Chapter 1
Steppingoffthetrainand onto the platform, I immediately missed the gentle rumbling underneath me. I’d found it comforting; a constant on my journey as the people around me changed. The train had made three stops on the three-hour trip from the capital city of Asteria to the sleepy rural town of Laford, and the people seated in my section had changed at each stop. Most people, mages especially, aimed to get closer and closer to Asteria.
Not farther away.
There wasn’t much of a crowd to push through as I made my way to the luggage claim. It was pleasant compared to my home city, which had been borderline claustrophobic and panic attack inducing with the mess of people clogging the terminal. My three suitcases, stuffed full of every item I owned, were some of the few the rail hands had hastily pulled from the hold.
I’d barely managed to hoist the lightest suitcase onto my back with its backpack attachment when the train’s horn was alerting everyone of its departure.
I watched it pull away, then headed outside to find a carriage for hire.
While the weather in Asteria had been overcast but dry, Laford already had a fall storm hitting with vigour. The winds howled and blew away umbrellas as soon as they were opened, leaving people to sprint to their carriages or houses and still be drenched in the downpour. Anyone riding a horse through the streets would be soaked to the bone. There were overhangs and shelters by the carriage stand, but they only helped a little when the rain was coming down sideways. I was slightly damp by the time I’d walked far enough to find a carriage, its driver smoking a cigar and the plain horse stamping its feet impatiently.
The only way he could be keeping it lit and dry was by magic, in this weather. Travelling with a fellow mage, even an equally weak one, made me nervous, but I wasn’t keen on waiting out in the cold. My wool sweater wasn’t waterproof and held liquid for a long time before drying.
“Are you free?” I asked, stopping a few metres away. “I can wait for you to finish the cigar, of course.”
He snuffed it out, giving me and my multitude of bags a once over. I wasn’t sure what he saw. Maybe I looked tired and hopeful. Mainly tired.
“Give me your bags, miss.”
I handed them over and he expertly fit all three in the back, leaving me with my small crossbody purse. He opened the door to the small passenger seat for me, and I slipped in. There was no glass in the windows to keep out the cold, and the water on the seat seeped through my clothes. “Where to?”
I gave him the address, and he knew immediately where to take me, pulling us onto the road and away from the train station. As soon as we cleared the bustling station, the town was quieter. None of the buildings rose above two stories, and most were showing signs of their age in a way that made them look cozy. My hope increased. Reaching into my purse, I pulled out one of the small marble gemstones I kept on me at all times. This piece of aristerite was grey, one of many colours the stone could be found in, and had the signature swirl of white through the center.
Tapping a finger to the Xurian rune engraved on one side, it flared to life and started vibrantly glowing. A second later, Solstice’s voice rung out loudly. “Did you make it to the house?” she asked, skipping the greeting.
Laughing, I shook my head. The driver looked back at me with a raised eyebrow, and I smiled faintly at him. He looked hungrily at the stone in my hand for a second, before his expression dimmed. It would be no use to him if he stole it. This piece of aristerite was at its limit. There were many uses for the rare gemstone, but long distance communication was the main one. Each marble could be enchanted up to three times, to communicate with three other marbles. Mine had been filled long ago, though what he didn’t know was that I also held in my purse two of the pieces it could communicate with. Solstice held the third stone.
“Almost. I’m in the carriage right now.”
“I hope, for your sake, it’s not filled to the brim with mould and hoarded possessions. But please don’t get your hopes up too much.”
“My parents never mentioned anything about my uncle being a hoarder.”
“They also never mentioned anything good about him, so I’m still going to be upset at you for going in blind, three hours away from me.”
I swallowed a lump in my throat. Solstice had been my best friend since childhood, and she was usually the impulsive one. I was the one who created a twelve step plan with alternatives for contingencies before going all in. This time, though… the building owner’s stern expression flashed in front of my eyes when she’d told me in no uncertain terms I had to pay up or get out.
Since I lost my job, I held no money to pay with, so I had to settle for getting out.
Solstice came from a rich, high-ranking mage family and would have let me stay with her, but I didn’t want her to know how bad my situation was. Or have her assume I was using her.
My uncle’s death came at a perfect time to save my ass.
It sounded so morbid and horrible when I said it like that.
We turned a corner, the cobblestone street getting bumpier and less maintained. I tried to peer past the driver, but between the rain and the mid-afternoon sun being fully shrouded by clouds, there wasn’t much to see. “Are we almost there?” I asked him, opting to look out the side window instead.
The property to our right was hemmed in by a black wrought-iron fence. There was so much ivy, I never got more than a quick glimpse past it. Could this be the property? “Should be the next driveway,” he said.
Solstice sighed. “I’ve gotten my misgivings out, like you knew I would, so now I can tell you how much I really hope this is great. I hope the property is only a little in disarray, clean enough that you can invite me out to visit you next weekend.”
“Your mom needs you at that ball next weekend,” I reminded her.
“Fuck the ball. I’m not used to you living in a different city. Or visiting a different city. My ultimate hope is the property is sellable and you can get back to Asteria within a month.”
I wasn’t sure if that’s what I was hoping for. The influx of coin would be nice, but if I couldn’t have my job at the Grand Library of Enchantments, I wasn’t sure what else was there for me in Asteria. It was a city of mages, and I was one, but weaker than most. Weaker even than others in my bloodline. I’d always be at the bottom of the social hierarchy, whether or not I was friends with Solstice.
