Page 54 of To No End

The ease with which I omitted my House name saddened me, remembering how that had been taken from me only a short time ago.

As if her beauty wasn’t intriguing enough, her voice was velvety smooth. The slow, raspy cadence was like a lullaby.

“I’m Gianna, but I prefer Gia; and if I decide I like you, then you can call me G,” she said teasingly with a smile. A smile that I was certain could destroy the resolve of even the strongest.

She pulled her palm away from mine and, without any concern for personal space, she ran her fingertips down the long black feather hanging from my ear and gave me a smirk. Wordlessly, she turned to carry her bags and follow the others.

What was that look for? Did she know it was a Nightwing feather? It could have been anything. A raven or a crow—but no, she looked at me like she knew exactly what it was, and I blushed, following closely behind her.

The giant wooden doors to Basdie were built into the side of the mountain. This was not a structure built on top of or adhered to the mountain, no; it was part of it.

Idris waved his hand and the doors opened. I gaped at the casual use of magic. He had already mentioned enchantments; it was clear he had no qualms about wielding magic, but I had a feeling he was just getting started.

With another flick of his wrist, the torches lit up the stone walls of the expansive atrium. The ceiling was jagged and raw, with sharp points jutting out from every angle.

“Don’t worry, the rest of it is only slightly more welcoming,” Idris attempted to joke as we continued to follow him through another smaller set of doors.

When we passed the threshold, there were two sides of a stone staircase wrapping downward, each in a half circle arriving at the same lower level. A handful of us went down the right side. I followed Gia down the left, still lugging my pack over my shoulder while doing everything in my power to avoid looking at Trace where he walked across from me on the opposite staircase.

When we all arrived at the bottom, those lanterns and torches flickered to life as well. It was easy to ignore the coziness of the room, a mix between a library and a lounge. Just beyond the burning fireplace, bookshelves and plush couches scattered throughout the common area, and the ceiling sloped steeply to accommodate the crystal-clear glass window.

A silver decoration outlined the panes, but behind it…Gods what was that? Was that…was that a waterfall…? Inside of a mountain? I walked toward it, my mouth gaping at its impossible beauty. Was this real?

I put my hand up to the glass, feeling the deep vibration of the water pounding down from unimaginable heights. Sunlight from the opening above illuminated the narrow crater containing the falls. Mesmerized by the sight, I jumped in surprise when suddenly Idris appeared by my side.

“Beautiful, isn’t it?”

I turned to him, nodding in silence, unable to come up with the words.

“This glass is very thick, intentionally so; otherwise, it would be very loud in here. But if you put your ear to the glass and listen carefully, you’ll hear a sound that only a few have ever heard.”

I glanced at him as if asking for permission, and he gave me an encouraging dip of his chin.

I leaned in, bracing myself with both hands against the pane, and held my ear directly against the glass. I closed my eyes and began to listen closely, as Idris instructed. The sound was deep and strong, unlike anything I’d ever heard or imagined; like wind, rainstorms, and the earth quaking all in one. The sound was enticing, and I imagined if there were a walkway to the Gods, this is what it would sound like.

All that power; barely contained. Idris smiled at me and, despite his friendly behavior, I did not trust him.

“These falls are sacred, tucked away and hidden by the mountains because the power of their waters contains rare healing properties. You’ll be shown the healing pools later on.”

He had piqued my interest, but before I could indulge my curiosities, he stepped away from me and back toward the group.

I turned around to see the others milling about the room, taking long glances at the waterfall in between inspecting the titles of books on the shelves and trying to discreetly size each other up.

“You may leave your bags here,” Idris instructed. “I have much to tell you, and perhaps I will suffer fewer interruptions if you’re busy with full mouths and raised forks. Follow me, let’s eat.”

To the left of the glass window was a long hallway, which we followed him down. Once more I stuck close to Gia, trailing her like a shadow. On the left side of the wall, we passed a series of closed doors. On the right side, the stunning view of the waterfall continued, though it grew narrower. The glass pane lined the entire wall. The bright blue glow of the crashing water helped light the winding hallway, along with various torches placed outside of every other door.

He finally turned into a small dining hall with a long wooden table at one end and a giant fireplace at the other. I looked at it, trying to understand where the smoke was going, but there simply was none. Just a fire burning, giving off heat but no ash or smoke. Each of us took a seat around the rectangular table. There were more chairs than there were people.

The group spread out awkwardly, clearly uncomfortable with one another. I, however, took a spot directly next to Gia. Trace located himself to the farthest possible seat from me. Idris stood at the head of the table and let out a small, amused laugh. It was odd to see him demonstrate any sort of amusement. Up untilthat point, he had been mostly buttoned up, almost detached. I gathered that the small smile he had given me earlier was not going to be a frequent occurrence.

“I remember the first time I sat at this table. Like you, scared and untrusting of everyone in the room. But I can assure you, you will come to trust these people with your life.”

A few of us glanced around at one another, absorbing his grave words.

“I’d like each of you to clear your mind, cut out all the noise, and think only of the most delicious breakfast you’ve ever had. Nothing is off-limits. Your favorite food and drink.”

After giving Gia a confused look, I turned away, doing as Idris requested. I thought of Chef’s giant cinnamon rolls and fresh squeezed orange juice from our orchard. I thought of the delicious eggs from the farm nearby and a medley of fresh-cut fruit. The memories alone made my mouth water, and I knew if I continued this any longer, I might have become teary-eyed over food.

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