Kalynn laughed, and led the way down and then through an arched doorway into a bright kitchen with round windows that let sunlight stream in and pool on the stone floor. Day into night; night into day. How marvelous. There was a small fire in the hearth, and a pot of something that smelled wonderful suspended over it, bubbling away.
“This doorway wasn’t here before.” Warna stopped in the archway, glancing back at the stairs. “And the sun—”
“It’s Wolfe’s mage tower, dear,” Kalynn went to the hearth and pulled over a kettle. “It’s what it needs to be.”
Warna moved farther into the kitchen, marveling at the idea of a mage tower. On the far side of a wooden table, a cat lay in a patch of sunlight. It had the oddest mottled coat of black, brown, yellow and a kind of green. Not pretty exactly but—
The cat fixed its watery yellow eyes on her, and rolled onto its back, inviting a belly scratch.
“Oh, you pretty thing,” Warna crooned, and reached down—
“Careful,” Kalynn said sharply. “She—”
Its fur was warm and soft and Warna gave it a good rubbing, careful not to scratch too hard. The cat started purring, a rough rumble that seemed to echo through the room. Warna enjoyed the moment, then straightened. “My family had cats in the stables and—”
Kalynn was standing there, staring at her unwaveringly. Her light silver eyes seemed unfocused.
“Lady,” Warna asked tentatively, worried that she had offended.
Kalynn blinked, then her eyes became sharp. “How long have you known Verice?”
“A few days,” Warna said cautiously.
Kalynn nodded, gave her a patient look, then prodded, “And how did you meet?”
“Well, truth be told—” Warna started.
“And it’s always best to tell the truth,” Kalynn said. Her eyes softened.
“He kidnapped me,” Warna blurted out.
“Ah,” Kalynn set up the kettle to brew. “To keep you safe, I suspect.”
“Well, yes,” Warna admitted.
“Still, unsettling, isn’t it?” Kalynn had a soft, smile on her face, as if remembering something. “For what it’s worth, I do believe he has your best interests at heart.” Kalynn gestured at the kettle. “While we are waiting, let’s find you a room for your stay.”
“If it’s no trouble,” Warna said.
There was a slight rumble, as if of thunder, coming from overhead. Kalynn shook her head, and took Warna’s arm. “No trouble at all, dear. You have much to show me.”
Warna tried to puzzle that out, but she must have misheard.
Kalynn lead the way out the archway. “Up, I think,” Kalynn suggested. “For a better view.”
Warna watched carefully as they went up a few steps, and found a door on what she could have sworn was an exterior wall.
Kalynn clicked on the black iron handle and pushed.
“Oh my,” Warna breathed.
It was a lovely room, with a small sitting area, and doors leading off. A fire crackled in a fireplace, but what really caught Warna’s eye was the large window in the wall opposite, sparkling with panes of clear glass in a diamond pattern. At the sides were heavy white curtains covered in large pink roses. “Oh, this is marvelous,” Warna whispered, and reached out to undo the clasp and open the windows wide. Kalynn stepped to her side.
Under a dark night sky filled with stars, a frozen lake stretched out below, surrounded by snow-covered fields as far as she could see. A breeze caught a flurry of snow and it sparkled as it danced over the windowsill.
On the far shore of the lake, Warna could just make out a crowd of people, dancing slowly and stately in the light of the torches they carried.
Warna took a deep breath. “Oh my.” She laughed in amazement as she glanced at Kalynn. “That’s all the words I can seem to find!”
