I tried to discreetly turn just enough to look back down the hallway.
As the werewolf undid the locks and magic on the door for me, Gisila pushed off the wall, waved to me, and strolled in the opposite direction.
Well. I really didn’t like that.
“Good luck,” the burly werewolf said, redirecting my attention back to him.
My awkwardness returned without my fighting instincts breathing down my neck, so I rubbed my hands together and didn’t know what to say. “Um… thanks.”
Focus. This is probably my last shot at Orrin. I can’t waste it.
I took a deep breath, then slipped into Orrin’s room.
At first glance, everything was the same. Same cot pressed against the wall with the meticulously folded blankets, same coffee pot, same boxy end table with an empty food tray on it—though this time there was a used coffee filter left on the plate, too, and the same single chair.
Orrin was seated in the single chair but Orrin, however, was not the same.
He was still seated with his perfect posture, still holding a steaming cup. But… there was something peaceful about him—like a quiet church—that he radiated. He seemed… shiny, for lack of a better word.
Is he happy he’s getting shipped out because he thinks Gisila will save him?
Orrin looked up at me. Technically, he was expressionless, but there was something about his smooth forehead and slow movements that lacked the usual calculated edge and instead oozed serenity.
As I gaped at him, Orrin raised his paper to-go cup and took a delicate sip, and I finally realized his usual hot water was a pale amber color.
My nose kicked in, and I recognized the faint scent of lavender—he’d made some of the lavender tea I’d gotten him from Queen’s Court Café. He’d probably used the coffee filter to filter it.
His aura of peace had me wondering if the barista had unknowingly sold me charmed tea, but the werewolf guard had sniffed it and said it was fine…
Orrin cradled his cup and eyed me.
“Hi.” I awkwardly held my hand up, then yanked it back down and glued it to my side. “I see you’re trying the tea. Is it good?”
“All tea is to be appreciated, no matter the quality,” Orrin said.
Hidden behind my mask, my forehead puckered as I tried to figure out what he was getting at. “Does that mean it’s bad and I overpaid?”
“It means all tea is good. Unless it’s poisoned or charmed,” Orrin said.
“Ah. Okay.” I stood there for a second, caught off-guard by the whole thing. “I’m glad you’re enjoying it.”
There had been a part of me that assumed he’d just throw it out, even in my most optimistic thoughts I’d never guessed he’d be so happy to just drink tea.
Yeah, I should ask Grove for help in understanding fae more. None of my training classes ever covered this.
“You have questions for me today?” Orrin prompted.
“Yeah.” I flexed my hands in my gloves to ground myself as I tried to get my thoughts in order. “You heard you’re probably going to Ghast Prison for a bit?”
Orrin nodded, maintaining his serene zen. “Indeed.”
“You’re okay with that?”
Orrin shrugged. “I knew if I was caught there would be consequences for what I did.”
Huh. Okay…
I wasn’t surprised Ghast didn’t seem to bother him—it would probably be on par with this windowless room, since his crime was relatively small for Ghast.
Still, I’d been hoping for some kind of reaction—anything that would give me a hint at how deep this mess went.
“Going to Ghast is a bit over the top considering you did damage to public property, when Ghast is for the worst supernatural criminals,” I said.
“It has been twenty-nine days since I was arrested,” Orrin said. “Eventually the werewolves were bound to tire of me.”
A dig at werewolves seemed very in character for him and still not a reaction. Was there anything I could say to throw him off?
“I saw Gisila outside,” I blurted out.
Orrin jolted, jumping so hard he sloshed the tea in his cup.
I stared at Orrin, wide-eyed.
Orrin stared back at me, also wide-eyed.
Long moments stretched between us as I pondered that obvious reaction and how I could follow up on it.
“I’ve seen her around Magiford a few times since you were arrested.” I slowly and carefully said.
Orrin set his cup down—which I took to mean this was very serious, but also could have been an attempt at saving his precious tea so he didn’t spill it if he jumped again.