-Leaving the Mountain-

Gracelin paced the smooth stone floors, listening to another conversation that wasn’t about her and that she shouldn’t know anything about.

It helped pass the time. Mount Solis had never truly captured Gracelin’s attention, but with Drew gone the monotony of planning to invade the Forlorn was growing on her.

She had yet to escape the mountain, although with Acelin more and more preoccupied she had taken to stealing away to the Grounds and bonding with one of the rowders there. He was far larger than the others, with scales and feathers the color of gold.

She had named him Sun, and even though she hadn’t been bold enough to take him out riding yet, she knew it was only a matter of time before Acelin provided her an opportunity to slip away.

She loved her uncle, but the world called to her. Just eyeing the wild and rugged landscape encircling Mount Solis, she knew there was more to living than hiding within the mountain, planning to subvert, to overthrow, to invade. Carrying out someone else’s revenge.

She leaned her head against the door, listening. Acelin was still deep in conversation with the mysterious ally, who sounded just as bitter as usual.

Convinced that their clandestine conversation would easily last another twenty minutes, Gracelin slipped silently down the hall, making her way to Acelin’s room. Maybe he knew something about Drew’s current whereabouts. Or Gracelin’s parents. Anything to give her a direction, a place to go when she stole away on Sun.

His chambers were sparse and simple, featuring only a large bed, a nightstand, an ample chair by a fireplace carved into the stone walls, and a stone basin for water. The room was illuminated by the crackling fireplace, but she saw an odd glass orb, empty, resting on the nightstand and examined it curiously. What would Acelin store in such a small, simple glass?

The room didn’t leave many places to search, so Gracelin opened the nightstand drawer first, peering in. It was completely empty.

Inwardly groaning, she checked under the chair and bed. Nothing. She knew Acelin wasn’t a sentimental man, but did he really keep nothing? No notes? No journal? No record?

She had at least ten more minutes before Acelin might be returning to his room. Ten more minutes for her to scour every pristine surface.

It was pointless.

There was nothing here. Nothing but that strange glass orb and an empty basin. But the basin was the only place left to search. There was nothing inside, and when she tried lifting it she almost dropped it it weighed so much. Clenching her teeth from the effort, she lifted the stone basin enough to see a flash of red underneath. Red that didn’t match the solid stone the basin rested on.

Finally.

She carefully eased the basin onto the floor and removed the red item she had uncovered—a small book. Grinning, she quickly flipped through the pages, looking for something useful. She probably had five minutes. Not enough time to read through the book, but enough time to do a quick scan. She was flipping through the pages, reading short phrases, when a worn piece of paper fell out of the back of the book. She picked it up, startled when she saw her name scrawled along the back in a neat, beautiful script.

For Gracelin.

Her interest in the book quickly vanished. Carefully tucking the note into the back pocket of her tailored black trousers, she replaced the book and the stone basin before casually leaving the room. She was almost to her own room when Acelin shouldered his way out of the room he’d been meeting in.

When he saw her he gave her a huge grin and said, “And how’s my sweet Gracelin today?”

“Good, Uncle,” she said, embracing him. It was starting to feel like she wouldn’t see him again for a long time.

He seemed to sense something was bothering her, because he pulled away to look at her, his gray-and-brown eyes curious and slightly concerned.

“Is something wrong, Gracey?”

“No. I’m just a little tired.”

“Well, go rest then. Things will only become more chaotic here in the coming days.”

Too bad I won’t be allowed to participate in the proceedings.

Keeping her thoughts to herself, she nodded demurely and continued to her room, barely able to close the door before she pulled out the note.

This book is hosted on another platform. Read the official version and support the author's work.

Taking a seat on the bed, she read it quickly, hungrily, equally afraid and excited for what she might learn.

Dear Gracelin,

I’m so grateful Acelin has been willing to take you in all this time. My sweet daughter, I’m so sorry I haven’t been the one to care for you. My biggest fear was keeping you safe, but now my biggest fear is growing old without you knowing your own mother.

If you are ever able to visit me in Deporta, if Acelin thinks it is safe, I will be the house to the right of the old cathedral. Many people do not know the building is there, but it will be quite easy to find.

I love you.

- Joy

***

She left that night.

