"Hey, you're finally awake. You had me worried."

Solana rubbed her hand across her brow, hoping it would help ease the throbbing pain in her skull. She blinked several times before her best friend, Jowan, came into focus. Was it really him or was there a third demon? She flung a shard of ice at his cheek.

"Ow," he whined. "Why in the Maker's name did you do that?"

With the hint of a smile gracing her lips, Solana covered her eyes with her forearm. "I had to make sure you weren't a demon."

"A demon?" Jowan breathed. He leaned forward. "Is that what you had to face during your Harrowing?"

Solana bit the inside of her cheek. The First Enchanter would be furious if he found out Solana revealed what was involved in the Harrowing. At the same time, Jowan had been her best friend since she was five. How could she keep it a secret from him? Besides, who would he tell? As far as she knew, she was his only friend. He was always too shy to talk to anyone else.

She gestured for him to lower his voice. "Yes," she whispered. "It involves demons. I had to face two of them. They looked like other people at first– people we know. It wasn't until I worked out what they were that they showed their true forms."

Jowan raked a hand through his dark hair and began to pace. "It's worse than I thought. How am I ever going to pass my Harrowing? You know I'm terrible with demonology and the Fade." He paced faster as he waved his arms wildly in the air. His voice grew louder. "That's assuming they ever let me take my Harrowing. I'm already two years past you in my studies…"

"Shh," Solana scolded before gesturing for him to sit. "And if you'd stop setting the instructors' desks on fire, they might reconsider."

Jowan gave a frustrated growl. "That was one time, and it was forever ago."

"It was last year."

Jowan crossed his arms and pouted. "It was still a while ago, and I've gotten better since then."

"I know," said Solana. "You're not horrible when we practice alone. You just let your nerves get in the way in class."

"Yeah. I'm aware. I just don't know how to stop it from happening." He heaved a sigh. "In the meantime, you get a new room in the mages' quarters, while I'm stuck here with all the children."

Solana couldn't help but feel sorry for her friend. He was a whiny pain in the ass most of the time, but she trusted him more than anyone. He was the only person in her life that she knew would always be there. She just needed to make him see that she had no intention of abandoning him, no matter how many floors were between their bedchambers.

"Jowan, I…"

He waved a dismissive hand. "It doesn't matter. Anyway, I just remembered that the First Enchanter wanted you to come to his office as soon as you woke up…and I have a class I need to get to."

A heavy weight settled on Solana's shoulders. She wished he would let her talk, but he probably just needed a little while to process the changes. Maybe she would come back downstairs to speak with him before lights out. Better yet, she would invite him to her new room so they could have more privacy.

"Alright," she said. "But I expect you to still sit with me at supper."

He gave a half-hearted shrug. "Sure. I'll see you then."

As she watched him exit the room, Solana began to wonder how her life would change now that she was no longer required to take classes. She vowed to see Jowan every day, but she wouldn't be there to stand up for him when he made a fool of himself in front of the other apprentices.

A voice interrupted her musing. "I'm surprised you're not already in the First Enchanter's office, Solana."

Solana wrinkled her nose. She abhorred Veronica. "I was just headed there now."

Veronica looked her up and down with a condescending smirk. "Well, if you want to leave the room looking like that, I suppose it's up to you, dear."

Solana clenched her teeth and donned an indifferent expression. "And yet I still look better than you on your best day." She swept past the apprentice, nudging her out of the way. "Now, if you'll excuse me."

When she reached the hall, Solana quickly ducked into the nearest bathing room to find a mirror. She cringed upon seeing her reflection. As much as she wished she could freshen up and change her clothes, she knew there wasn't time. Irving was likely growing impatient already. He wouldn't tolerate making him wait while she bathed and applied her makeup. Instead, she splashed water on her face and smoothed her shoulder length hair with her hands. She then dried her skin with a soft cloth before reciting an illusion spell under her breath. As an Entropy mage, glamour spells were something of a specialty of hers. She even taught Anders how to do a few. He was never as good as she was, but he managed the simplest ones that involved charming objects.

Once satisfied with her spellwork, Solana exited the bathing room and headed to the First Enchanter's office. A group of apprentices stopped and stared as she passed them at the second-floor rotunda. She ducked into a small alcove to listen when she heard one of them say her name.

"So that's Solana?" the shorter one asked.

"Yes," said the other girl. "Templar Cullen said that her Harrowing was the quickest and cleanest he had ever seen."

"He would say that, wouldn't he? I heard that he's completely in love with her."

