CHAPTER 109: TAMRYN’S BROTHER

{Elira}

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Something told me tomorrow was going to be more eventful than I’d imagined. And I can’t wait to meet Tamryn’s brother.

I was already wondering what his personality was like.

The moment we stepped back into our dorm room, Tamryn wasted no time.

"I’m calling my brother now," she announced, already reaching for her phone.

The air changed instantly—almost like the room has inhaled. The chatter that had been bouncing between us on the way back from the cafeteria dissolved into silence.

From my bed, I couldn’t help but smile at the sudden way Cambria, Nari, and Juniper converged on Tamryn like moths to a very reluctant flame.

Tamryn put the phone to her ear, and the entire room seemed to hold its breath.

I couldn’t hear the person on the other end, but from the tilt of her head and the faint curl at the corner of her lips, I could tell it wass going well.

Then Tamryn stopped talking and just listened. The silence stretched, broken only by the soft hum of the dorm’s heater.

Finally, she said, "Good night," in that flat, I’m-not-as-excited-as-you-think tone that only she could manage.

The second she hung up, Nari burst out, "Well? What did he say?"

"He agreed," Tamryn replied, casual as ever, as if she hadn’t just secured the golden ticket out of the school grounds for all of us tomorrow.

What happened next was chaos—happy chaos.

Cambria and Juniper squealed. Nari wrapped her arms around Tamryn, and somehow the three of them managed to drag her into a group hug. The bed dipped and shifted under their movements.

Tamryn, however, didn’t even let herself enjoy it. "Release me," she ordered, "and keep your voices down, unless you want the dorm mistress to hear and cancel your little trip tomorrow."

The effect was immediate. The room quietened as if someone had hit the mute button.

I couldn’t help it in the end—I chuckled. The threat worked better than any spell could. Tamryn finally wriggled free and straightened her top like their affection had ruffled her sense of dignity.

Nari, unbothered, beamed. "Tomorrow is going to be a great day. I’m picking something nice to wear right now."

That was apparently the signal, because suddenly everyone started heading to their wardrobes, rifling through hangers with the kind of urgency normally reserved for final exams or surprise pop quizzes.

I hovered for a second, watching the scene like it was a play I just happened to stumble into, but eventually curiosity—and maybe a bit of peer pressure—pushed me toward my own wardrobe.

The faint scent of lavender from my fabric softener rose as I sifted through my clothes. S

omething nice... I finally settled on a simple, flowy dress I’ve only worn once before. It’s not flashy, but I’ve always liked how the skirt swayed when I walked.

By the time I turned around, everyone else had their outfit draped neatly over their bed. Tamryn’s choice—baggy jeans and a plain polo—stood out like a rock in a garden full of flowers.

The rest of us had picked dresses in varying degrees of "tomorrow-ready."

That was when Nari shifted gears entirely.

"Okay, hairstyles," she said, as if she was now the commander of a military operation. "We are waking up an hour earlier than usual to style our hair and do makeup. No exceptions."

Makeup? Hair styling?

My eyebrows shot up. I blinked at them, half-wondering if there was a formal event I somehow wasn’t told about.

The energy in the room felt... anticipatory, like there was a secret floating in the air that I just haven’t caught yet.

The more I listened to them, the more certain I became that I was missing something.

It wasn’t just the excitement about going out; it was the way Cambria and Juniper kept exchanging those quick glances, or how Nari’s grin seemed to stretch wider every time Tamryn’s name came up.

I folded my dress neatly at the foot of my bed, pretending not to notice. If they wanted to tell me, they would... eventually. But the curiosity itched like a tag on the inside of my collar.

"Remember," Nari said, holding a bobby pin in one hand like it was a pointer stick, "if we’re meeting him first thing, we can’t look like we just rolled out of bed."

Him. My head tilted slightly. She hadn’t said Tamryn’s brother, but the weight on that him made it sound as if the whole day revolved around this mysterious person.

Tamryn, for her part, sat cross-legged on her bed scrolling through her phone, pretending she wasn’t the center of their plans. But every so often, a faint smile tugged at her lips, like she was listening to a private joke.

I busied myself with lining up my shoes for tomorrow, but my mind wouldn’t settle. They were planning hairstyles, outfits, even the exact time to leave the dorm... all for what was supposed to be a casual outing.

Cambria was now holding up two different necklaces in front of the mirror, asking Juniper which suited her better. Juniper pointed to the silver one without hesitation.

Nari was already digging in her makeup pouch, setting out little bottles and palettes on her desk like an artist preparing a canvas.

Once again, I had the distinct feeling that tomorrow wasn’t just about shopping, lunch, or even the rooftop restaurant.

Something else was going on. And I could already guess what it was.

---

The next morning, the room buzzed with a kind of nervous energy I hadn’t seen before.

Cambria was already dressed, her long hair braided neatly over one shoulder, while Nari stood at the mirror, carefully lining her eyes with the precision of someone painting a masterpiece.

Even Juniper, who usually preferred a quick brush of her hair and lip balm, had pulled out her curling iron.

I didn’t need to guess the reason. Tamryn’s brother was picking us up later, and judging by how much time my roommates were investing into their appearance, he must be something more than just "handsome."

Tamryn herself, of course, was in no rush. She strolled around in her robe, sipping tea and checking her phone, her baggy jeans and polo shirt neatly folded on her bed.

"You’re enjoying this way too much," I said as I tied the sash on my dress.

Her smirk was faint but amused. "Watching them panic over a man they haven’t even been introduced to? Oh, absolutely."

Nari huffed, still focused on her eyeliner. "It’s called putting in effort, Tamryn. You should try it sometime."

Tamryn only sipped her tea again.

Once everyone was finally satisfied with their appearance, we made our way to the cafeteria for breakfast.

The smell of fresh bread and sizzling eggs greeted us, and I felt my stomach tighten with hunger.

I grabbed a plate and filled it with scrambled eggs, toast, and a small bowl of fruit, while Tamryn went straight for black coffee and a croissant.

Cambria chatted about what she hoped to see in the museum, Juniper hummed in agreement, and Nari kept mentioning how important it was to take pictures while we were there.

I listened, eating quickly, knowing we had a packed schedule.

The walk to the school museum took us past the east gardens, where sunlight dappled the stone path and the flowers swayed gently in the breeze.

Inside, the museum smelled faintly of polished wood and old paper. Tall glass cases lined the walls, each holding artefacts steeped in history—some humming faintly with dormant power.

A staff member, a tall woman with streaks of silver in her hair, greeted us warmly and began to explain the newest additions.

She gestured to a sword with a hilt shaped like a wolf’s head, telling us it once belonged to a warrior who fought under the first Alpha of the North.

My skin prickled faintly as I leaned closer, sensing the lingering essence clinging to it.

We moved from case to case, the woman describing each object with a storyteller’s flair—a moonstone pendant said to enhance prophetic dreams, a vial of preserved wolfsbane used in ancient trials, and an old journal with pages that shifted language depending on the reader.

By the time we stepped back outside the museum’s front double doors, the afternoon sun was warm on our shoulders. And I felt like my mind was still full of the strange, glittering weight of the past.

Our surrounding beyond was quiet except for the sight of our fellow students in their mufti.

Cambria kept subtly checking her lipstick in the reflection of her phone screen, while Nari shifted from foot to foot, glancing down the road like she could summon him faster through sheer willpower.

Just then, a low, smooth purr of an engine reached us before the car appeared—a sleek black sedan, polished to a shine. It slowed to a graceful stop in front of us.

Tamryn didn’t rush forward. Instead, she adjusted her bag and strolled to the passenger side, as though she had been expecting this exact car at this exact second.