“It isn’t an accusation,” Kaleo countered. “It’s simple fact. The girls said as much. But I know-”
“So, they made it to you,” she said with enough relief in her voice to tell him she had worried. He nodded.
“Aeron isn’t with them,” he added. “But the girls and Navid made it to where my aunt is.”
Zuri nodded, gliding toward him with curious eyes. She looked him over much like Mina had but with greater appreciation, the appreciation a parent might have for a growing child. Her wings were large and beautiful, flawless just like the rest of her. When she was done looking, she pulled him into a warm hug that was more needed than Kaleo was willing to admit. He was not fond of admitting faults or acknowledging his mistakes. Leaving home without a solid plan was a mistake. He had two bags and a guitar worth of belongings, two small pouches of coin and Fionn. The coin was running out faster than expected and so far, he’d nearly died twice, eaten scraps, and slept on too many twigs. He was spoiled and proud, and completely out of his league. So, he hugged Mama Zuri as tightly as he could manage, fighting a lump forming in his throat and only let go when she pushed him back gently.
“You need a bath,” she snickered. Kaleo made a face. A bath would be lovely but that was not why he was there.
“River water doesn’t come in scents,” he threw back. “Mama-”
She cut him off with a gently raised hand, settling down on one of the settees. She situated her skirts, her wings, then gestured for him to make himself comfortable as well. He did, tucking in to a pile of soft, silk pillows with some sort of bird embroidered on them.
“Honestly, I’m surprised it’s taken you so long to come to me,” Zuri began. “I suspect your mother had something to do with that.”
“Step-mother,” Kaleo corrected. Zuri smiled.
“Why here, Mama? Why not go to Esbeth where we were? It’s not any closer to come here than it is there, not for him.”
His father was a man of many talents; many peculiar talents. One of which was instantaneous Travel to almost anywhere in the world. It was a talent Kaleo was learning to manipulate as well, though he was not very good at it yet. He was much better at changing his appearance, his form - a secret of his own that he kept carefully guarded. His father had once Traveled from Illurian City in the Empire, clear across the entire continent and the Sovereign Ocean to the Dragon’s Tail. It took him three days to make it back home, but he’d done it. Energy mattered - the more energy, the further the distance which was why Kaleo could make it from one tree to the next at best and not a stitch further. But, his father was a very Powerful man with too many tricks up his sleeve. Hopping from Illurian City to Paladia was nothing. Hoping to Grolly was less than nothing.
“He has an anchor point here,” Zuri explained, making Kaleo narrow his eyes curiously. “He was injured and weak. Anchor points are what lock in Port Circles.”
“I know what they do but why would he need one?” Kaleo asked. Zuri shrugged. Her understanding of his father’s talents only went so far, it seemed. He paused for a moment, then looked at her again. “Where is the anchor point? Not in the city, that’d be too dangerous.”
“No, not in the city. The woods just off the path to Eviers.”
“Can you show me?” Kaleo asked. Again, Zuri smiled.
“In the morning,” she agreed. “First, a bath, then a meal that you don’t have to pay for.”
Kaleo opened his mouth to argue but was betrayed by his growling stomach. He shut his mouth with a click, glaring at himself.
Fionn… we’re staying the night.
***
Reven stared at the identical guild houses all lined up in even rows along the streets of Grolly. The city was familiar to him though he’d never been to Grolly or any other part of Damaskha in the five years he’d been with Liam and Ajana. Still, the names on each of the houses, their purpose, their color, or even the scents coming from each door and window made the bard’s stomach twist into uncomfortable knots.
“Are you alright, my love?” Ajana asked, placing a gentle hand on his shoulder. He jumped, but nodded, swallowing the lump forming in his throat. He’d been here, he could feel it. But when?
“Fine,” he managed, offering a smile that he shared with Serai. They were instructed to wait outside on the street while Liam went inside the Maison du Ombres to discuss business. The thief-taker failed to mention what that business was, unsettling the bard further. So did the rumors whirling through the city, the haggard faces that dotted the tradesman and artisans that lived there. Something was not right, a secret being kept by an entire city. It made Reven shiver.
While it was not cold, it was not nearly as warm as it had been in Kalaegh or Avir and the storms that churned the seas were now starting to move across the land. Reven did not want a repeat incident of his malaise from the Hex Storm. Instead, he walked a few paces down the hill toward the large manse at the bottom of the hill.
To call each edifice a ‘house’ was highly inadequate. Each one boasted at least four stories, easily the size of a moderate inn with equal if not more amenities of an inn. Anyone that worked for that guild also lived within its walls, carefully monitored and well cared for according to Liam and Ajana. They were also incredibly selective, which was why neither of the bard’s companions worked for the Maison du Ombres or any other
