Vallen: The Marking (Vallen series #1)

Chapter 50

Something about James' death had a deep impact on Alaric. For days after he couldn't manage anything but small answers and even looked a bit ill himself. It wasn't a physical illness, thank god, but one of the mind. He spent his days in bed or behind a TV, Eldon and I told him it was fine to take a few days off. We would continue the search on our own. 

Eldon was worried about Alaric, which caused him to overlook more things than to actually help me find them. I found myself rechecking everything he had looked through when he wasn't around. 

"Just go and hang out with Al today," I told him in the morning. We met up every day at the door that led to the girl's tower. "Then you two can both fully help again tomorrow."

Eldon luckily agreed with me and set off to find Alaric and eat breakfast with him. I headed straight for the cafeteria myself and settled into a table in the corner of the room. My popularity had died down over the last few weeks. It wasn't that people suddenly disliked me, but they stopped all grouping together to sit with me for breakfast or lunch. 

I quite liked being by myself for once. I quietly ate my morning cereal while thinking of where I would search today. It was between starting at the history department or rechecking what Eldon and I had looked through in mythology yesterday. I really would have liked to start in a new spot, but I knew I couldn't risk us having overlooked it. Mythology it was. 

Silus plopped down on the chair in front of me. He looked tired, like he hadn't slept at all. He had shaved the sides of his head, but the top was long and braided into a ponytail. He gave me a faint smile.

"Found my gift." He said. I dropped my spoon in my bowl and smiled widely.

"Congrats!" I cheered. Silus had never been as worried as I was about not finding our gifts, though that must have changed after I did find mine. His gift had to be high, something the Vallens knew as a good thing. I, however, had also figured out that the higher the gift, the more pain in the ass it would be. "What is it?"

"Seeing spirits." He said. "After people die they... Stick around for a few more minutes. They seek out people like me, if they can, to relay messages to their loved ones. It's level eight."

The smile fell off my face. He was a messenger for dead people, just like me. 

"You saw James." I whispered. He nodded slowly. He managed to keep it together for a few more seconds before burying his head in his hands, his shoulders shaking in sobs. Vallens really took after humans when they taught their boys not to cry. Just like Alaric, Silus was absolutely not himself anymore after James had passed.

I quietly slid out of my chair and sat down next to him. He had his back to the rest of the cafeteria, so it looked like we were just talking now. Or maybe something more than just friends. I didn't really care. I put my hand on his shoulder.

"It's okay." I said on what I could only hope was a comforting tone. Helping James had made me feel better about his death. I still felt upset at losing a classmate, but nowhere near as upset as I thought I would be. Really, comforting crying people wasn't in my skill level but apparently comforting dying people was.

"I think he wanted-" He hiccuped. "Me to," Another hiccup. "Thank you." He took a deep breath and rubbed his eyes furiously, trying to stop the tears. "It's a bit harder." He hiccuped again. "If they die without being able to talk." Another hiccup. "They can't talk after either."

I smiled and nodded. "Thank you for telling me." I said to Silus. No matter how much he tried to pull it together and stop crying, he simply couldn't. I looked over his shoulder. He had pointed out his brother to me once after Gift Search, it took me a while to find him but when I did I saw that he was already looking in our direction.

I left Silus in the care of his brother, who luckily didn't scold his younger brother for crying in public but rather comforted him with a hug. I thought about him and James all the way into the library. Once I stepped into the mythology department I told myself to not think of it again. I was already down two team members, I needed to keep my wits about me.

I started, again, at the bookshelf near the wall. My eyes first travelled over the books that did have titles printed over their spines. Then I took the empty ones out one by one to see what they were about. 

"Miss Lovell." I put the book I had in my hands back on the shelf and saw Professor Rhys standing in front of me. Actually, he was more cornering me. He was quite a bit taller than me, with black hair he usually kept tied back in a ponytail and a faintly tanned skin. His eyes were dark as he looked down on me. "Lovely day to be in the library."

"I am sure you have seen my grades, it can't hurt me to spend time in here." I answered back. Rhys was absolutely terrifying in class, but that barely had any effect on me. I always knew the answer to his questions, it was one of the few pros of being raised as a human. 

"You got everything right on my exam." He countered, his eyes scanning the books I was just looking through. 

"Which is why I am in the mythology department." I answered. I thought I could see a smile touch his lips, but it quickly disappeared again. He reached inside of his robes and pulled out a small book, no bigger than the palm of my hand. In golden letters it said 'Luminary' on the front. I had never seen it before.

"Do not trust anyone in the castle." He said as he handed me the book. "Wounds can heal quite quickly on Vallens, but the ache of being hit never really goes away." He wanted to turn around and walk away, but I grabbed his wrist before he could.

"Woodville?" I whispered. He easily got his wrist back from me. 

"You keep that book hidden, Eira." He answered.