The journey upstream was peaceful. When I reached the shore of Sivell, disembarking onto land, arms sore from rowing for most of the afternoon, I felt a faint pull tugging at my conscience, taking me by surprise. I focused on the feeling. The boat was…waiting. And I could somehow sense its intention. I brushed my fingers lightly against my necklace, wondering ifI had it to thank for this newfound awareness. Touching the necklace only amplified the feeling. “Return to the island!” I shouted boldly, giving the boat a command to follow.
It began to drift back downstream.
“Ha! Yes! That is going to be useful. Let’s just hope the command works both ways.”Or I’m in for a rude awakening.“Return?” I shouted after the boat, much less confidently. The boat stopped, then began to reverse direction.
I sent it off again, grinning from ear to ear. I might not have the island’s full protection out here, but its magic had not completely forsaken me either. I was connected to it; the boat listened to me. I found that tremendously comforting. Perhaps Kaylin had not been wholly correct, telling me never to leave the island. Perhaps I could leave and still take a piece of it with me.
The training fields I sought were conveniently marked on my map, which detailed the City of Grence. Learning from my past mistake, I obsessively checked it during my journey into Sivell—nothing notable would sneak up on methistime. According to the books in my study, the phoenix warriors commonly trained near its outskirts:There is no sight in Grence more majestic than a phoenix in flight, training alongside his warrior companion. The two bonded until the warrior’s death. The phoenix awakening in him a capacity for magic.
The clip-clop of horse hooves and the rattle of wagon wheels alerted me that I was near the road.
I approached as stealthily as possible, walking quietly away from the river, until I stood hidden by a tree, watching the flow of traffic. I observed a steady stream of wagons and caravans, all traveling toward the city. I just needed to secure passage for a short while…get close enough to reach the training fields. I waited until the wagons slowed down some, stalled by the congestion on the road. But who to ask?
I scanned the three closest wagons, observing their coachmen. Trying to decide who looked trustworthy. I took a step toward the wagon farthest behind. My necklacepulsedand then grew heavy. I stumbled, the weight pulling me into a crouch.What was happening?
The sensation held me locked in place as the horses trotted forward again. I stayed still until the feeling fully abated. I’d lost my chance to find a wagon. Was that the necklace’s intent? Could I trust its intuition? I watched the road, another wagon on the horizon was rapidly approaching. The necklace warmed. An approval? I intended to find out. When the wagon drew close enough, I stepped into view, waving it down.
A well-dressed gentleman sat in the driver’s seat of the open-covered wagon, holding the reins of a single horse. He had flawless brown skin, much like the deep bronze of his pottery collection, neatly stacked in the back of the wagon, each piece unblemished and meticulously polished. Based on the pottery and the man’s professional appearance, he was likely a merchant heading into the city to sell his wares.
“Excuse me!” I shouted to get his attention. “May I join you as you travel into the city? I can pay.”
The man looked me over, scanning the tree line behind me as well. “Are you traveling alone, madam?”
I reached into my satchel and pulled out a generous number of coins. “Yes, I’m alone. I don’t mean any trouble, but I would appreciate your assistance. Like I said, I can pay. I just need to reach the city…” I waved the silver in front of him for good measure.
He knitted his eyebrows. “Alright, you can hop into the back then. My name’s Endrik. No nonsense now; I’ll have my eye on you.” I handed him the payment with a grateful smile. Finding an open corner in the back of the wagon, I settled down, watching the landscape pass by as the merchant resumedhis travels. Up close, I could further appreciate the artistry that must have gone into making such high-quality pottery. My childhood friend, Agatha Somners, possessed the same talent, her hands always covered in dried clay from the pottery wheel.
The merchant didn’t engage me in any small talk, but I caught his occasional backward glance, probably checking that I wasn’t getting into any trouble while he drove. As we drew closer to the city gate, the grassy fields we passed became more and more populated. I stifled a gasp as a blazing fireball went flying through the air in the field adjacent to the road.
The fireball made contact with a stationary practice target with deadly precision, setting it aflame, as a phoenix flew overhead. I located the warrior responsible just as he flung his hand out again, sending another fiery projectile toward a secondary practice dummy. It met the same incendiary fate as the first target.
I gulped, the sight more than a little intimidating to behold. The phoenix swooped low, extinguishing the flames with a wave of its wing. It was a creature of fire alright. Its scarlet feathers shimmered in the sunlight and I gasped aloud, no longer able to contain my amazement.
The merchant whipped around, knuckles tight on the reins, until he noticed the direction of my gaze.
He chuckled. “They still impress me too, even after all these years. You never get used to seeing them.”
“I believe you,” I replied, an awed smile still on my face. “Could you drop me off here please?”
“Here?” He frowned. “Are you sure? I’m happy to take you all the way into the city if you wish. You certainly gave me enough coin.” He regarded me, the lines of his eyes softening. “May I give you some advice? You might not want to travel with your coin purse so visible; otherwise, you’ll be an easy target for cutpurses looking to make some easy coin, or worse. Buyyourself a belt you can attach it to in the city. Or sew it into the lining of your cloak instead.”
“Thank you for the advice. And for the ride. I appreciate both. You can leave me here. I’m sure.”
“Alright, if that’s really what you want.” He sounded reluctant to leave me behind, voice tinged with guilt. Pulling on the reins, he brought the wagon to a full stop, allowing me to dismount back onto the ground. “Take care then,” he called over his shoulder as the wagon pulled away and back onto the road.
The merchant’s parting words hung in the air. What would he think if he knew what I was about to attempt? Would he have warned me away? Or chastised me for my foolishness?Take care.Nope, in pursuit of phoenix flame, I was about to walk, unwelcome, into the army’s training camp.
I was about to fling all caution to the wind.
CHAPTER SEVEN
Icircumvented the warriors practicing their fire magic. The last thing I needed was to get accidentally incinerated in a training mishap—best not to startle anyone capable of shooting flame from their hands. Or bother a phoenix in battle mode. The goal was toobtainphoenix flame, not find myself engulfed within it.
The next group of warriors I came across were focused on some sort of ropes-based obstacle course.Perfect, no one actively shooting fire.I touched my necklace for guidance, but it gave no indication of whether or not it approved. Maybe I had used up its powers already. Or maybe such decisions were outside its domain. Since learning of their existence, I’d gathered from the books in the study that moonstones were sometimes referred to as a traveler’s stone.
I watched the spectacle in front of me. A series of rectangular wooden beams stretched in a line across the field, resembling a horizontal ladder. Only, the whole thing wasfloatingmid-air, magically suspended. From the middle of each beam dangled a short length of rope, attached at the bottom to a metal ring. The height of the beams was variable; there were a few inflection points throughout the course where they began to rise upward, reaching a formidable elevation, before sloping back down again.
A warrior swung himself forward, extending one arm at a time, gripping a ring in each hand. His progress was slow. His skin glistened with sweat. And a faint golden glow? At first, I thought it was just the warm sheen of his lightly tanned skin—but no, it was definitely somethingmore—the faint remnants of magic. A phoenix soared gracefully overhead, flying above the warrior, a bright red spot in the sky.Was it solely a test of physical endurance?Swinging from one rope to the next?I wiped a sweaty palm against the side of my pants.
