Was that how those I’d left behind felt? No, Zorinna, though somewhat prickly, differed from the people of my village. There was nothing redeemable left of them. They didn’t deserve my empathy. Not for what they’d done to me. They had no right to feel abandoned. I wasn’t a person to them, just a tool.
Zorinna was a different case entirely. Lorian’s sister deserved to know the truth, just as Lorian deserved to be set free by it. It was clear he loved her, and the hostility between them brought him pain. I could never know the depth of the sibling's history, but I knew enough to know how they’d left things haunted them both. It lingered like a dark cloud each time they were in the room together.
“Thank you for sharing a piece of your past with me.” I placed my hand over his, and he looked up at me, a glossy sheen in his eyes. “I don’t have a miracle solution to offer you that might repair your relationship with Zorinna, but I can recognize how sometimes things are difficult to explain, and that doesn’t mean you don’t love the person. I think I can give you a bit of grace.And for what it’s worth, I think your sister would too, if you shared a bit of your story with her. She may come to understand you.”
Lorian smiled at last, and it felt like the gap between us had reduced to a sliver. “And in case I’ve not made it clear, I do love you, my stupid, reckless sister. You are family to me.”
“And I love you, my stupid, reckless brother.” I smiled back. “Thank you for saving me those years ago. I owe you, Kaelias, and Makatza my life for more than one reason.”
“I think the three of you saved me, too.”
“One more thing, Lorian.” I leaned back in my chair, kicking my feet up on the table in a mimicry of his usual attitude. “I don’t believe for a second that your love is as unrequited as you think it is.”
He chewed his lip but failed to contain his smile. “Don’t be ridiculous.”
As if summoned by the claim itself, Kaelias walked into the room, straight-faced as usual, followed by a beaming Makatza, who slammed herself down into the chair next to mine with so much gusto, it shook the entire table.
“You came back to us!”
I crossed my arms in front of my chest. “I won’t pretend I’m not a bit upset, but I believe the Captain and I have come to a mutual understanding.”
She waved her hand in the air dismissively, as though she could tell from my body language alone—which she likely could—to be fair—that I wasn’t truly upset with the lot of them anymore. “Allow me to share with you great news to lift your spirits!”
Kaelias rolled his eyes. This was going to be good.
“I have bested the Mages Consortium’s most powerful warrior in combat!” She cheered, slamming her palms down on the table.
“After a few or fifteen attempts,” Kaelias added in sign.
Makatza scoffed. “He’s wrong. Can’t count.”
Kaelias swiftly signed a returning argument while Lorian and I burst into laughter.
Oh, how I’d missed this.
“Not like that,” Luelle explained, for what had to have been the tenth time. “When you are attempting to split your magic to attack two different targets, you have to give equal attention to both. You are putting too much force behind your dominant hand and far too little behind your off-hand. When you pull the magic from within, you must decide its flow. Do not let it control you.”
I huffed out a sigh and raised my hands once more, waiting for Luelle to shift the floating targets at random, because, of course, they needed to be moving. Why make it easy on the budding Mage who’d missed far too many lessons? Luelle was not a gentle nor an empathetic tutor, though I had to admit she was an effective one.
Preparing myself, I focused on the feeling of my magic separating before leaving my body. I envisioned the flow of my magic rushing down two individual paths and sent forth blasts of shadowy darkness towards the targets—one to the north and the other to the west. I’d previously failed to destroy both at once,but this time, the two targets crumbled to dust at exactly the same time.
“Well done!” Luelle clapped her hands. “We only need to work on your speed. An enemy will not wait for you to bolster yourself. Why don’t we take a small break? Say, one hour? After we get back, I’ll start adding more targets and increase the pace.”
I groaned. “Sounds lovely.”
She only smiled. “I have something I need to take care of. I’ll meet you back here.”
I was thankful for the chance to get some fresh air. Nil’Faerith was surprisingly beautiful in the springtime, and I’d barely gotten the opportunity to experience it while trapped inside the stuffy training rooms at the Consortium. Since recovering from my injury, I’d spent every waking moment catching up on my lessons. While the other Mages spent their free time enjoying the many gardens around the castle, I was stuck inside wishing I was anywhere but. It was my own fault for getting stabbed—I suppose.
A crisp breeze rustled my hair the moment I stepped outside, refreshingly cool with the midday sun beating down on my skin. The flora outside the Consortium was in full bloom, filling the air with a fresh, sweet scent that mixed with the salt of the nearby ocean. It was perfection. If I didn’t have the Phoenix Heart, this was the sort of place I could imagine myself putting down roots. Far, far from the desolate north.
The thought made me laugh. I was such a hypocrite. I’d hated this place when I’d first arrived, cursing it as my prison, and now, here I was, admiring it for its beauty and considering it a place worthy to call home. Much had changed in a few short weeks… I had changed.
The path veering right led to a small town that relied on the Consortium to survive as much as the Consortium relied on it. Despite its size, the town thrived. Being the only settlementon the island of Nil’Faerith, the people there had adapted their lives to suit the needs of their magically endowed patrons. Items catering to the Consortium’s Mages filled the markets. Herbalists, blacksmiths, weavers, and goldsmiths alike all made a fortune whenever they came to town. Even the taverns were swimming in coin. If you wanted a night away from the dorms, there was nowhere else to stay unless you took a boat to the mainland.
The town thoroughly impressed me on the one occasion I ventured there while helping Elle with an errand. Nil’Faerith was truly its own self-sustaining little world away from the rest of Lustria. It made sense why some Mages would spend their entire lives training at the Consortium. While the world outside dealt with the cruel realities of humanity, Nil’Faerith remained in perfect stasis. Free from war and political corruption. Paradise.
You only had to be willing to ignore reality.
