The cold was unbearable. The winter breeze slipped through the cracks of Adeline’s dorm room with ease. The blanket burrito she had built for herself did little in terms of protecting her. She had entertained the thought of going to train more as a means to warm herself up, but she was exhausted from what she had already been through that morning.
It would have only been a means of procrastination anyway. The truth was, as a recruit for the Fae Order, she would rather be fighting any other battle than the one she was currently facing. The current task required too much sitting still and thinking than she would have liked: Adeline had to research the best heating services near Canberra.
If she were her sister, who revelled in tasks that involved colour-coordinated lists and organisation, she might have been excited. Her sister wasn’t there, already busy studying for her final exams. That left the issue of the stubborn aircon in her room entirely up to Adeline.
If she had been more tech-savvy or capable of putting machinery back together (taking it apart wasn’t a huge issue), she might have been able to find another solution. She would much rather take the machine apart and scour its contents for any blockages caused by dust or debris or problems with the wiring. At least that felt like doing something about the problem.
Pinpointing the companies that provided the best air conditioning repairs near Canberra did not feel like doing anything. She knew that it was, but her body ached with restlessness as she sat in front of her computer. It was a worse feeling than any she had felt before.
“You can do this,” she whispered to her dark, empty room. She refused to open the blinds in case the flimsy curtains were doing anything to stop the cold air from seeping into the room further.
Maybe she couldn’t do this.