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Prologue
The waters around the Tidehold Conservatory were grey and turbulent, their rough-edged foam whipped cold by the wind.
Maelin of Theryn stared through the glass at the sea below and lost herself for a few moments, her mind picturing what this turbulence looked like from beneath, and marvelling at how different that was to the image from the arched-glass tunnel she now occupied.
Above the waves, the unique green-tinged sky peered between dreary and leaden clouds, scudding along over both the ocean and the cliffs in the distance. It was a dramatic scene, full of movement and almost heart-rending beauty, and yet, in many ways, it was the loneliest panorama anyone might wish to see.
It had been walks like these, several of which she managed to take every day, that had helped her make a very important decision about her future.
Novice Warden Maelin of Theryn was going to relinquish her hood at the end of her tenure at the Conservatory. She had hoped, given her family’s association with the waters of the Veiled Reach, that the sea’s call would find a response within her. That something would lure her into desiring a closeness, a connection to the mysteries of the deep.
But nothing had happened.
She’d been curious, enjoying the learning experience, and especially the very rare opportunity to meet people from a land beyond the Veiled Reach.
That encounter now remained a locked and secure secret within the walls of Tidehold.
Maelin had experienced an exciting adventure, and knew she would cherish that memory for the rest of her life. But sadly, she had not found the future she’d hoped awaited her.
Nothing had sparked anything more than a scholarly interest and a pleasant fascination.
She’d felt none of the bubbling joy that others had described. No breathless excitement, no heart-stopping wonder. Others had spoken of such sensations as signposts; the first bright markers of a new life discovered, a new passion awakened, a path that demanded to be followed.
Although she’d woken every day wondering if this would be the day she discovered her own passions, it had never happened.
“Packed then?”
The voice made her jump, so lost in her own thoughts was she. “Yes. Yes, I am. The boat will be arriving soon.”
“I shall miss you, Novice Maelin.”
She sighed. “I shall miss you too, Warden Aderion.” Her lips curved into a smile. “More than some others, I admit. However, I will cherish the memories of our adventure. Never doubt that.”
“It was an adventure, wasn’t it?” He nodded. “I am very glad you were here to share it.”
“As am I.”
Aderion turned to watch the ocean, much as Maelin had just been doing. “So many new things lie out there. So many unsolved mysteries, unanswered questions...”
“That can be said of other places as well,” she replied quietly. “Not just the oceans...”
“Very true,” he answered with a nod. “And you’re hoping to find your mysteries elsewhere...”
Maelin looked at him, noting the gentle concern in his eyes. “Indeed yes,” she answered honestly. “I don’t know yet if I will, but I hope so.” She shrugged. “I discovered that they do not lie here, much as I might have wished otherwise.”
“As might we, as well.” He held out his hand, palm upward, fingers pointing toward the sky. “Seek your questions, Maelin of Theryn. And find joy in your answers.”
She touched her palm to his. “With your blessing, I shall pursue both, and keep the caress of the waves in my heart.”
Aderion’s fingers closed briefly over hers, warm and steady. Then he released her.
In the pocket of her travelling coat lay a simple card. It bore the address of the only family she had left. A house in a city she believed she’d left behind forever.
Caelemar.
Behind her, the sea called to others, but before her? A future as yet untold.
Chapter One
