How influential was the charm? How much of Dimitri, and the other love interests’, affection was sincere and how much was the result of the charm?
Tori shifted uncomfortably at Dimitri’s words. She couldn’t rule out the chance that without the charm, one of the love interests could have sincerely fallen in love with Alessa. Dimitri was around Alessa before Montan gave her the charm, after all. It wouldn’t be the first time a teenager fell in love fast.
Her stomach twisted and she felt more pity for Dimitri now than she did after finding out about his breakdown and seeing him listless in bed. He sounded just like many people she knew in her original world whose romantic relationship left them with a broken heart.
“When you return to Lycée, your contact with her will be limited as you will be in a different homeroom class, but I suggest continuing to distance yourself from her if you feel that being around her clouds your judgment and hurts you,” Tori told him in a calm voice. “That is not to say that you can’t give a passing greeting or answer her when she speaks to you, but if thinking of her brings you discomfort, then it’s best to avoid her as it may aggravate you further.”
Dimitri took a deep breath and nodded. “That is something I’ve considered.”
Tori let out a heavy sigh and lifted her arm. She patted him on the shoulder and offered him a sympathetic smile. “You can only do what you can. Don’t feel bad about distancing yourself.”
They turned around and walked back to the townhouse. Tori gave the knights a signal and they called Mr. Novak. SIG One was waiting at the curb by the time that they reached the front of the townhouse. Dimitri stood on the sidewalk, politely waiting for Tori to enter as one of the knights opened the door for her to climb in.
Before they closed it, Dimitri stepped forward. “Guevera.” She sat down on the seat bench and raised a brow as she looked towards him, silently asking what he wanted. “My mother will be replacing my comcry this week.”
“Replacing? What happened to your old one?” Tori frowned.
“It broke.” He didn’t continue to explain how. He stood up straight and met her gaze. “Will you register your comcry with mine?”
“Yes, it’ll be good to stay connected while you’re recovering. If you have any questions or want to talk, I should be reachable. However, for a few days, I’ll be on a boat, so communication will be difficult during that time,” Tori told him.
Dimitri nodded. “Then, the next time you come; you can register your contact information. As you said, having someone to speak to is beneficial.”
Tori didn’t notice the narrowed eyes of the knights looking at Dimitri. Sir Lloyd suddenly swung the door closed and stepped in front of it. “Young Mr. Guthry, our lady needs to return to Lycée. She still has class tomorrow.”
Dimitri leaned to the side to look at Tori, only to have Sir Lloyd lean in the same direction to block his view.
“You should go inside now, Young Mr. Guthry,” Sir Granger said. “It’s getting late.” His voice was lower than usual, and he was frowning. Dimitri gave a nod towards the carriage and walked back to the door.
As soon as he was inside, the knights got on their horses and the carriage jerked forward.
She was dropped off at the front of Lycée, thanked the knights and her driver, and headed back to her dorm. She passed the auditorium where Ilyana was giving her review, and craned her neck to look inside the open door. As usual, it was packed full. She could see Ilyana at the front of the auditorium, walking in front of a large chalkboard as she explained what appeared to be a class on Soleil governance.
Satisfied that everything was going well, Tori headed to their dorm room to continue to study. At the end of the week, she did her last visit to the Guthry residence before she left for Presidio. Madam Guthry understood that she wanted to stay on campus for final exams.
Dimitri was quick to hold out his comcry and Tori registered it with hers, informing him of the dates she would be on a ship and unable to answer.
“Please remember to stick to the diet Dr. Mondelli approved and to continue your walks.” Tori didn’t know when she became the mom-friend to Dimitri, but her sentence just now made her think it.
“I will remember. Mother and Lucille are making sure I continue with the regimen you have prepared for me,” Dimitri said as they reached the exit of the park after his walk.
“Good. Don’t concern yourself with your project for the time being. We’ll work on it when I get back.” Tori looked up and down the street before crossing to get to the townhouse. There wasn’t much carriage traffic, but the knights escorting them still rushed forward to hold back any oncoming carriages so Dimitri could take his time walking across.