Sun flew with the kind of grace Drew had described after flying with Isle. They had made good time, vanishing into the dusk, hidden under the shadow cloak of night. His large stature and muscular wings brought them to Deporta faster than Gracelin would have thought possible.

And the world. It was so much vaster than Drew had described, so much deeper and more complex than he could have explained, even with several lifetimes. Gracelin reveled in the rush of the wind through her hair, the sharp closeness of the stars overhead, the consistent beating of Sun’s wings and the dark shapes of the forests and streams below.

One forest in particular seemed more ancient than the trees around Mount Solis. As she and Sun passed over the dark forest she felt a shiver run down her spine, a jolt of recognition. She shrugged it off. Nothing was going to keep her from Joy.

She spread her arms wide, tightening her knees around Sun as she closed her eyes and tasted the arrival of dawn. Her chocolatey curls rolled down her back, caught in the wind. Taking a firm hold on Sun’s neck feathers, she urged him into a dive, shouting in exuberance as the mighty creature soared toward the forest below, the gaudy lights of Deporta shining in the distance like a city of fallen stars.

They made good time. Gracelin was walking the streets of Deporta, Sun hidden outside the gates of the city. She had arrived just as the city awoke and its people began prowling the streets, rushing from one place to another with clear purpose.

Gracelin knew how they felt. She straightened her navy-blue, satin blouse and fitted black trousers, brushing a stray curl out of her eyes. Multiple sets of eyes turned in her direction, but Gracelin only had eyes for the ancient cathedral, and the woman who lived beside it.

She could have asked someone for directions, but the independence was liberating. As she wandered the cobblestone streets, watching the children pass glowing light back and forth, she thought of Drew. He was able to summon the colorful power too—Orenda.

Just another thing he had learned that Gracelin had been too precious to expose to.

Uncle, why did you prize me more than trust me?

A bustling bakery tempted her with its sinful aromas, and Gracelin decided a detour was in order. She’d never had a need for coin at Mount Solis, but she’d taken a small string of coin from Acelin, enough for a meal or two, leaving a note explaining her absence and that she would repay him.

He would be livid, but he couldn’t expect her to live in the dark halls of the mountain forever.

She was up early enough that she didn’t have to wait behind others, but given the size and prominent location of the bakery, combined with the massive array of pastries and treats on display, she assumed Sur’s Bakery was often packed.

“How may I serve you, beautiful miss?” a short man asked with quite the mustache.

“I’m not sure what to try. What would you recommend?”

“Hmm, you remind me of a young man. He didn’t seem familiar with my delicacies either.”

“Drew?” She hadn’t meant to—it had slipped out.

“Why yes, I do believe that was his name.” He gave her a toothy smile, his bright eyes examining her. “He’s a lucky man.”

“We’re childhood friends, nothing more.”

“Sure, and I don’t actually like any of my pastries.” Sur winked and selected a few items for her, bagging them and saying, “No charge. Not for someone as beautiful as you.”

Gracelin reached into her pocket to pay the man anyway, but he pushed the coin she offered away, sniffing disdainfully. “Mark my words, he’s a lucky man indeed. I wish you luck on your journey.” He bowed his head in respect before greeting the next customer warmly.

She couldn’t help it—she felt her breath quicken, remembering the soft wave of his hair, how it always fell into his deep-blue eyes, eyes she had imagined mimicked the Glacian Sea.

Was he not here, in Deporta? But he had been filling in for the lineal, observing things for Acelin…

Maybe Joy would know.

She was just finishing her last pastry when she spotted a tall spire of stone, reaching up out of the tight rows of houses like a sword pointed to the sky.

The cathedral.

In moments she was studying the house standing to the right of the ancient church. It looked more like a public building than someone’s home. Instead of the usual several stories, each with a different occupant, the house, which reached several stories tall, seemed to belong to one person. Her mother?

Only one way to know.

She rapped on the door and waited.

A voice called out, “This isn’t the Forlorn archives. You’ll want to…”

“Joy?”

“Who is this?” the same voice asked, a soft yet strong voice. And then the door was opening and a beautiful woman with short white hair and blue-gray eyes was flinging herself into Gracelin’s arms, laughing as she cried.

“Gracey. My sweet little grace.”