Page 78 of The Last Remaining Light

She swallowed the lump in her throat that had begun to form before continuing.

The harmonic symposiums have become increasingly contentious lately. I seem to spend half my time arguing with scholars twice my age and the other half being assigned additional reading as punishment for doing so. Apparently demonstrating resonance corrections publicly is “disruptive conduct.”

A small smile threatened to emerge at the corner of her mouth before, just as quickly, it faded again. Beneath the humor sat another truth she couldn't ignore. Master Vaelor had continued to attend every symposium since the execution. Every. Single. One. And he now seemed to watch her with deliberate interest.

At first, she thought paranoia had toyed with her imagination after the events in the square. But no. His patterns had become impossible for her to ignore. He questioned her directly during assemblies and requested her presence during restricted harmonic reviews. He assigned increasingly obscure archival records involving starway destabilization and resonance anomalies.

And the most notable pattern she recognized was his intense focus on her whenever she spoke about aethercurrent disturbances.

Earlier that evening, he had stopped her while the symposium chamber emptied of scholars around them.

“You perceive harmonic changes unusually quick,” he had observed in his calm tone while peering down his nose at her.

The statement alone had brought unease to constrict beneath her ribs.

Elowynn kept her expression neutral when she answered.

“I study them extensively.”

“Yes.” His silver eyes had remained steady on hers. “I imagine you do.”

Something about the exchange still lingered unpleasantly beneath her skin. She had begun to feel like she was standing too close to thin ice, and one of these suns, she would take a step and the ice would crack beneath her, before she fell into the icy water below.

A soft knock pulled her from the memory.

Before she could answer, Lora pushed through the—apparently unlocked—door carrying an entire bottle of wine and the expression of someone moments away from filing formal complaints against existence. She was dressed in simple evening robes that tied at her waist and were the deepest crimson Elowynn had ever seen.

“Elowynn,” she announced rather dramatically. She kicked the door closed behind her with one foot. “If I am forced to attend one more debate regarding resonance ethics, I may commit violence.”

Elowynn blinked once. “Hello to you as well. What time is it?” she squinted toward the resonance clock along her mantle.

Almost the ninth evening bell. Stars! Where had the time gone?

Lora dropped heavily into the chair opposite her desk, ignoring the question. “Do you know what I listened to for nearly three bells tonight?”

Elowynn was grateful for Lora’s distraction. Lately, she had found herself drowning in her own head and memories, and Lora was well adept at pulling her from them even without meaning to.

“I suspect you are about to tell me regardless,” Elowynn said, smirking.

“Two senior scholars arguing over whether unstable astrylite containment qualifies as ‘morally ambitious’ or ‘ethically irresponsible,’” she said these with a low, mocking tone.

Elowynn’s expression fell flat.

Lora pointed at her emphatically. “Exactly.”

Laughter escaped Elowynn before she could stop it.

A grin spread across Lora’s face triumphantly. “Much better.”

Whatever joy had briefly surfaced disappeared at once. Elowynn fixed her with a suspicious look, glaring.

“This was a ploy. The wine. The story. Did any of that actually happen?”

Lora sighed and eased back in her chair. “Yes, it did, actually. But you’ve been doing it again, Elowynn. I was trying to help.”

“Doing what? Help with what?”

Lora waved her hand energetically toward Elowynn’s face. “That thing where you vanish into your own head while still remaining in the room.”