Tori paced herself beside Dimitri, instinctively offering her arm to help him down and on to the curbs, as if he were a little old lady. Dimitri looked at her arm for a moment before he raised his hand to hold on to her.
“Young Mr. Guthry, I can assist you if you need help. The Countess may not be able to hold your weight if you fall.” Sir Dassler, the most recent addition to Piers’ escort knight entourage seemed to sweep to Dimitri’s side and grasped his elbow and braced his back.
Dimitri jerked his head back, his eyes wide as he was suddenly led across the street by the knight. Sir Dassler didn’t release Dimitri until they got to the entryway of the townhouse. The knight bowed, leaving the confused and flustered young man standing in front of his door.
“I’ve already greeted your mother, but I need to get back, as I need to continue my reviews for final exams,” Tori said. “Do you have any questions before I leave?”
Dimitri took a deep breath as he stood a few steps above her. Tori had remained on the walkway with her carriage waiting for her just a few paces away.
“No,” Dimitri replied.
“Great! I’ll see you when I get back. Eat and rest well.” Tori turned around and made it two steps before she heard shuffling behind her.
“Guevera!” Dimitri sounded out of breath as he dashed in front of her. Tori stopped where she was and drew her head back, giving him a quizzical look. His face twisted with difficulty, and he took another deep breath. His hands clenched at his sides, and he grit his teeth. “Thank you.”
Wow, that is a lot of effort to show your gratitude. No need to be thankful all at once... Tori pulled her lips into a line as her eyes dulled. “No need.”
He shook his head. “There is a need. I know you came because of my mother, but I would be remiss not to address my improvements because you came. I didn’t understand why my mother liked you, but the reason is quite clear to me now. I am grateful for your help, Guevera.”
Tori gave him a small nod. “There is a saying from an obscure book - you can lead a horse to water, but you can’t make him drink. I can try to help you all I want, but if you don't want to recover, there is not much I can do. Your recovery is in part due to your own will to do so and you should give yourself credit.”
Dimitri lowered his head and shut his eyes. He bit his lips to try to collect himself before lifting his gaze. “I’m sorry.”
She scrunched her face. “For what? You’re really trying-”
“No.” His firm determined voice cut her off. His eyes were intense as he looked at her. “I’m sorry for trying to put the blame for the ceiling collapse on you.” Her brows shot up and he continued. “I’m sorry for trying to contradict you, for always finding fault-”
“Okay-”
“For arguing with you when you only tried to help me-”
“I see-”
“For believing you bought your way into Lycée-”
“I get it!” Tori raised her arms to stop him. “Just forget about that and concentrate on your health.”
Dimitri let out a low scoff and shook his head. “How can I forget? I saw you as someone who would constantly oppose me, up to the point where you came to my bedside to make me eat. You are right to have animosity towards me. I have not been acting as a proper schoolmate.”
Tori inhaled and tilted her head up. “Even if you apologize, I am not required to forgive you.”
“And I don’t ask for it,” Dimitri told her as he lifted his chin. “I know I was rude and ignorant towards you, and I don’t expect you to forgive me. I only want to make it clear that I am sorry for my past actions, and they won’t happen again.”
Tori raised a brow with disbelief. “Are you sure? Even if Baroness Hart is involved?”
He nodded. “I have already planned to distance myself from the Baroness.”
She stared at him for a few seconds. He seemed determined and she wondered if he made the connection between his questionable life choices and Alessa. Whether or not Alessa had an influential charm, plenty of people went back to their exes in her original world, so there was always a chance Dimitri would drift back into Alessa’s orbit.
Tori’s hard work trying to get him to recover and ween him away from Alessa’s influence would be for naught. She stepped around Dimitri and held up her hand to stop him from following. “Wait a moment.”
