it out for Sylvia.
Words caught in her throat, Sylvia reached her hand out for the bead, stunned by its beauty. “It’s lovely,” she managed to get out.
“Well, we’re glad you like it,” her mother’s voice came from the door frame, making her jump— what was with everyone sneaking up on her tonight?
“Something to remind you of home on your next journey,” Adeline continued.
Beaming at her mother and Sonia, Sylvia swept them both into a hug, almost knocking Sonia over in the process. At once the prospect of her upcoming journey crashed down upon her, settling like a weight in her heart. War. What if it comes here?
Her stomach tightened. In her mother and sister’s arms, she knew she couldn’t let it happen. She must keep the war from coming to Meadowcity, and that meant going to talk to the boy Flint from Riftcity, right now .
After thanking them both for the gift, and letting Sonia tie the bead around her neck herself, Sylvia finally managed to extricate herself from her loving family, and out the door. The lamps lit throughout the city twinkled in the night, casting their light, and creating shadows both.
Her hand rose to the bead at her throat, and she smiled, remembering Sonia’s excitement at giving the gift. Slowly the smile faded, as the task before her grew more and more at hand.
Something to remind you of home on your next journey , her mother had said. Did she know about Sylvia’s secret journey to Riftcity? Her swift steps through the cool night air brought her to the Healer’s Hall in no time, where another set of footsteps joined hers as she reached the entrance. Ven’s shadow emerged from the dark as she reached the door.
“Ready?” she asked, as she pulled on the enormous wooden handle.
“As ready as I will be.”
Caylee must have gone home, since the front desk was now tended by an older woman who had Caylee’s eyes—her mother, probably. The woman nodded at both of them as they entered, and Sylvia headed for the door that led down the hallway to Flint’s room.
Together they strode down the empty corridor, now lit by the glass globes shining along the walls. The light from the stars above made brief appearances as they walked under the sky windows. The door to Flint’s room was still closed, so Sylvia raised a hand to knock softly.
The door swung open and they were met by Gero, who ushered them in and quickly shut the door. Sylvia’s eyes went straight to the boy on the bed, and then looked away, since he was staring right back at her. She sat down on the bench, and looked at Gero. Ven stood by the doorway, shifting his feet.
The boy in the bed spoke, his voice rough and scratchy, as if he had a serious cough, “Have you both come to join me for dinner?”
He fell into a long fit of coughing and Sylvia noticed an untouched bowl of soup near his bed.
After several moments his coughing subsided, and everyone relaxed.
Gero spoke. “This is Sylvia and Ven—he’s a hunter here, and Sylvia’s the Rider who brought us back a declaration of war from Skycity.”
Flint’s jaw noticeably dropped, and then he closed it, staring at Gero.
Gero grimaced at him, saying, “I thought I’d get that out there right away. I take it you were issued a similar message?”
Flint nodded. Noticing a glass of water on the table next to him, he grabbed it and drank almost all of it in one go. He cleared his throat and took a ragged breath.
“The Healer says I inhaled a lot of smoke…”
Sylvia slid over on the bench as Ven came to sit by her, finally abandoning his awkward stance by the door.
The boy continued.
“They had fire—no, not fire exactly. Explosions that ripped right into the rock. And it kept burning and burning, and wouldn’t go out. My dad—we were running back to the villa for Ember—and he—”
He stopped, shook his head. He couldn’t speak for several minutes, just stared blankly at his bed
Words caught in her throat, Sylvia reached her hand out for the bead, stunned by its beauty. “It’s lovely,” she managed to get out.
“Well, we’re glad you like it,” her mother’s voice came from the door frame, making her jump— what was with everyone sneaking up on her tonight?
“Something to remind you of home on your next journey,” Adeline continued.
Beaming at her mother and Sonia, Sylvia swept them both into a hug, almost knocking Sonia over in the process. At once the prospect of her upcoming journey crashed down upon her, settling like a weight in her heart. War. What if it comes here?
Her stomach tightened. In her mother and sister’s arms, she knew she couldn’t let it happen. She must keep the war from coming to Meadowcity, and that meant going to talk to the boy Flint from Riftcity, right now .
After thanking them both for the gift, and letting Sonia tie the bead around her neck herself, Sylvia finally managed to extricate herself from her loving family, and out the door. The lamps lit throughout the city twinkled in the night, casting their light, and creating shadows both.
Her hand rose to the bead at her throat, and she smiled, remembering Sonia’s excitement at giving the gift. Slowly the smile faded, as the task before her grew more and more at hand.
Something to remind you of home on your next journey , her mother had said. Did she know about Sylvia’s secret journey to Riftcity? Her swift steps through the cool night air brought her to the Healer’s Hall in no time, where another set of footsteps joined hers as she reached the entrance. Ven’s shadow emerged from the dark as she reached the door.
“Ready?” she asked, as she pulled on the enormous wooden handle.
“As ready as I will be.”
Caylee must have gone home, since the front desk was now tended by an older woman who had Caylee’s eyes—her mother, probably. The woman nodded at both of them as they entered, and Sylvia headed for the door that led down the hallway to Flint’s room.
Together they strode down the empty corridor, now lit by the glass globes shining along the walls. The light from the stars above made brief appearances as they walked under the sky windows. The door to Flint’s room was still closed, so Sylvia raised a hand to knock softly.
The door swung open and they were met by Gero, who ushered them in and quickly shut the door. Sylvia’s eyes went straight to the boy on the bed, and then looked away, since he was staring right back at her. She sat down on the bench, and looked at Gero. Ven stood by the doorway, shifting his feet.
The boy in the bed spoke, his voice rough and scratchy, as if he had a serious cough, “Have you both come to join me for dinner?”
He fell into a long fit of coughing and Sylvia noticed an untouched bowl of soup near his bed.
After several moments his coughing subsided, and everyone relaxed.
Gero spoke. “This is Sylvia and Ven—he’s a hunter here, and Sylvia’s the Rider who brought us back a declaration of war from Skycity.”
Flint’s jaw noticeably dropped, and then he closed it, staring at Gero.
Gero grimaced at him, saying, “I thought I’d get that out there right away. I take it you were issued a similar message?”
Flint nodded. Noticing a glass of water on the table next to him, he grabbed it and drank almost all of it in one go. He cleared his throat and took a ragged breath.
“The Healer says I inhaled a lot of smoke…”
Sylvia slid over on the bench as Ven came to sit by her, finally abandoning his awkward stance by the door.
The boy continued.
“They had fire—no, not fire exactly. Explosions that ripped right into the rock. And it kept burning and burning, and wouldn’t go out. My dad—we were running back to the villa for Ember—and he—”
He stopped, shook his head. He couldn’t speak for several minutes, just stared blankly at his bed
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