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His eyes dropped to mine, their expression softening as he slowly refocused.
“Of course he can!” Gia bounced over and grabbed him by the other arm. “It doesn’t matter how you left. Mother and Father are going to be delighted to see you, Nik.”
Looking at the gleam in her eyes, he relaxed further, snorting. “I can see through you, you know. You’re planning to take all the credit for bringing me back.”
“Of course!” she said with a mischievous grin. “I have to gain points wherever I can since I’m the daughter who turned her back on their legacy, married a foreigner, and spends her days flitting around other kingdoms.”
“You know,” Nik said thoughtfully, “when you put it like that, I don’t seem like such a bad son after all.”
“Which is just what I’ve been telling you!” Gia tugged on his arm, and I quickly dropped my hold on the other one.
As Nik let his sister drag him toward the palace, I watched them go with a slight smile. His sister knew how to ease this particular fear better than me, and she was the appropriate one to be by his side for this reunion. I would have my chance to meet the king and queen soon enough—too soon for my liking. I had no place in the first meeting between parents and son.
The rest of the group followed behind the royal siblings, moving toward the palace at a slower pace. I didn’t move, however.
Amara glanced back and frowned when she saw me still motionless beside the carriage. When she gestured for me to catch up, I hurried to do so. But as soon as I reached her, I tugged on her sleeve, pulling her to a stop.
“I know Gia said her parents will want to meet me, but I want to give Nik space to reunite with them first without the complication of my presence.”
She examined my face, as if looking to see whether my words were just an excuse to put off meeting the king and queen. After a moment, she nodded slowly.
“That’s reasonable enough. Hayes and I need to consult with the Triumvirate immediately, and I’m sure they’ll be eager to meet you once they’ve heard our report. But as an apprentice, we can’t include you in the initial meeting.”
She glanced uncertainly from the Guild building to the palace. “Luna has already run off to find her Guild friends, I see, but I’m sure there’s somewhere you could wait in the palace. Or if you prefer, I could find out which suite will be assigned to us. The Guild keeps suites for the use of visiting masters, so you could—”
“Actually, I’d like to go out and visit the city.” I glanced back toward the gates. “It’s my first time in Tarona, and I don’t know how much opportunity I’ll have to explore the actual city.”
Amara raised her eyebrows. “I suppose you can do that if you wish. But don’t be gone for more than an hour or two.”
“You’re not worried about me?” I asked, surprised at her easy acquiescence.
She chuckled. “Tarona is a large city, but it’s also home to most of the kingdom’s mages. Even the criminals know better than to judge someone’s strength by their outside appearance.” She nodded at Phoenix, who sat on my shoulder as usual. “One glance at that fine fellow, and they’ll know you’re more than you appear.”
I smiled, her words bolstering my confidence. Hayes had noticed her disappearance and stopped for her, so she left quickly. Given their serious expressions, I was glad not to be joining them in their upcoming meeting.
I still felt some trepidation stepping out of the Guild gates, but it wasn’t about being alone in the city. Ember had even roused herself from her day’s sleep, so I had two companions with me as I set off across the cobblestones.
My sense of anxious expectation came from my true purpose in exploring the city. I had family in Tarona—family I’d never met. It was time to remedy that situation.
I knew Amara, Luna, and Nik would all have gladly helped me if I asked. Even Hayes would have lent his assistance. But just as Nik needed to meet his parents on his own, this was something I needed to do by myself.
My uncle’s trip to Tarona, and subsequent desertion of my father, had been one of the major shaping forces of my life. I might not know him personally, but his actions had affected me deeply. And even now, my father was back on our farm hurting because of what his brother had done. I needed to meet my uncle and ask why he never came back.
Since my uncle’s strength had been just short of mage level, he wouldn’t be found at the Guild or among the courtiers. But with a seed like that, he had to be in one of the nicer areas of the city. Unfortunately, I didn’t know where those areas might be.
Since I had nowhere else to start, I asked the guards at the gates for directions to the central market. It turned out there wasn’t only one market in such a large city, and they gave me directions to three of them. When I asked which one serviced the nicer areas of the city, they directed me to the closest of the three.
It didn’t take long to reach it, and when I walked into the square, I almost forget my purpose for being there. The rich scent of spices and cooking meat overlaid the bright buzz of the well-dressed crowd. Everywhere I looked, my eyes landed on fine fabrics and sumptuous wares.
I didn’t dare touch anything, but wandering among the stalls admiring the goods for sale was entertaining enough. I couldn’t let myself get distracted for long, though, not when Amara had given me a time limit.
“Excuse me,” I said to a stall keeper whose display of leather goods was momentarily free of customers. “I’m newly arrived in Tarona and looking for my uncle. His name is Olan, and he has a plants affinity. I think he lives in this neighborhood. He might be a customer of yours?”
The woman listened politely before shaking her head with an apologetic expression. “I can’t say I know an Olan.”
I hesitated, disappointed, although in a city this large it was silly to expect the first person I questioned to know him.
“Have you had a stall at this market for long?” I asked.