She marched towards her carriage. Mr. Novak quickly stepped forward to open the door for her. Rather than climbing in, Tori reached inside and grabbed a wooden case. She stood outside the door and opened it on the floor of the carriage. Two small clicks were heard as the case lid was lifted and Tori moved her hand over the rows of raw crystals in velvet, padded compartments.
She snatched a nearly clear crystal with swirls of aqua, purple, and pink, with some deep purple tint on one end, then closed the case, shoved it back, and turned around.
As she stood in front of Dimitri, she held up the crystal between two fingers. “This is a virgin rainbow fluorite from Gorask. It is naturally charged and will help you regulate any stressful energy, as well as help you focus by strengthening and clearing your mind. I don’t have any as a pendant or charm, so just keep this in your pocket close to you.”
This particular crystal also negated the influence of low level to moderate charms, of which Montan’s charm counted. If by some chance, which was likely if Tori were honest, Alessa crossed paths with Dimitri before Lycée started and Alessa’s charm was negated, then this crystal would keep Dimitri safe.
Fragile states of mind were much more susceptible than stable ones.
Dimitri looked at the charm in her hands and bowed his head without a word. “Thank you, Countess Guevera.”
“Don’t get too formal. It’s unnerving. Just take the crystal and always keep it with you. Think of it as a safety talisman. Ask your mother or Miss Lucille to make a pouch you can wear around your neck for it. That’ll probably be the most convenient way to keep it with you.” She grasped his hand and put the crystal in his palm, then curled his fingers over it. “Keep up your hard work, Guthry.”
She turned around, climbed into her carriage, and left.
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Early summer and already the delta was hot. There was some humidity in the air as the group stood on the dock of the embarkation island, preparing to leave. They had left Horizon the day before as soon as they found out their final scores and ranks.
Ilyana, as expected, clinched the top spot. Tori was once more ranked third while the others hovered within the top twenty, except for Sonia, who had at least made it into the top thirty this time. Everyone was satisfied with their ranks.
“I thought the ship was huge,” Sonia said as she squinted and looked at the ship in front of them. “This looks to be about the same size as the ship Constantine left in.”
“Is there really enough room for horses?” JP frowned and looked at the body of the ship with a hint of worry.
Ciel Noir and Nuage were going on the trip with them with the promises of running around Presidio. Sur had a long history of horses and equestrians, and Sonia wanted to try racing a southern horse against Ciel Noir. The two white horses had been taken to Sur Bronce at dawn, but looking at the ship, Tori could understand why her friends were concerned.
“This isn’t Sur Bronce,” Tori said. “This is one of our messenger and small transport ships. It will take us out of the lagoon and out into the ocean, where Sur Bronce is anchored.”
Ilyana cocked her head to the side and looked at Tori, who held a leash leading to Alexander. “Why didn’t Sur Bronce come in? Is it just too shallow here?”
Tori’s lips pursed into the line. “Yeah...Sur Bronce is large and would be difficult to maneuver here.”
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“Makes sense,” Ewan said. He carried a large duffel bag filled with snacks they had prepared for the trip. While there was a kitchen and cooks on board the ship, it wasn’t convenient for them to wander down and ask for snacks outside of the designated mealtimes.
Tori had a portable kitchen sent the day before and Instructor Ignatius had gone with it to make sure it was probably put together and strapped down. No matter how large a ship, it was still at the mercy of the sea’s movement.
“All right, let’s get on board!” Tori stood to the side and waved her arms, directing her friends up the walkway onto the ship.
Piers and Axton walked on board and looked around. The ship was bought, used, and brought all the way from King’s Harbor for the purpose of bringing things from the embarkation island to any ships outside the lagoon. Or rather, a bay now that construction had altered parts of it. This included any supplies that a ship may need or ferrying people for short forays into the delta.
Once everyone was on board and accounted for, Tori had them set sail and went to sit on a bench by the side to watch her refugee camp turn village melt into the horizon. The salty breeze was nice against her skin, especially in the heat of the early summer.
