At least we will get answers today.
Today… Well, today she’d get to visit for special reasons…
But for the moment, she didn’t focus on that. Instead, she recanted all the positive things that happened so far to motivate her. Before the Elders locked the Silvers down, she had wandered back into the city proper with Loral, who apparently enjoyed the art of blacksmithing. And just within the last week, she accidentally broke a part of her dresser. The drawer had been stuck, and after giving it a strongyank, the entire drawer’s face broke off, the strength of a shifter finally making its appearance. Her Icelandic also drastically improved. She could carry a basic conversation and was learning past tense. The other Silvers joined in with her lessons, and Nia made it a rule that they always spoke in Icelandic when it wasn’t urgent.
Even if today ended on a sour note, based on who they were visiting, at least everything else was progressing. She looked at Oliver’s jacket that rested on a corner chair of her room as she sat up in her bed that morning. The jacket was mostly complete with some seams and buttons that needed adding.
She hoped he'd like it. She was desperate to see the boy.
Standing up, she began her morning stretch, wincing when she irritated the raw flesh at the nape of her neck. She grabbed a hand mirror on the dresser. Turning around, she held it up the so she could look at her back to see how the tattoo was healing.
As was tradition for shifter culture, the Silvers got their first tattoo three days ago, an entire month-and-a-half since they transformed. The angry skin healed quickly, revealing black ink mixing with silver in a shiny, metallic design.
The first of its kind.
The tattoo began at the nape and ended in-between her shoulder blades. It was a beautiful, intricate design of the Tree of Æris, surrounded by a circle of complex line work.
She was eager for Ronan’s opinion whenever she’d see him next. Rem was excited to hear about everything that happened in Warden while she was gone, and more importantly, who had been taking care of Oliver.
The only information that trickled her way was when a heralding wolf came to Scarlet to inform of Ronan’s arrival back at Warden… The Callons caught Suna’s scent and attempted to flee. Only Owen escaped, while Jackson had been caught alongside Gally.
Gods,how Rem couldn’t wait to see Jackson, to rub all of this in his face. A darkened part of her heart almost wished that Fiona hadn’t perished so quickly, so the Elder Witch could witness Rem’s progress and everyone else’s failure.
She put the mirror down and placed a pelt over her shoulders, releasing her darker thoughts.
Walking to her bedroom door and opening it with acreak,she saw Nia waiting for her on the landing in front of the stairs.
They were going to the Warden Residence of Scarlet today, as Deacon had been bound in silver chains within their dungeons. Rem also wanted to ask Ronan’s mother about Lothar and to see if he was really at Warden.
Surely, he had to be…
Rem had known that Deacon was contained in their dungeons for an entire month, but it wasn’t until a day earlier that the Elders allowed the Silvers to wander back to their liege residences.
It was time to visit Deacon and askwhythey used her, see if she could understand their motive, or why Fiona chose death rather than to explain herself.
Rem walked down the elegant staircase, spotting the curly silver hair of Mavis in a doorway at the bottom.
"You look nice," Mavis said, leaning against the frame.
Rem furrowed her brows, pulling her hand off the railing as she neared the bottom.
"Well, thank you, I suppose.”
Rem skeptically narrowed her gaze on Mavis as if it might help her understand the Silver better. Mavis’s ability and willingness to feign emotions, like that of a child crying for more sweets, was concerning.
"It will work well," Mavis said, looking Rem up and down.
"What does that even mean?" Rem asked, stepping onto the tile floor.
"It doesn't matter. Enjoy the fresh air," Mavis said with a smirk, turning around and walking away.
Nia leaned in and said, "She's an odd person—I mean, shifter, if wemustaccept her.”
Rem held back a giggle and followed Nia out the door, eyeing her braids which were bound together rather than dangling freely.
“She’s definitely hard to read. Although, I’ve gotten used to it by now,” Rem replied, walking out into the sun. “Most of us just ignore her. Might be easier once we are all in different lands.”
“All I know is that I can’twaitto be back with my kin. I am tired of this place. It feels more foreign the longer I am here, especially with shifters like Mavis around.”
