Dereck looks at me with an empty gaze and I try to hide my surprise and look away, tucking hair behind my ear.
“Excuse me, my lady”, he bows politely and gives me the way.
“Thank you, sir”, I squeak and hurry up, but he catches me by my wrist and I turn to look at him in surprise. I am wearing an illusion! He is not supposed to recognize me!
“I am sorry, my lady, do I know you?”, Dereck doesn’t break the eye contact with me and doesn’t let go.
“N-no,” I flinch, “I do not think so.”
“Are you sure?”, he looks tense, “Have you by any chance been to Larinia?”
Larinia… Larinia is our password of sorts. Our physical training coach took us there once for a race. And it was so brutal that for the rest of the year we were making jokes about it and sending each other “to Larinia” on d