She reached up and checked the strap of her straw hat to make sure it was secure, and her hat wouldn’t fly off in the wind. She looked at Alexander on the bench beside her and muffled a laugh. Her gray cat’s eyes were squinted as his long fur looked as if it were being blown to the back with a hair dryer.
“Do you want to go inside?”
“Nyaow.” Alexander didn’t move from his spot. He looked almost determined with his squinted eyes and firm stance.
“I told you to braid your hair because of the wind,” Tori heard Sonia say behind her. She looked over her shoulder and saw Ilyana trying to tie her hair back, but it was flying all over her face and she couldn’t seem to grasp it all at once. Sonia’s blonde hair was in the usual French braid she wore when she was riding in competition.
“I didn’t think it would be this bad!”
“You’ve been on a ship before,” JP said. Ilyana tried to glare at him, but instead winced as her loose hair got in her mouth.
Sonia sighed and ushered Ilyana towards the lower deck. “Come on. Let's tie it up below deck where the wind can’t get it.”
“I think we’re going faster than when we went whale watching,” Ewan said as he looked around.
“This ship is faster than the whale watching boat,” Tori said. “It’s one of my cousin’s old ships and it was designed for speed.”
“Is speed important to you?” Piers asked as he stood to the side.
“Wouldn’t it depend on what she wants?” Axton asked. He leaned over the railing to look down at the water. “In some cases, larger is better, isn’t it? Like Sur Bronce.”
“Sur Bronce is slower and heavier. Wouldn’t that delay travel? It would be good if the ship were quick.”
“Size is still important.”
“Larger isn’t always better.”
“Tori.” Axton looked back at her. “Does size matter to you?”
She remained rooted on the bench with as neutral an expression as she could have on her face. She drew in her lips and bit them for a moment to keep herself from saying something unnecessary as the two men looked at her with serious expressions.
“Size isn’t too important as long as it is not obscene one way or the other.” Don’t laugh, Tori. You are a grown woman. “You know what they say....” Don’t. Don’t. “It’s the motion of the ocean.” Goddammit.
Axton’s brows rose and Piers furrowed his, appearing to think. “I see...so you’d prefer something average in size, but will allow for a smooth journey on the open ocean.”
She clenched her jaw. “It doesn’t hurt to be a little bigger than average....”
Piers nodded, as if enlightened. “I will take note.”
For what reason are you taking note? Tori squinted and shook her head. “When we get there, Instructor Ignatius should’ve already checked to make sure our cabins are prepared. Our things should have been brought over. Keep in mind that it’s a massive ship, so take care not to get lost.”
Henrik snorted with crossed arms. “How big can it be?”
It wasn’t until they exited the bay, sailing between the two signal houses on either side, that Henrik swallowed his words. Ewan’s jaw dropped as he walked towards the starboard bow as the massive ship came into view. The closer they got, the larger it became.
Axton squinted. “That’s a ship?”
“Sur Bronce was built with sailing technology from eastern trading partners combined with old crystal technology that uses crystals as batteries, as they can’t ground properly,” Tori said. “No other ship in Soleil is as large as Sur Bronce. Gramps liked to brag that it’s a small city in the ocean.”
Piers nodded. “I see...you like this ship?”
“It has a lot of room and I think that’s more comfortable than being confined in tight quarters.”
Piers nodded once. “Then, size does matter.”
The ship was painted a brown color with gold trim and the crest of the Guevera Marquis was proudly displayed on the hull.
Ewan grinned and slapped JP”s shoulder. “Is that enough room for Nuage?”
JP nodded his head slowly. Their current ship was dwarfed, but to Tori, Sur Bronce was still a good deal smaller than the cruise ships in her original world.
“How fast can it go?” Ilyana asked, now with her hair firmly in a braid.
“Not very fast. It’s designed for transport and doesn’t go too far from the coast. Still, it will get us to Tres Arcos fast enough. There is a private port that our and other marquis ships dock at,” Tori said. It was the same one she’d docked at on her trip back from King’s Harbor when she was on Andy’s ship.
