Page 196 of Flame and Sparrow

I hurried inside. Walking into the familiar halls soothed the ache of our separation, somewhat—though not for very long.

With anxiety thrumming through my veins, I briefly returned to my room and found it completely untouched, the evidence of my hasty exit still scattered about.

I placed the bag I’d carried with me from the mortal realm on the chair in the corner, relieved to finally be in a place where I felt I could safely put it down. I took my sister’s necklace off as well, placing it on its customary spot on the shelf; the last spell had worn off hours ago, and I didn’t feel like I needed to hide in this realm anymore.

I started to head into the washroom to clean myself up, but I couldn’t focus very long on anything I tried to do; I just wanted to keep moving. I felt as if the electricity from the Storm God’s magic was still lingering in my skin, shocking me into motion every time I held still.

An hour passed.

Dravyn still hadn’t returned.

My restless wandering brought me from one end of the palace to the other, and Rieta and I eventually stumbled into one another.

I expected a full scolding from her—assuming she even knew the half of what had happened before I fled the palace—but I only received a stern look, a painfully tight hug, and then one of her favorite questions: “When was the last time you ate?”

“I’m not hungry.”

“I swear you’ve lost more weight off that scrawny frame of yours in just the few days we’ve been apart.”

“I haven’t,” I insisted, knowing it didn’t matter; she dragged me toward the small dining nook beside the kitchen regardless of my protests. I sat in the familiar, light-filled space while she continued to drop plate after plate of food in front of me.

I tried to appease her, but couldn’t stomach much; I ate little, drank even less, and sank into a quiet, thoughtful pose while she flittered about.

How many times had I sat in this place, by this same window, staring at the garden on the other side? Now the blossoms I’d once tried to convince myself I hated…they were wilted, most of their petals lying on the ground.

“The flowers died,” I said, surprise making me voice the thought aloud even though I was alone in the room.

Rieta was within earshot, however—carrying yet another bowl of some sort of food my way—and she answered me with a frown as she came closer. “He stopped tending them after you left, I suppose.”

That was why they never wilted; I’d assumed magic was in some way responsible for their creation, but I hadn’t realized he’d been tending to them every day—and for me, apparently.

I got to my feet and went back to the door I’d first entered through, hoping he might have returned to the same spot as before.

There was still no sign of him.

I didn’t leave the palace. I wanted to, but instead I only moved from window to window, watching through the glass until I finally saw the first sign of fire against the pale-yellow sky.

I rushed outside to greet him, reaching his side just as his eagle form touched down, stepping back as the flames around him flared, twisted, and fell back into his human shape.

As the flames extinguished, he blinked several times at the sight of me—as if he still couldn’t quite believe I was actually back in his realm—before wrapping me in a quick embrace, his hands traveling along my body, testing the solidness of me.

I spotted Moth soaring down from the sky a moment later, looking rattled, but otherwise healthy.

There was no sign of the God of Winter.

“Where is Valas? What’s happening at the Edgelands?”

“Valas went to check on Mairu,” Dravyn replied, letting go of me and taking a step back. “The situation at the Edgelands appears to be stable for the moment; the attacks on the veil have slowed, and Valas managed to make Halar listen to a bit of reason—enough to get him to leave and go speak with his own court about the latest developments. Apparently, he was intrigued by the information you gave Valas.”

I took the first deep, almost normal breath I’d taken in forever, glad to have done something right after so many disastrous decisions. “That’s the reason I had to come back here—to deliver that information. Well, part of the reason…”

My voice trailed off just as it had back at the Edgelands, and I found my courage failing me again when I thought of telling him my true feelings.

Now isn’t the time, anyway, I tried to reason with myself.

He eyed me curiously for a moment, then beckoned me to follow him into the palace. “We should sit down,” he said, “and you need to tell me everything you know.”

He led me to a small office on the second floor. I headed for the desk next to the window, drawn to it by the stacks of paper and drawing utensils collected on it. My hands were already reaching for these supplies as I sat down, preparing to map out the things I’d seen for him.

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