ShadowSong [Book 1 & 2: Complete] [NaNoWriMo16/17]

Chapter 75 - Kept Out

Performance practice was, as predicted, torture.

Olivia could handle the incessant chatter about yesterday's Riverweed swim. She could even handle Naomi's scathing remarks about it, after all, Naomi hadn't been personally flown to a secret, glowing lake with a Luminary and later kissed him, regardless of the motivation behind it on his end. Not that she could tell Naomi about any of that, but the smirk she returned every single one of Naomi's attempts with was enough to tell Naomi that Olivia had something on her.

The torture came from watching Jason.

He barely touched his violin the entire session. He left it in its case on the table and turned his back to it as much as possible. Even when Olivia mentioned the Starsong music with violin backing, Jason had deflected the request and said he'd prefer to hear both Olivia and Naomi sing it to clarify any interference... whatever that meant.

The moonflower sat on another nearby table in a fancy looking vase. Most of the dirt was gone from its cracks and crevices now, but the missing petal was still a stark reminder of the flower shop's destruction.

Lunch wasn't much better.

She and Jason went to the Starlight Hall to check for any Luminary messages. The whole way, Jason didn't speak a word, nor did he make a movement that wasn't required of him to walk to their destination or acknowledge a greeting.

They reached the Starlight Hall and their communication boxes. Banshee's was empty as Olivia had known it would be, but she still made a show of pretending to look while sneaking a look at Jason. He was still rigid, his shoulders back, his posture nothing short of perfect as he wrote on a piece of paper.

Olivia found her voice. "Hey, Frostsong?" He glanced at her. She swallowed. "Would you mind if I left a note for Cryo asking him to tag along as an escort tomorrow for Ella?"

Jason's eyes went back to the paper before him. "I was planning on asking Ella to postpone the visit to the hospital first, but if that fails, I believe requesting Banshee and Cryo's assistance would be a fair use of their power. I thought we could pay a visit to Ella during this lunch break, given our time is short."

"Can do," said Olivia.

Jason's pen hovered over the paper, his gaze resting on its tip. "Olivia?"

"Sup, Frostsong?"

"Did you tell anyone about your encounter with Adande yesterday until this morning?"

"I mean, I was going to tell Banshee in a note today," said Olivia with a shrug. "And I didn't see much point in worrying you about it."

"What about Cryo? You were with him for a time last night, were you not?"

Olivia shuffled on the spot. "Well... yeah, but I was a little distracted otherwise, I guess. I was gonna mention it afterwards, but he didn't give me much of a chance. He k--carried me home after our swim, dropped me off at the balcony, said goodnight and was gone before I could say thank you."

Jason's face was unreadable as his pen resumed on the paper beneath. "I see. Are there any further details you are yet to share?"

Olivia puffed out her cheeks. "What, you think I purposely forgot that one of the Serpent's jerks singled me out for the second time?"

His eyes flicked to her, something softer in them than before. "No, I don't. I apologise if my tone was too harsh, Shadowheart."

She chewed on the inside of her cheek and glanced away. "It's okay."

Jason concluded his note, then perfectly folded, sealed, and placed it inside the box.

"Let's go speak to Ella."