“How are we going to get on? Do we have to climb a ladder?” Sonia tilted her head up as their boat fell in the shadow of Sur Bronce.
“There’s a lower-level entrance.” Tori pointed to an open space below deck that was closer to the waterline. They’d still have to walk up a gangway, but it was less steep.
“There’s Instructor Ignatius.” Ewan pointed to the lower-level entrance. There was no gate to hold anyone back, but along with some sailors, Instructor Ignatius was standing by the opening. Upon noticing that they were looking up at him, he extended his arm and waved.
Tori frowned. “He really shouldn’t be so careless-Instructor!” Her eyes went wide as she shot to her feet.
Instructor Ignatius lost his footing and slipped. His arms flailed into the air as his cry filled the air. A sailor managed to grab his arm and pull him back before the second sailor grabbed his shirt and hauled him inside. The pale-faced former instructor looked shaken as he stumbled back. It looked as if one of the sailors was telling him to go further inside for his own safety.
Tori and the others let out heavy breaths of relief as Axton squinted. “I expected that.”
The ship they were on bobbed adjacent to Sur Bronce and as Tori gathered Alexander in her arms. The sailors on each ship shouted at each other as the sailors on Sur Bronce began to let down a wooden walkway. It was rather wide and when the walkway was secured, rope was tossed down to make a ‘railing’ on either side of the walkway.
“Your Highness, Your Grace, my lady, the ramp is ready for you.” The captain of the ship bowed his head towards them, and Tori gave him a nod.
“I’ll see you when we get back, Captain.” Tori led the group towards the walkway and carefully walked up to the Sur Bronce. A sailor offered her arm to Tori as she neared the ship and Tori took it.
Alexander was placed on the wooden floor, and he seemed to peek outside before trotting back in.
“My lady, there is a cat on board that hunts pests. Please be cautious about where Master Alexander goes. Ruby isn’t used to other cats,” the sailor told her. Tori nodded. She kept a firm hold on Alexander’s leash.
“Thank you for the warning.” Tori looked around and saw Instructor Ignatius sitting on a bench against the wall. The inside of the ship was well lit with light crystals. Instructor Ignatius looked pale as he slumped forward. She tried not to grin. “Instructor, are you all right?”
“I should’ve stayed back like they told me,” Instructor Ignatius let out a wheeze. “I think I lost some years off my life....” He paused and gave her a beseeching look. “Don’t tell Kasen.”
“Dassler!” Sir Dobchek yelled out the entryway at the last knight who was escorting them. “Hurry up!”
Beside him, Sir Atienza sighed. “What is he doing chatting with the captain?”
“Captain Dassler is his father,” Piers said. The knights looked surprised. “Captain Dassler was a sailor with the Anlar Fleet in his youth. He moved his family here when Sir Dassler was a child.”
Axton raised a brow and looked at him curiously. “You know that?”
“I read through all of my knights’ background checks before I agreed to the assignment,” Piers told him.
“Then, you know about all thirty-six of your escort knights?” Ewan asked with wide eyes.
Piers nodded once. “They must pass a rigorous check.”
“What about after they become your knights?” Sonia asked.
Tori watched all the knights who were escorting Piers turn to him. Piers didn’t answer immediately. “I know enough.” He walked past the group and asked Instructor Ignatius to show him to his cabin.
Axton furrowed his brows and looked at Tori as the sailors closed the gate and doors behind them. “I knew he knows about me, but does he really know about the other knights?”
Tori picked up Alexander. “Not just his. Piers keeps track of all first-tier knights.” She slung her cat over her shoulder and looked towards the dozen imperial knights who had joined them. “By the way, Sir Lloyd, congratulations on the new girlfriend. Let me know if you want to take her to Viclya.”
A sharp breath was taken in by Sir Lloyd as his face reddened. Several knights looked at him and then paled. If Piers knew about Sir Lloyd’s personal life, did he know about the personal lives of the rest of them?
