Page 61 of A Monarch's Fall

The three women stopped their conversation as we entered.

“Guys, this is Persephone,” Kat introduced me, and I cringed at the name.

“Percy, please, call me Percy,” I instructed.

“Rea,” one of the women said, introducing herself and standing up to approach us. She had dark hair tied back in a tight bun. She was older, more like my father’s age, than that of Kat, me or the other women. “The blonde over there is Talia.” The girl waved awkwardly.

“Hi,” she said.

“And I’m Melina,” the other brunette answered.

“Come, sit with us,” Rea instructed.

“I’ve got some paperwork to get through, but I’ll be back for dinner,” Kat said and turned to leave, and I was a little miffed that she was leaving me with strangers before reminding myself that Kat herself was a stranger I had only just met.

I took the space that Rea had been occupying at the end of the couch, and Rea sat on the coffee table in front of us.

“So, Percy, what have you been up to since you got here?” Melina asked, turning her attention to me.

I felt sick, like I used to when I was a child in school at the end of summer breaks, when we had to stand up in class and describe what we had been up to over the break. My throat would feel tight, and I’d forget anything interesting I might have done. I hated being under so much direct attention, especially when a response was required.

“Unconscious for the most part. I only woke up this morning,” I answered.

“Shit, we heard you were injured, but I guess we never thought it was serious,” Rea said, leaning forward, interested.

“What were you doing before you came here?” Talia asked.

“Seriously?” Melina said.

“Sorry,” Talia was quick to apologise, “I didn’t mean to bring up bad memories. I just meant what was life like within the royal House,” she explained.

“How does that make it better?” Melina asked her.

“You know Tal didn’t mean anything by it. I’m sure Percy isn’t offended,” Rea interjected.

And suddenly all eyes were on me.

“Most of my time was spent at Sanguis Academy, and I enjoyed my time there a great deal,” I answered.

“You lived with Selene Borealis there, right?” Melina asked.

I nodded.

“What is she like in person?” Melina asked.

“How is that any better than what I asked?” Talia asked, frustratedly.

“Right, enough,” Rea interjected, “Percy, you don’t have to speak about any of that,” she reassured, probably thinking she was saving me from reliving some terrible trauma that Selene had made me endure. “Why don’t you tell us about where you’re from. What House did you grow up in?”

“I’m from an independent community, technically on House Maria land,” I explained.

“That’s unique,” Talia said encouragingly.

“Yeah, I guess it is,” I agreed. Everyone was always so curious about us, had all their own preformed ideas about us, I was almost used to it from my time at Sanguis Academy. “It’s just home to me.”

“Are there other witches there?” Melina asked.

“We have an enchanter, but they weren’t of Flores,” I explained.