AllFreeNovel
Share Us
The buildings of Nolderan are all made from white granite, and the smooth surfaces appear silver in the dusky purple glow of the floating streetlights. Cobalt tiles ripple across the rooftops like waves, and they peak into perfect triangles. We turn left down Lenwick Street, the main road which winds through the Upper City and connects all the most important structures. It reaches to the very back of Nolderan, where the Aether Tower lies.
Day and night the Aether Tower hums with raw magic, fueling the city with power. It’s connected to a network of several smaller spires and ensures the flow of magic through every street to maintain permanent wards such as the one enchanting my manor’s gates. Larger wards, like the one covering the entire isle, prevent any foreign sorcerers from teleporting inside.
We turn onto another street and head to Revelry Row, where The Violet Tree is situated. Many of Nolderan’s finest establishments can be found here. The Violet Tree itself is the city’s most luxurious inn, and the food and wine they serve is exquisite.
The stars twinkle high above, and the shadows dance around us. Our walk is tranquil, or at least it is until we take a shortcut through the quieter streets and pass a faulty streetlight, its crystal flickering on and off. I can’t remember the last time I saw one broken and squeeze Arluin’s hand. He, however, seems unbothered by the sight of it. Even when we pass another one.
An uneasiness ripples across my skin like tiny shards of ice. Now the shadows are suffocating, and inexplicable dread coils through my stomach.
The air smells like death. Cold, lonely, and rotten.
And I am certain we are being followed. No—stalked like prey.
I stop.
“What is it?” Arluin asks. I feel his gaze on me, but I don’t turn to look at him.
I spin around, searching for whatever it is pursuing us, but with many of the crystalline streetlights broken, it’s almost impossible to discern anything amid the shadows.
Yet as I train my eyes on a narrow dark corner, I’m certain I can make out the silhouette of a hooded figure.
I tremble at the ominous sight. Arluin grips my hand.
“Something’s there. . .” I whisper, not daring to raise my voice in fear of alerting the shadowy figure. “Watching us.”
Arluin follows my gaze, squinting at the darkness. When I look back, the silhouette is gone.
“There’s nothing there.”
“But I saw someone—something.”
Arluin pulls me in and kisses the top of my head. Even the caress of his lips doesn’t banish the uneasiness crawling across my skin. “You must be imagining things. Don’t tell me you’ve already started drinking.”
I press my lips together. Perhaps he’s right. There’s no one there, nor any trace of them. Maybe the hooded figure was only a figment of my imagination. Yet I can’t shake away the realness of the presence. How it felt like death whispering through the shadows.
“Come on,” he says gently. “If we stand here all night, staring into the darkness, won’t we end up wasting your birthday?”
I manage a small nod, and he leads me farther down the street. After a few paces, I glance back to where I thought I saw the hooded silhouette, but there’s still no one there.
Only darkness.
With The Violet Tree being Nolderan’s finest inn, it’s also the most expensive. That’s why I’m pleased Arluin offered to fund my drinking for the night. My adept’s stipend is measly, and I’ve almost spent every penny this month. Arluin also receives a stipend from the Arcanium, though his is greater since he’s a fourth-year student and is better able to help with brewing potions and conducting research than a second-year such as myself. But he doesn’t need this small salary. After his father was exiled, being the only child, he inherited all his family’s assets. That includes the Harstall’s manor which is as splendid and ancient as mine, and also various business shares which have ensured him with a steady income during these past five years.
Revelry Row is bursting with life when we arrive. Men wear colorful silk tunics, heavily embroidered with metallic thread, while women wear dresses so extravagant they make my pale blue dress look dull in comparison. Though Arluin is still clad in his cerulean adept robes, he doesn’t look too out of place. The few magi strolling the streets are also in their uniforms. Some are so proud of their robes I’m sure they never take them off. My father is one such example.
The Violet Tree is located at the beating heart of Revelry Row and has the same white walls and cobalt roof as any other building along this street. If not for the sign, it would be difficult to tell it apart from all the other inns and restaurants.
In the late summer breeze, the sign lazily swings back and forth from its steel pole. A violet oak is painted on the sign, and it glows against the dark background. The tree’s leaves rustle in the wind, and it’s enchanted with aether, like my mother’s artwork.
The inn’s door is a deep shade of mauve, and blossoms are carved into its wood. Arluin holds the door open for me, and I step inside.
For a long moment, everything is silent and still—so unlike the inn I always visit.
Convinced he’s somehow taken me to the wrong place, I turn to him. But before I can say anything, a cacophony of voices erupts from the darkness.
“Surprise!”
The crystalline lights switch on, revealing the faces of everyone I hold dear. My mother and father both stand there, as do Eliya and the rest of my extended family. All of them are crowded into The Violet Tree’s front room.