Tori let out a hum as she headed towards the stairs with her friends.
“Isn’t Sir Lloyd the one who likes to watch Alexander?” Ilyana asked in a low whisper.
“He often talks to Alexander and doesn’t notice when Piers is nearby, so Piers hears a lot,” Tori replied.
JP raised a brow. “And he tells you?”
Tori smirked as she looked ahead. “He tells me a lot.” Piers is surprisingly gossipy when it comes to his knights. It’s like they don’t think he can hear them, so they just talk about personal things unrestrained.
They caught up with Instructor Ignatius, who took them to their cabins. Everyone was in pairs, except for the trio of high nobility and a prince. Their cabins were across from each other. Tori got to stay in the cabin that was set aside for the current Marquis Guevera.
It was the largest and most luxurious private cabin on the ship, though ‘luxurious’ was still rather crude compared to the rooms at the imperial palace. It had an antechamber, a parlor, a bedroom with a large four poster bed, a private bathing area, changing room, and behind a changing screen was litter for Alexander. His food and water bowls were kept in the parlor, which had a cooling box where his pre-prepared food was kept.
Hanging over the parlor was a framed picture of her immediate family. It was several years old, as the Victoria in the painting was still a little girl and her brothers were teenagers. When her friends came in to see her cabin, they studied the portrait seriously.
“It’s strange to see your brothers that young,” Henrik said. “How old were they here?”
“Master was likely eighteen at this time,” Piers said from where he sat on one of the plush chairs. “He was already a sword master then and was instructing me.”
Ewan looked at the portrait with awe. “A sword master at eighteen....”
“Lord Kasen really looks like Marquis Guevera when he was young. Tori, do you look like Auntie Lucia when she was young?” Ilyana asked as she looked over. Tori was kneeling by Alexander’s food bowl and putting some food in it.
“Not really. Similar features with the hair and eyes, but our facial structure is different. Grandpa Sophos says my face shape comes from his family,” Tori replied. “Auntie Lucia and Uncle Lorenzo used to look identical when they were children, apparently, but their features changed as they grew.”
“Who’s older?” Sonia asked.
“Auntie Lucia by a few minutes.”
“Auntie Lucia’s a twin?” Sonia blinked and looked at her brother, who looked at her. Tori nodded.
She stood up and put the remaining cat food away. “Let’s rest for a bit before we explore the ship.”
“No rush. We have plenty of time,” JP said as he reclined against a chair. “Where is our first stop?”
“Karap.”
“Karap?” Albert sat up straight. “Will we get to go ashore?”
“No, we’re only stopping for additional fresh supplies, but we’re not leaving the boat,” Tori told them. Her friends looked disappointed.
“That’s a shame. I want to see where Constantine is studying. It’s an old monastery, isn’t it?” Ilyana asked.
“Even if we go, he’s cloistered, so we can’t see him,” Henrik reminded her. “We don’t have a way of letting him know we’re coming, either.”
“One more year,” Albert said, slapping his thighs with determination. “He promised to invite us when he finishes seminary and will show us around.”
“I still wish we could see him now, since we’ll be close by. I know he wanted to go to the seminary, but it seems a bit confining to be cloistered,” Ilyana replied. “Even if you are kept busy and are passionate about theology, being trapped in a single building can be maddening. I don’t even like staying indoors for a winter in Gorask.”
Tori looked out the window of the parlor and narrowed her eyes. “Maybe we can send him a message that we passed by and thought of him?”
“I’m sure he’d like that,” Sonia said with a nod. “But, how? Can we send a message to the monastery? Is he allowed to get messages?”
Tori pursed her lips. “Maybe not a message...but what if we made a sign?”
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“Do you think this is too much?” Tori asked as she watched the small boats loaded with fireworks row away from Sur Bronce. Beside her, her friends wore excited looks on their faces as the sunset in the distance.
