Fortunately, he chose the latter. Olivin exhaled the last of his frustration, for now, at least. And shook his head. Eira released his wrist and it fell limply at his side.
“I’ll show you all to the rooms I was thinking of while he cools off.” Olivin guided them past the staircase Yonlin ran up.
Alyss paused, staring up the stairs. Eira stilled as well. Alyss’s eyes darted between her and the second floor. Yonlin was nowhere to be seen.
“You’re right,” Alyss mouthed more than murmured. Eira assumed her to be referencing the need to give Yonlin space, as Alyss followed the rest of them through to an entry hall and into a side parlor.
This was connected to another sitting room, and a study beyond that. The doors had been locked, and windows shuttered. Tarps were thrown over the furniture that were weighted down by dust.
But because of the care that these rooms had been given when they were closed up, they weren’t in nearly as rough shape as the rest of the home.
“These were my mother’s chambers,” Olivin explained, even though no one asked. He ran his fingers along one of the side tables by the leather sofa. “She’d be aghast if she saw it now. She’d always kept it just so.”
“We’ll be grateful to stay here,” Alyss said gently.
“Would you like me to fix it up for you?” Ducot offered. Olivin spun, shock on his face. “I’m guessing by your movements, this offer…surprised you?”
“The Shift,” Olivin whispered.
“What is, and what could be.” Ducot nodded. “If you’d like, I could do the whole house.”
“Let’s start with here,” Olivin decided after brief thought. “There are some reminders of what I’m fighting for—what I’ve lost—that I still wish to keep.”
Ducot set about to repairing the room. It was like watching a looking glass turn to water. Its surface shifting in the breeze, what Eira saw was different between every ripple. Time itself bent before the might of Ducot’s magic.
“It’s just like I remember.” Olivin breathed deeply, as though he were trying to inhale remnants of his mother’s perfume.
The notion gave Eira an idea. “Olivin, would you like to hear an echo?” She presented the question like a peace offering. The rest of them distracted themselves elsewhere, immediately figuring out that what was about to happen would be personal.
“An echo? Here?”
“You’re a family of sorcerers.” She gestured generally to the room. “Something would be caught up, I’d venture.”
“I… Yes.”
Eira let her power sweep across the room. Sure enough, there were multiple echoes, but she picked a weaker one in a mirror.Leading him by the hand, Eira ran her fingers along the gilded frame. Frost trailed in their wake. The magic was faint, and a bit harder to get a hold of. But she managed after only a moment of focus.
Olivin, Yonlin, we’re going to be late, a woman—their mother, she presumed—called out.
It’ll be fine. A man chuckled.There are worse things than being late to court.
We are always late to court.
And yet, everyone longs to be us.
She laughed.You are so arrogant.
And you love me all the more for it.
Eira stopped the echo there. Wynry entered immediately thereafter. But sharing just that much was more than enough. Tears welled in the corners of Olivin’s eyes. For a moment, he did nothing but stare at himself in the mirror, almost longingly. As if he could see the boy who had once been called to go by his mother.
It sounded like they’d truly had a happy home. Her stomach knotted. Maybe…maybe it wasn’t so bad for him to want that back. Or want it, at least, for Yonlin.
“Yonlin should hear this.” Olivin inhaled deeply, gathering his composure.
“I’ll go find him.” Alyss was on her feet.
“I’ll go with you.” Olivin stepped forward.
