The night feels gracious and peaceful, but my mind won't leave my family. Mom, Dad, Neena, I hope you all managed to escape. Looking at my family, it's only a fool who would be scared. Guess I'm that fool.
I close my eyes, trying to sleep, but Joan's face keeps flashing through my head — the way he gave himself up for me, the clean, terrible certainty of his sacrifice. Another chance, gifted. Lately I'm starting to wonder if I deserve any of it.
BANG!
| "Wake up, sleepyhead! " Eli's voice rattles my door. She slams it again for emphasis. I groan and peel open my lids just as daylight slices into the room. A bundle of clothes smacks onto my chest, knocking the air from my lungs.
| " Rise and shine, King. We've got a long day ahead of us. And put those on." She's smirking or at least I think she is. Maybe I'm imagining it. My head's not helping.
We? Hold up. The only thing I need to do today is find my uncle. That shouldn't be hard if I ask around town.
I swing my feet to the floor and take in how comfortable even an Elveren inn can be, the bed leaf-shaped, the blanket black-and-red, the whole place smelling faintly of pine and lilac. I open the bundle Eli tossed and find an all-black fit: sleeveless hoodie with delicate leaf embroidery and matching jumper-trousers. Not bad. As I slip the hoodie on — dinggg — something clinks to the floor. An earring, almost the twin to the one at my ear.
| " Seems new," I mutter, swapping it out.
| " Will you hurry your butt up?!" Elizabeth screams from downstairs. Her voice snaps like wire, sharp enough to make me flinch and catch my skin on the clasp.
I pull on the jumper, sprint to the window, and jump from the second floor, landing behind her just as she's about to amplify her voice with Lumis.
| "Sheesh, tone it down, princess," I say with a grin. She doesn't flinch. She turns and fixes me with that stoic Terrarian stare we're famous for — makes me wonder if she was raised by one.
| "Don't ever call me that again if you want to live long enough to see your grandkids." She kneels to pick up her bag, golden strands of hair falling over her face. For a moment, the sunlight catches the dust around her, and the way she brushes her hair back looks almost… artful. I mentally slap myself. Note to self: stop noticing things like that.
| "Goodbye, Grandoff! " Eli calls toward the innkeeper and strides out. Her outfit is the green-and-white version of mine; multiple earrings flicker along her long ears. If not for our skin tones, people might mistake us for siblings.
| "Hey, you coming? " she snaps, breaking my train of thought.
| "Why do I have to tag along? I can go my own way."
| "Ohhh, you ungrateful brat," she says with mock indignation.
| "After using me, you think you can just ditch me? That's how you take responsibility? "
| "Whoa, whoa, don't make it sound like that! I mean, we had a deal, I—" I protest.
She cuts me off.
| "Oh gods, you're so innocent." She smirks, then straightens.
| "I can't let you off yet. It's too dangerous. You might think you're out of the woods, but it isn't that easy. Follow."
Before I can argue, my feet move. I follow.
| "Here's the deal," Eli says as we descend into the city.
| "Those earrings won't cover you for long. Elveren security isn't that weak. I need the information I came for, my source will tell us where your uncle is. If you wander off and a guard thinks you're suspicious? You're done." Her voice hardens.
| "And don't think it's because I care about you. If you're caught, it hinders my plans."
I nod.
| "Alright. Got it."
Walking through Elveren never fails to steal my breath. Technology braided with living wood; entire buildings carved inside colossal trees; bridges looping from branch to branch; elves gliding through the air, those gliders are truly something. It's beautiful in a way that aches in the chest.
| "Beautiful, isn't it?" Eli's voice softens.
| "Yeah," I whisper.
| "More beautiful than any city I've ever seen, millions of times more."
Her lips curl faintly.
| "Of course you'd say that. This is the only proper city you've seen besides your home." She goes quiet, and for a second her eyes drift, as though caught in a memory. A stormy gust lifts her golden hair.
| "Now imagine if this city had been allowed to progress without war. We could've been further along than this."
The weight in her words lingers between us. Then, like flipping a switch, she adds,
| "Anyway. Central district next. Keep close."
The central district hums with life. Trees tower, their trunks hollowed into multilevel shops; elves glide on subtle currents; market stalls shout in layered tones. Eli's scanning the crowd, eyes sharp.
| "We're looking for an elf in an all-black gown — that's our informant," she says. I mirror her focus and scan with her. Then—
| "HEYYY, YOU THIEF! GET BACK HERE!"
A voice cracks the air. In a blink, an elf darts past us, a blur of motion.
| "Please, that's all I have for my kid to eat, please, please! " another voice pleads. A dark-skinned elf woman collapses to her knees. White hair spills forward. Her blue eyes are wide, pleading, near hysterical.
| "Don't you dare," Eli hisses, but my body has already made its choice.
I compress the muscle fibers in my legs. The air thickens; dust trembles. Everything slows except my intent. Then,boom, I surge forward, matching the thief's impossible pace.
| "Shit, shit, shit! KINGGGGG!" Eli yells behind me.
| "You're dead when I catch you!"
To be continued...