"Sad, isn't it? He's so handsome. I just don't understand what he sees in her. She's such a bitch."

Solana's face grew warm as the apprentices moved into the corridor. When she was sure they were gone, she stepped back into the light and straightened her shoulders. She was already aware of her reputation for being harsh and uncaring, and it didn't matter what those apprentices thought. What had piqued her curiosity was their conversation about Cullen.

The templar was her age and very sweet, but he was also painfully shy. Nearly every time she flirted with him, he would mumble an excuse and scurry off. It didn't bother her. She found the way he tripped over his words almost adorable. He was even handsome in his own rugged way. Of course, she had no romantic interest in him. He wasn't her type. She just enjoyed the game.

As she passed through the archway to the corridor, Solana spotted Niall. She looked around for an escape route before slipping back through the archway. The last thing she wanted was to get stuck in a conversation with him again. She had promised him on Tuesday that they would finish their talk on mage factions later, but she had hoped later would never come. Niall was just so boring.

Instead of waiting to see if he passed the archway or entered the rotunda, Solana headed toward the mage's library. It was the long way around, but it was still faster than having a long, drawn out conversation with Niall. She hurried past the rows of shelves and out the door into the hall only to find Cullen guarding the library.

"Hello, Cullen," she greeted.

When he jolted, the sound of clanking armor echoed through the corridor. He began to fidget. "Oh…um…hello, Mage Amell."

Solana gave him a wry smile. "Cullen, how many times do I have to remind you to call me Solana."

"I…I'm sorry…I just can't do that," he stammered.

"Someday you will." She took a step closer to him. "Now that I'm moving up to the second floor, I suppose we'll be seeing a lot more of each other."

He gulped. "Y…yes…I suppose. C…congratulations on passing your Harrowing, by the way."

"That's so sweet of you. Thank you." She tilted her head and pointed a finger toward his chest. "You were there weren't you?"

He nodded. "Yes…I was given the duty to…well, you know…if anything went wrong."

Solana took another step forward. His warm breath caressed her face as she set her lips in a pout and wrapped one of his blond curls around her finger. "You wouldn't have really cut me down, would you Cullen?"

The templar tried to retreat, but the wall behind him stopped him in his tracks. A pained expression stole across his face as he stared into her eyes. "I wouldn't have relished doing it, but I would have done my duty if it had been required of me."

"It's alright, Cullen," she said as she moved her hand to his breastplate. "I understand, but it does make me feel better that you wouldn't have enjoyed the deed."

He searched her gaze. The longing in his whiskey brown eyes nearly took her breath. "Of course I wouldn't have…Solana."

She glanced down the corridor to either side before putting her mouth next to his ear. "Thank you, Cullen…for caring."

When she touched her lips to his cheek, his body shuddered against hers. The tension between them grew more palpable by the second. To make things worse, his cologne was beginning to make her feel light-headed. It even got her thinking that a tumble with him wouldn't be that terrible. If only he wasn't so bloody shy.

She backed away to stare into his eyes again and nearly swooned when he flashed a boyish grin. "My shift ends just before supper this evening. Perhaps…" His lips drew closer to hers for only a moment before he took a step back. "M…maybe we can talk more then?"

Butterflies flitted in Solana's stomach. What was happening to her? Before she could think of an excuse to get out of it, she found herself agreeing to his request. "That would be lovely, Cullen. I look forward to it."

"As do I," he said before offering her a small bow.

Solana's skin tingled as she lifted her chin and straightened her spine. There was no reason for Cullen to know the effect he had on her. "But for now, I need to get to the First Enchanter's office. He's expecting me."

Cullen tilted his head. "Of course, milady."

Solana pressed her fist against her stomach when she turned away. She felt sick but happy at the same time. It was a feeling she had with only one other person.

'Don't even think that way. It's not that. It's simply a reaction to a romantic encounter. It was nice, but it certainly wasn't that.'

As she walked toward Irving's office, Solana contemplated her reaction further. She knew what love felt like, and this wasn't it. They barely knew each other. It was likely just the result of missing Anders. He had been in the dungeon for almost a year after his last escape attempt. It was only a matter of a few months before she saw him again. She already knew that as soon as she did, the very idea of loving anyone else would disappear. She just had to hold on until then.

In the meantime, she could just enjoy a few conversations and flirting a little here and there. Even a tumble or two wouldn't hurt her feelings. She only hoped Cullen would understand that their liaisons would have to end upon Anders' release from the dungeon.