I shrugged, patting the grass of my pants. "At least he calls me something. . . ."

I don't think Jaden understood what I meant by that. His eyes narrowed disconcertedly on me. I just started off towards the building. Knowing the type of person he was, how different we were, I don't think he could have understood.

Just as we were waiting near the front to leave, Adzamaruha called me over with a significant eyebrow raise.

I went to him.

"Here are the supplies for you cabin-place, Evangeline." He passed me a large, leather bag.

I smiled at him. "Thank you."

He shook his head exaggeratedly. "You say that quite too much, my young assistant."

My eyes fell. "Oh. . . ." He might have been right, but I didn't know exactly what to do about it. "I'll try not to do it so much."

He bobbed his head approvingly, then took a small book out of his pocket. "This is for you as well. . . . I-" he scratched his white hair thoughtfully "-I had a curious dream about it, so I decided I'd give it to you."

It was small and silver, leather bound. I took it.

"Why me?"

He scoffed, leaned to one side, and tossed a thumb to his left. "Well, I'm not going to give it to one of them."

I looked over at Jaden. Ikovos had joined him now. Adzamaruha's reply didn't really answer my question in the least, but I felt appreciative all the same. "Okay. Thank-" He eyed me. My own eyes narrowed. "Ah . . . I mean . . ."

"You mean what you mean, Evangeline. You can't-" He stopped mid-sentence. "Oh, my, that rhymes."

My eyes widened in disbelievingly at him as he jumped off and started towards the shack.

I just waved. "Bye, Adzamaruha."

When I got back to the two boys, Ikovos nodded towards the half-dancing man. We all started walking.

"What's he so excited about?"

My mouth opened. I looked back once. "Ah. . . . I don't really know. I think he rhymed."

Jaden's jaw clenched tightly. "I really hate that guy."

Ikovos nodded his agreement, then looked at me eyes narrowing. "Did you do something to your face? . . . You look different."

I blushed slightly, gazing down. "Oh, um . . . Adzamaruha did this spell. It turned my lips pink."

"Like the sheep?" he asked.

I laughed shortly and nodded, he smiled too. "Yeah."

Jaden grabbed the supply bag from my hand then, drawing my attention. "You sure are awfully observant, Vos."

"You're one to talk," replied Ikovos.

I looked at each as they spoke, trying to figure out what they were talking about, but before I could they started discussing other topics again. I dropped it.

By the time we had made it back to the lodge, they had gotten into four disagreements on a range subjects. It was strange, for some reason I had assumed their viewpoints were similar. The walk to the cafeteria went much the same, even on into lunch. That is until Holdan came to sit beside me. Ikovos and Jaden were across the table. They both stopped their discussion mid-sentence and eyed him.

"Hello, Evelyn," beamed Holdan, grinning.

"Oh, hey," I replied, smiling back at him. "How are you today?" My eyes grazed Ikovos and Jaden as I said it. They were practically scowling at him, I tried to ignore it.

"It's been alright. I haven't seen you in a couple days." His silver eyes turned to the other two boys. "Been busy?"

I looked at them too, now. They still weren't hiding much intensity. I made a face at both of them.

I mean . . . I knew for whatever reason that Jaden wasn't very fond of Holdan, but he usually hid it better than this, and what was wrong with Ikovos?

I nodded pleasantly to the black-haired boy, or man rather, taking a drink of water. "I have."

There was an awkward silence then. I took a couple bites of food, then cleared my throat.

"Ikovos and Jaden were talking about some of the new border-lines a bit ago. Maybe you could all share your thoughts on that? . . ." That was my lame attempt at relational bridge-building.

I don't think it worked. Jaden just kept glaring at him, while Ikovos and Holdan both muttered uncomfortable "no's". Holdan's was delivered with a smile.

"Actually, Evelyn, I was coming to see if you wanted to train after lunch."

I straightened. "Oh. . . . I guess I cou-"

"Not today," started Jaden. "She's training with me."

"Takes priority," added Ikovos.

I just kept quiet.

"O-kay . . . ," drawled Holdan. Then he stood up, lifting his plate. "I guess I'll see you later then, Evelyn.

I nodded. "Yeah."

"Let me know when you can. Maybe tonight."

I smiled. "I will. Thanks again for offering."

He grinned wide at me then, before nodding coldly to both Ikovos and Jaden and walking off towards the kitchen.

I looked back ahead with an obviously questioning face and contemplated saying something. Ikovos held my gaze for a moment, then turned down to his food, but when I looked at Jaden he was staring at me intensely. It made me feel more like I had been the one that had done something wrong. I decided to let it go, allowing only one pointed remark.

"So are we really going to train after lunch, or . . ."

Jaden's eyes narrowed at me. Apparently he was offended that I assumed he would lie, no matter how probable.

Ikovos looked at both of us and chuckled slightly, raising a hand up to cover his mouth.

"Yeah. We're training," said Jaden.

I smiled at that, happy that I would finally be able to start . . . but then the corners of Jaden's mouth lifted a little, and everything turned to a confusing ball of mush. My eyes dropped to the table, widening, grin vanished. I forgot about what had just happened with Holdan. And whatever it was that was going on with Ikovos and Jaden . . . pretty much anything I'd been worrying about. All were irrelevant compared to the idea of training in a room alone with him in my present condition.