“If the majority of the fireworks weren’t promised for your brother’s wedding, a few more wouldn’t hurt,” Henrik said. “I’m worried that by the time the fireworks are used up, he’ll just notice. After all, we don’t know where his cell is.”
“If it’s deep in the heart of the monastery, there’s a chance he won’t hear them at all,” Axton told them.
Despite the risk that their use of fireworks would be for naught, the group still unanimously agreed to set off one boat of fireworks every two minutes. There were three boats total and Tori hoped that within those two-minute breaks, Constantine would be made aware and see.
He should recognize the display and know it was from them, at least she and everyone else hoped.
“I asked, and that’s the monastery where the seminary is,” Axton said, pointing to a large, stout stone building perched on the cliffside. “So as long as he looks towards the sea, he should see them clearly.”
“Maybe he’ll see the ship,” Ilyana said as she clapped her hands together.
“It’s kind of hard to miss Sur Bronce,” Sonia nodded. “But it will be dark.”
“There are lights on the ship,” Henrik replied. “I’m sure it’s noticeable.”
It wasn’t as bright as a cruise ship, but it was still very well lit. The deck was illuminated and there were tables and chairs set up so they could eat their dinner outside. To one side of the ship was Karap and once the sunset came and it was dark, its old streets and buildings would light up just enough for a nice glow over the seaside town.
Dotted along the waterfront were various vessels and further out, there were larger ships anchored for the night.
Ilyana tugged Tori’s arm and led her to the long table where they would eat dinner. Tonight’s dinner was fresh lamb brought in from Karap, at Tori’s request. She was very close to asking for food to be catered from the restaurant she’d eaten last time, but the cooks onboard the ship assured her they could make it the way she wanted.
“How is it?” Ilyana asked. “Authentic?”
“Yes, but not as tender. Still, the seasoning tastes the same,” Tori said with a nod of her head. For eating on a ship, it was well beyond acceptable. She opened her mouth to speak when the first set of fireworks lit up the sky.
Luckily, Piers was already wearing his crystal earbuds and upon the first explosion, he lifted his hand to touch the crystal and increase the noise muffling level. He was calm about it and Tori touched his arm to make sure he was comfortable.
The table stopped eating and looked at the fireworks before turning towards the seminary on the cliff. It wasn't extravagantly lit up like the monastery further up the hill. Aside from a few lit windows, it blended into the darkness.
Ewan sighed. “How do we know if he’ll see it?”
“We don’t. We just have to hope he does,” Henrik replied.
The first set of fireworks died down and Tori silently counted for two minutes. When the explosions rang once more, she squinted back at the monastery. Unless Constantine had a telescope, he wouldn’t be able to see them on the deck from that distance.
The second set of fireworks completed, and Tori began to count once more.
“Hey...hey, there’s something hanging on that window!” Albert stood up from his chair and rushed to the side of the boat closest to the seminary. The rest of them joined him, crowding close to follow where Albert was pointing. Tori didn’t notice it at first, but there was one window on the third or fourth floor that was brightly lit and in the light, she could see something waving below the windowsill.
“Is that a shirt? A towel?” JP squinted.
“Tori.” She was leaning forward against the railing when Piers tapped her shoulder. She turned around and saw him offering her a telescope. She didn’t ask where he got it. She grabbed it and extended it, peering through and trying to focus on the wall of the seminary.
“What is it? Do you see it?” Albert asked.
Tori’s mouth dropped and she let out a laugh. She held out the telescope to Sonia, who was next to her.
Sonia peered through and she screamed. “That’s the quilt I made him! That’s his room! That’s Constantine!”
They jumped up and down and waved their arms. Tori knew their voices couldn't be heard as the last set of fireworks exploded behind them, but that didn’t stop them from screaming everything from Constantine’s name to silly greetings and promises to visit when he finished.
Tori tilted her head back and laughed, happy knowing that somewhere in that stone building, in a small cell, was their friend holding a light crystal and waving his quilt out the window to do the simple act of saying ‘hi’ back.