I barely made eye contact with Eydis two days later as we got ready to go to our responsibilities. There had been very little words exchanged between us since I returned. 

I think there were a few times she wanted to say something to me but I walked away before she had a chance. It would take me a long time to forgive her. The fact that she didn't even try to get in after leaving work was a terrible thought. She knew how much it meant to me for her to be there.

Without saying anything, I left the dorm room to get to the ice rink for the day of training. The walk was short. The winter was now warming slightly, and spring would be here soon enough. 

In Hell, spring was always marked with festivals and good food. Spring meant a new start, a chance for things to be better, for the harvest to be good, for the days to be longer. People in Hell loved spring more than I ever did. Spring meant that my ice time was over and I would have to wait months before I could skate again. Spring lead to summer which was always a frustrating time for me. 

But spring here would be different. There would be ice year round. I could skate year round. And that was what I was counting on. 

"I heard the ice is soft today," Ari said as I walked into the rink. 

My attention snapped to him. I heard that phrase said before but I didn't know what it meant. Ice was always hard and cold to me. How could it be 'soft'? 

He chuckled as he shook his head. "I'm guessing you never skated on soft ice. Well be ready to get wet."

"How does the ice get soft?" I asked as I found an empty seat to sit at. 

He shrugged. "I heard the ice rink is having a hard time cooling itself. The pipes are old and broken or something. Warmer weather means softer ice." 

I would have never imagined the Motherwealth would have any problems with piping. I thought this place had everything in perfect shape. My mind went back to the light up map Yuri had and how it refused to work when we arrived. Maybe the Motherwealth wasn't as flawless as I thought.

"Isla! Get over here," Irena shouted. 

I jumped to my feet and walked to her without a word. I braced myself for anything that she could say. Although I wasn't sure what she would say. 

"Your skating in the show the other night..." 

And here it went. This is what she wanted to talk about. I'm sure she had something to say about my show performance. It was probably not up to her standards. 

"It was a great show. Most of the officials there are already talking about having you come again." 

My mouth dropped only a centimeter before I regained my composure. Out of everything she could of said, I was not expecting that. Irena did not give complements. At least, never had I heard one. 

"You have massive talent and something the Motherwealth has not seen in decades. You should be proud of the skill you have." 

I nodded. "Thank you." 

"You should thank your parents for giving you such talent." 

I would if I could. Maybe one day I would tell dad, but my mother, the one that taught me everything I knew, she would never now. That fact made my throat tighten just a little. 

"Speaking of your parents, have you written them? I can deliver any letters to the post office." 

It had been a few weeks since I left and I had not heard anything from Kol. He said that he would write to me and for a moment, I forgot about that. But now that she mentioned it, I wanted to know why I hadn't received any messages from him. "Where do we pick up letters?" 

Irena rose her eyebrows. "I'm surprised your roommate has never showed you the mail room that is where all the letters come in." With that, she walked out of the lobby to get onto the ice. 

I glared at the ground. Kol could have written to me for weeks already, but I never knew we had a mail room. If Irena never mentioned it, I might have never known about it. There was so much I relied on Eydis for but this was one big way that she let me down. 

"Are you going to get your skates on?" Ari asked, snapping me from my thoughts.

I nodded as I turned my attention towards him. "Coming." 

I had no time to think about what Eydis was doing or not. All I had to do was focus on skating for the next few hours. That was top priority right now. 

The ice was soft like Ari told me. Every move I made, I felt my blades dig deeper into the ice, more so than I had felt before. Every move was harder to make and when I fell, my black skating pants quickly became wetter than I would have liked. By time practice ended, I was frustrated, cold, and wet. I was in no mood to talk to anyone or be nice. So it was not a great moment when I heard Ezra's voice.

Ezra waved at me as he came closer. "Hey," he said with a smile.

My head snapped up to him as I made a mental note to be friendly. At least he didn't see that practice. That was enough to put a smile on my face. "Hi," I replied as I took off my skates.

"You looked great out there." 

My smile slid off my face for a second before I tacked it back on. That practice was not my best and the fact he still thought I looked good was enough for my cheeks to grow warm. I wondered how long he watched me for and if he had watched me before. "You should join me out there some time. Didn't you used to skate yourself?" 

He nodded as his father walked up to us. Almost instantly his smile slid off his face and the conversation about skating died out. 

There was silence as I exchanged glances between his father and him. 

I don't think I had ever been so close to his father. He loomed over us with confidence that I had never seen before. 

His father cleared his throat as if clueing Ezra for the next step. 

"Telvi, what are you going next Friday?" he asked as he scratched the back of his neck.

I shrugged as I put my skates in my bag. "Nothing." 

His father smiled widely then clapped his son's back, causing him to stumble forward a little. "Ezra would love to invite you to the Commonwealth charity event and gala."

"You don't have to..." Ezra started. 

"I would love to," I said as I took off my skates. 

"Great." Ezra's dad smiled. "We will send a driver to pick you up at 6." 

