Chapter 98. First True Friend

Eryndor’s POV

Auraya practically dragged me down to that dilapidated house by the ocean. I already knew exactly what to expect when we arrived: I’d come face to face with one of her parents—and both of them loathed me. Sure enough, the moment I stepped through the weathered door, there they were together.

Auraya’s mother, busy preparing supper, nearly let her jug of water slip from her grasp at the sight of me. Steam rose from the pot on the stove, and the salty breeze drifted in from the open window, carrying the tang of sea spray. She stared at me in disbelief, the jug poised midair as if frozen in time.

Her husband, the old man I once trained under, exhaled heavily and fixed me with a long, narrow gaze. “I half expected you to be dead, Eryndor,” he muttered, wrinkling his brow.

I shrugged, stepping fully into the room. “The old priest told me the same thing. Do I look like I’ve got a death flag over my head?” I shot back. I knew I’d been reckless in