Both the boys were eating, oblivious to my panic. I looked over to Ikovos forcing a regular face. "Are, ah . . . you gonna come, Ikovos?"

He lifted his eyes up to meet mine then shrugged. "I don't know. It's up to you I suppose."

I glanced over to Jaden. As soon as his piercingly wondrous gaze hit me, I started to nod, turning back to Ikovos. "You should come, I think. I mean-" I cleared my throat "-since you already started teaching me before."

He smiled at first . . . but then something fell and his eyes shifted hesitantly to and from Jaden. I tried to catch its meaning. When I looked over to the dark-haired boy he was just staring of detachedly. It made my chest hurt. My eyes darkened. . . .

A loud clap came behind me, one of the other tables.

I shook out my head. God, Evelyn. What the heck is wrong with you today?

I stood up quickly, blinking. Ikovos and Jaden eyed me.

"Do you guys mind if I go back a little bit ahead of you? . . . I just need to do a couple things first."

They looked curious, but didn't object.

"Yeah, sure," said Jaden.

"Go ahead," added Ikovos.

I smiled. "Thanks. . . . I'll see you in just a bit then. . . . And thank you for going with me today."

They both nodded. I turned around too quick to give them a chance to respond.

My hand went up to my chest as I rushed through the now familiar halls. I thought I'd had this under control, but obviously I didn't. It was getting worse.

You just need to clear your head, Evelyn, get back to reality. The idea came welcomingly. I immediately ran with it and spent the walk back trying to think of good method for doing just that. Unfortunately magic training would hardly be helpful . . . hopefully they'd take a while to get here.

By the time I reached the study, I decided all I needed was to find a good book to immerse myself into, an emotional outlet of sorts. Back in Tiver I read story-books constantly . . . this was all probably just some sort of withdrawal.

I checked on Tanis first, he was still asleep, then went over to the shelves to find a book. As I bent down to read names, I noticed a rather large silver one. It reminded me of the silver book Adzamaruha had given me.

"Oh." I reached into my pocket and pulled it out. The cover was smooth leather, emitting a soft glow I hadn't noticed outside.

I touched it delicately, then opened to the first page. No name. No author. No description. The pages were thin, fragile. They also glowed silver.

I turned to the next carefully. This one seemed to begin the actually story itself, though it had no introduction of chapter numbering. Unconsciously, I turned my back against the shelves and sat down. My eyes scanned across the words intently. The script was beautiful, elegant. It spoke first of humans, people, almost as if describing them, only with metaphors and stories rather than any practical or scientific explanations.

Ten pages in I realized I had never read anything like this before. It was so adventurous and emotional, but believable . . . realistic. I could relate so completely to some of the stories, I had seen them play out in life. The names I didn't recognize, of either places or people, still nothing seemed false.

I had no clue whether this was history or fiction.

After going on a while about humans, the Meoden were mentioned, by name no less. This had me pouring through even more avidly. Though I decided straight away that if anything like what was in the last Meoden book I'd read came up I would stop immediately.

Nothing did. It spoke of their cruelties in a detached, inexplicit, manner. Named as evil and nothing more than what it was. Before long another species was mentioned, mysterious and uncommon, but opposite to the Meoden, creatures of light. They were called the Gaeln.

As soon as I read the word something clicked in the back of my mind, an image, light fighting dark, swirling colors. I looked up from the book to the red flame on the table. The painting! The one I'd seen in the room down the hall the other night. . . .

My eyes narrowed. I looked down at the book, then back up.

After carefully marking my spot and tucking the book back in my pocket, I single-mindedly headed for the door.

My heart jumped when I opened it. Jaden was standing there, hand up as if preparing to knock.

"Going somewhere?" he asked.

I was thinking about explaining, until I looked up to his face, it, taken in with the posture and tone . . . I couldn't really remember where it was that I was going.

I fumbled. "I, um . . . no. I mean, yes . . . I was going to see if you were coming soon."

He nodded, a little dubious, but didn't respond. After a while he made a look with his eyes to my arm blocking the doorway. I moved back.

"Oh. Sorry."

He walked by briskly. Ikovos was behind him, but my gaze was still following the former.

"Did we take too long?" asked Ikovos.

I looked back to him quickly. "Wha? Oh . . . no, perfect tim-" I stopped. There was an expression on his face I couldn't pin, gentle but pained, questioning. "What is it?" I asked him, narrowing my eyes.

He looked a bit surprised, like he hadn't planned on me noticing something was up. A moment of silence passed, then he straightened up, glanced back at Jaden, and eyed me. "Why is it that you had to come back early again?"

Now I was the one taken off guard. I swallowed slowly and thought about formulating a good excuse. Only, I didn't really want to lie to Ikovos. . . .

"I just needed some time to clear my head," I said, shrugging, but looking up as if for approval.

He nodded understandingly, and I smiled, relieved. But then he took in a breath and looked down at me hard with his striking, blue eyes. This was intimidating Ikovos, who always managed to take me by surprise. "You know you can talk to me about anything, right?"

My brow darkened.

"You guys just gonna stand by the door all day?"

Our eyes held for a moment longer. Then Ikovos looked forward to Jaden, smiling. "Anyone ever tell you that you have a patience problem?"

He walked by me and my lids closed firmly.

This is getting complicated.

I shut the door wistfully then walked back to the boys as they continued their discussion.