid words. As they approach the back, something twinges in my chest, recognition. I know at least one of them, I’m sure of it.
“Enna?”
And oh, oh, I knew that voice, knew all of their voices, it was only one or two years ago I heard that laughter everyday through the branches of trees, joyful screaming in the woods, passing our days in summer sun. I hear those voices every day in my thoughts.
I wave meekly, straightening my spine and trying to keep my customer service smile strong.
“Hi, Loren. Asher. Talin. It’s been so long. How are you?”
Asher steps behind the counter to give me a hug, and I try to reciprocate it awkwardly. He grins down at me, ruffling my hair.
“‘A long time’. You’re crazy, y’know that? It’s been ages! Where have you been?”
Loren clears her throat from the side, and I turn to face them again.Unauthorized use of content: if you find this story on Amazon, report the violation.
“Sorry,” She says, but she doesn’t look very sorry at all.
“It’s fine.”
Asher looks back and forth between us awkwardly, and I shift my attention back to my computer. “So, if I’m remembering right, you’ll want two rooms for Dark and directions to a group chamber in Passage?”
Asher grins at me, albeit a bit less than before.
“Correct as always. You always knew Talin would end up in Dark, didn’t you?”
I give him an awkward shrug. “Wait here just a moment.”
As I lead Loren and Talin to two private rooms, I hear their hushed mutters loud and clear. The lighting slowly dims until everything seems low and quiet, until Talin finally pipes up.
“So, I guess you finally found your connection after all these years?” His voice holds a quiet confidence. My eyes narrow, and keep walking. “I mean, to be working in a Temple, of all places, you kind of have to have a connection for that. And the main Temple? They probably have pretty strict requirements, right?”
I know what they’re doing. Trying to goad me on, threaten me. They’ve done this before, ages ago, until I gave in and stopped fighting them. But I won’t let myself be fought out of here.
“No, actually. They saw how good my record was and had no problems letting me in. I’m perfectly qualified to be here.”
Loren scoffs behind me, and I can feel the huff of warm air tickle the hair brushing against my neck. “Suure. Don’t think I didn’t notice how you ignored the actual question. You really are a connectionless, aren’t you?” She rolls her her eyes and nudges Talin again. “Freak.”
I walk faster, my jaw clenching and unclenching as I show them to their respective rooms and ignore the rest of the pointed comments. I pause to lean against the wall at the end of the corridor, breathing deeply. I can see Asher lingering in the lobby, waiting for me, and I straighten again.
You would think the hard part is over, I think mirthfuly, mouth twisting into a wry smile. If only.
Emerging back into the open space, I gesture to Asher and he follows in a few quick strides. He’s always been unfairly tall, all legs and limbs. I feel his hands brush against the white fabric of my clothing, eyebrows furrowing playfully. Just like always.
“Never thought you to be one to wear white, En’s. This is quite the look you have going on,” his shoulder nudging against mine as a familiar smile opens up his features. “Your hair has grown too.”
I shrug, not quite feeling it in myself to pull away from his close walk. “It fits better with the workplace. Gotta keep a jobs somehow, right?”
“Ah, come on. We all know you’re hiding some insanely strong connection somewhere in that big mind of yours, you’re gonna be the next prodigy of our generation, I’m calling it now,” his hands spread out in front of him like a title screen. My smile shifts uncomfortably. “Enna Sterling: The Next Great Prodigy of…” his hands drop to his chin instead, strawberry blond hair tickling at his fingers. He looks playfully over at me. “Love, of course! Such a hopeless romantic, it’s obvious for all to see.”
I laugh, but it sounds hollow in my ears. I looks up to find we’ve arrived that the group chamber I’m escorting him to, and I step aside. He glances at me again, sombering, his eyes sad.
“I haven’t seen you in months.”
“I know.”
“Where have you been, Enna?”
I simply nod him forward, close the door, and walk away.