We’ve left it until eight p.m. to meet Lucy — my designs on staying in for the evening not quite going to plan. I got over my selfish desire to cuddle up with Conrad when I saw Lucy standing on the bridge alone, using my Follygrin to check on her whereabouts.
She’s been standing on the bridge for over half an hour now, lost in her thoughts of what could have been, or something else she’s not prepared to talk about. There’s only so much you can do for friends when they don’t want to help themselves, so we prepare to take to the skies, whistling to our Williynx as Conrad and I step onto The Sinking Bridge.
The old me would have ‘acquired’ one of the cars parked on the snow-covered streets, keen to drive over The Sinking Bridge before vanishing through it: a fun Perium leading to The Shallows. That’s not our destination this evening, though, The Royisin Heights calling instead.
“Hey,” Lucy says as we reach her.
Conrad gestures for me to engage in conversation, tapping his hand on the bridge as Erivan perches alongside him, inspecting the water that glimmers below
“Ready to head to The Royisin Heights?” I ask Lucy who keeps her gaze on the water.
“A few more minutes,” she replies, lifting the hood on her coat in the way she does when she’s brooding on something.
I wonder if mentioning Noah is a good idea but decide against it. It would confirm if her sullen mood is linked to his date, but that’s a fairly cruel way of testing a friend’s emotional radar, so I decide to keep conversation casual. “Odin’s left The Shallows like we thought he would.”
“Where to?” Lucy asks, her pixie face studying the swirling water below.
“Don’t know yet. He’s using the Invisilis charm to stay hidden from prying eyes. Surveillance devices will pick him up soon enough. He’ll make the same mistake Alice Aradel did, making an appearance when he’s run out of places to hide.”
“Yep,” Conrad echoes, stroking Erivan as his feathered companion flaps its wings, rising from the bridge to inspect the still water below.
I then have an idea to cheer Lucy up, uttering ‘Exhibius’ to activate my penchant, watching as a soft blue light runs from my hand across the bridge, connecting with the yellow glow Lucy’s created.
Conrad picks up on the idea, tapping his right hand to activate the ring on his forefinger … a slow flood of tanzanite meeting our two colours until the bridge is lit up like a rainbow, drawing looks from witches and wizards occupying the snow-covered streets of The Winter Quarter.
We stand on the bridge a little while longer, allowing Lucy the time she needs to process whatever’s going in her head. It only takes a few minutes for her to snap out of it, laughing as the three of us walk arm-in-arm across the bridge, mirroring the romantic gesture of couples who will soon be doing the same. I can tell she appreciates the moment: the enigmatic pixie girl struggling with the mysteries of the heart.
With a whistle, our Williynx are ready, rising off the bridge as they expand, a single feather released to add their own decoration. The feathers rest on the surface of the water, creating three strands of connected colour … yellow, powder-blue and turquoise … the final touch of magic before the night ranging begins once more.
“Apparently, we need to signal our arrival in The Royisin Heights,” Conrad says as we rise into the air. “As long as we do, we’ll be left to roam freely.”
“Why do we need to signal our arrival?” Lucy asks.
“They’re sort of recluses,” I reply, “meaning they like to be left alone.”
“Which means it’s going to be hard to track Neve down,” Lucy adds.
“Yep, but it’s more a case of information gathering for now,” I say as we bank left, the snow swirling around us. “We’ll probably meet other Society soldiers on the way who can hopefully tell us more.”
“But we’re not bringing her in?”
Conrad shakes his head. “We find out where she’s hiding and track her from there. Once we’ve got sight of her, we wait until she makes her first mistake, then the sleeping soldiers take care of the rest.”
“Quibbs Causeway?” Lucy prompts.
“If she resists arrest, yep. An uncomfortable meeting with The Orium Circle if she doesn’t.”
“Well, let’s make the most of things,” I suggest, thinking of another way to take Lucy’s mind off Noah. “I’m still the fastest in the air from a dead start, so let’s see if I’ve lost my touch.”
Lucy adjusts her hood as she checks our positions, patting her Williynx to slow down. With a confident smile, she turns to Conrad adding, “No games or tricks allowed.”
“What tricks?”
“Like suddenly swinging left and right, trying to knock us off because you’re losing.”
It’s a bit of fun, leaving the question of love to be answered another day. Matters of the heart are no easier in the S.P.M.A. than anywhere else, the only difference being you’ve got wonder to snap you out of depressing moments. After all, what’s more wonderful than flying through the sky on a majestic, colourful bird that can shape shift and blast ice … snow falling on your face as you race through a winter wonderland.
The Royisin Heights are situated to the east of Drandok — accessible by foot or air although Neve Blin hasn’t got the luxury of arriving on a Silverback this time. The taming of these creatures happens exclusively in Drandok, and now Neve has exposed her hidden resentment, she no longer has the benefits of being a Domitus.
Orgev, our bearded guide in Drandok, believes The Royisin Heights is the most likely place to find Neve, the nature of the inhabitants offering the ideal conditions of privacy required for a potential malev.
As Conrad said, we’re going to need to signal our arrival to be left to roam a place that stretches for miles, marked by