"Looking forward to it." 

Ezra gave one last smile before they walked out of the rink. 

"So looks like one of the governmental families have taken a notice in you," Ari said as he sat down next to me. 

"So what, that's nothing," Constance muttered as she limped to get out. "Just because they are interested doesn't mean anything." 

Ari rolled his eyes as he watched her limp towards the door. 

"Constance, can I have a word with you?" Irena asked with a tone that made shivers go up my spine. I had only heard that tone from her a few times but I know that it meant she had enough of something.

Constance nodded at her and with her head down, she walked towards Irena's small office.

Once the door was closed, Ari turned back to me and swore. "Constance has been battling a few injuries long before you arrived. I think they are getting worse." 

I wondered if it was her idea to keep on skating when she was injured. "Is Irena going to tell her to take a break?" 

Ari shook his head. "Constance has had enough breaks. I heard Irena said she will let her go back home. They are going to cancel her contract and she will go back to her Commonwealth."

For a moment I felt sorry for her. I knew how much being here meant. She wanted to skate. Just as much as we all did. But going home couldn't be that bad, after all, that was what I wanted to do. 

From the closed door of the office we could hear wailing cries from Constance. 

If she wasn't so mean to me, I think I would feel even sadder for her. But I suppose this was a way of life. Not everyone can get to the top. 

Ari shrugged. "I guess that is how life is though. One minute you are on top of the world and the next it's over."

"Do you know when she will return to her Commonwealth?" 

Ari shook his head as he slung his bag over his shoulder. "Nope. I suppose it will be in a day or two. The Motherwealth likes to move quickly. Anyhow, great practice today. I know skating on soft ice is never ideal, but you did a great job. Just keep in mind that when summer comes, the ice will be even softer." 

That thought caused a frown to appear on my lips. 

Ari smiled just as the lights flickered on and off again. "Looks like another energy shortage. I would recommend you get back to your dorm before you will not be able to open the door." 

Sleeping in the hall was the last thing I wanted to do. I shot up from my seat and grabbed my skates. "See you tomorrow." 

He nodded. "See you then." 

When I walked into the dorm, Eydis was there waiting for me with a cake in her hands. "This is from my commonwealth. I had to ask someone to use their kitchen to make this. I know I messed up, but will you forgive me?" 

I looked at the light brown colored cake then at Eydis. The cake and her skin nearly matched completely. It was slightly lopsided with frosting oozing from the middle. Eydis was not a master baker that was certain, but the thought was there.

The sincerity in her eyes told me that she didn't mean to hurt me. She cared for me and I knew I should trust her. The fact that she didn't tell me about the post was another thing I was willing to forgive her on. She was like sun in this place and I couldn't help but not to forgive her. 

"Yeah, I'll forgive you," I said finally as I closed the door behind me as I stepped in. 

She beamed at me then placed the cake on the desk, next to her textbooks just as the power shut off again. Wasting no time, Eydis lit a candle, allowing the flames to dance across her face. 

"Wind of a twister. You got to be kidding me. They say this place is flawless..." her voice trailed off before looking towards the door. Her eyes flickered back towards me. "I am really sorry, Isla. Please know that you are so important to me. I never want to miss another one of your shows again." 

I smiled, believing her words. She was important to me as well, probably the most important person in the Motherwealth. 

She wrapped her arms around me and pulled me into a tight hug. "I'm so glad you forgave me. I couldn't stand the icy feelings in this dorm any longer." She pulled out of the embrace and turned back to the cake. "Alright, cake. Do you want a big piece or a small piece?" 

The thought of the special diet floated around my mind. Irena would not approve of any cake eating, but this was a special occasion. One slice of cake would not hurt anything. Plus, would she even know? "A big piece."

"Good. That's the only way to eat it." She winked then pulled out a butter knife from a drawer. "Just don't tell anyone I have this. We aren't supposed to have weapons of any kind." 

"Your secret is safe with me," I said as I watched she cut the cake. 

I knew I probably should have waited, but I couldn't help it. I needed to know about the mail. Was Kol or anyone from Hell writing me?  

"Do you know about the mail system here?" I asked hesitantly, afraid I would rock the newly patched boat. 

She placed a piece of cake on a plate with a frown. "Yeah, I know it." 

"Why didn't you tell me?" 

"Because of many reasons. First, the mail system is not reliable. It comes and goes and pieces get lost. And second, I was hoping you would get a letter and surprise you." 

"So I have received no letters yet?"

She shook her head. "None." She reached for my hand and gave a squeeze. "But that doesn't mean no one is writing you. Things get lost here, more often than not. It's probably that." 

I nodded although I couldn't believe it. Kol was still mad at me, that was what was going on. He probably wouldn't write at all while I was here. That though caused a lump to form in my throat. I swallowed it down before tears pricked my eyes. 

I was here. I was doing this for my father. I was doing this for Kol too. Even if he didn't see it. 

"I'll keep on checking though and let you know if I see anything."