‘Come on, don’t tell me youenjoyit out here in the wilderness,’ Flint scoffs.
‘It’s not so bad.’
That’s something of an understatement. These last few days with Fox have been so …peaceful. As though this place were a fortress and the rest of the world can’t touch us. Here, we don’t have to be the Storm Weaver and the Earth Cleaver. We can just be Blaze and Fox. We can justbe.
Flint pulls my hair back to look at me. ‘This is abouthim, isn’t it?’
‘Who?’ I ask, feigning innocence.
‘Who d’you think?’ He purses his lips. ‘It’s not escaped my notice that the two of you seem to have got rathercosyof late.’
‘I don’t know what you’re talking about.’
‘Oh, give it up, Blaze. I can see the way you look at each other.’
‘What’s your problem?’ I demand.
‘Myproblemis him.’
I grind my teeth together. This is another inevitable downside of returning to reality. I knew that my …involvementwith Fox was hardly going to be cause for celebration, but I thought I could prolong the onslaught of objections for at least a while longer.
‘He’s not good for you,’ Flint continues. ‘He’s notgood, full stop.’
‘You don’t even know him.’
‘I know enough. In any case, isn’t he supposed to be in exile for – oh yes, that was it –murdering the Council?’
‘I already told you – what happened at the Binding Ceremony was an accident.’
‘Regardless, Hal’s hardly going to welcome him back with open arms.’
‘So I’ll talk to him, tell him the truth.’
‘And if he doesn’t listen?’
‘Then we’llshowhim the truth using the Eye of the Past.’
‘Well, good luck with that. Though speaking of Eyes,’ Flint says, momentarily sidetracked, ‘do you still think you’ll find Syla’s at the Lagoon?’
I gnaw on my lip in consideration. I meant what I said to Fox, about losing hope of finding the Eye altogether. Yet my reasons for believing it could be at the Aquatori Court still stand – it was Queen Hydra’s home and it’s going to be mine.
For a moment all I can think about is that the queen never got to go home again.
As I will away the drizzle that threatens to fall overhead, I lean back on my elbows and watch the last rays of sunlight glinting off the water.
Queen Hydra told me once that she felt ill at ease in Cor Caval because her connection to the Lagoon was severed. She was referring to the Creek, which flows through every province except the Imperial, given that it was cut off from the rest of Ostacre when Fox cleaved the empire in two. It’s little wonder the Queen of the Waters disliked spending any great length of time in what was effectively a landlocked island.
I remember her words that day.
Know, child, that when you leave this place, no matter what path you might tread, so long as you follow the Creek, you will always find what you are looking for.
My body turns stock-still.
‘Blaze?’ Flint prods my shoulder. ‘What is it?’
The blood has rushed to my face. I sit bolt upright. It was Queen Hydra herself who taught me about portals and their different uses.
One can use a portal to send an object to a destination, but also have it remain there, hidden … accessible only to someone who knows exactly where to find it.
