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I wake with a start, a pounding in my head from my consumption of alcohol last night. The lack of food in my stomach is threatening to cause a revolt. I try to focus on the odd dream that is slowly drifting from me. My body aches at the feeling of inevitability that was in that magic. It felt so real.
And as much as I longed for that magic, my own told me it would spell my ruin.
I groan and throw my legs over the side of the bed, palms supporting me on the soft blankets as I sway with the effects of last night. Loris and I continued drinking and discussing plans and ideas for bringing an end to the Race, and it turns out I cannot hold my liquor as well as he can.
If I am to exist at all today, I must get some food. Making my way to the kitchen, I’m shocked to find Loris there. He sips from a steaming mug of tea. Unlike me, he shows no ill effects from our night of consumption. “Morning, sleepyhead. I see the beauty rest did you no good,” he jokes. He grabs another mug and shoves it in my hands. I gulp the tea down, savoring the heat that scorches my throat.
“Gods, I cannot believe I feel so awful, and I have to work on a rebellion like this.”
His laugh is a staccato that rumbles low in his chest. “Yeah, well, I told you to eat something. Here.” He tosses me a loaf of bread and a hunk of hard cheese. I tear into them like a wild animal.
Through a mouthful of food, I say, “I had the strangest dream.” He raises an eyebrow, holding out a hand to get me to continue.
The dry hunk of food does not go down easily. “I was in this forest clearing, and even though it was empty, I know someone else was there, just… not there if that makes sense. The forest was calling to me like a siren. I had to be there. Eventually, I see this magic lazily floating in the air, so I gather it up. When gathered in my hands, drops of crimson and flakes of ice swirled together - I’ve never seen those before. It was like the magic in my veins was itching to get out and avoid mixing with the spell I’d found. It told me that magic would only spell ruin and to not combine it with my own.”
His curiosity piqued, Loris leans closer to me. “What’d you do?”
“I consumed them.”
His grin is wild, and the energy of his excitement is palpable. “Hell yeah, you did. What happened?”
“I woke up.”
He throws his mug at my head; I duck to narrowly miss it as it shatters on the wall behind me. “Asshole! Got me all excited for nothing,” he grumbles.
My belly laugh could be heard from the Lowlands. “Why so excitable, Loris?”
He further musses his bedhead. “You really don’t see it?” I shrug, running a hand up my bare arm. “That was Winter magic.”
Hearing that my dream was Winter magic left my body chilled, so I soothed it with a shower, the water heated to scalding by my magic. Stepping out, I slide into my trousers and opt for a stormy gray shirt that catches my eye. As I pull it on, a fleeting image of Viola Mistflow approaching the man in the cave flashes in my mind - the piercing intensity of her icy eyes, the same shade as the shirt my subconscious chose for me. It momentarily distracts me, leaving me disoriented by the lingering thoughts of someone I barely know.
I need to dismiss the puzzling fascination with Viola, but she continues to push stubbornly to the forefront of my thoughts. I wonder if she made it through the night or if one of Plume’s beasts devoured her during the night.
A vice grips my chest at the thought of not seeing her again.
As if sensing my distraction, Loris pokes his head into my room, noting the bewildered expression on my face. “Man, what’s going on?” he asks, his tone filled with curiosity.
I’m trying to make sense of it myself, so an outside opinion could not hurt. “Just thoughts about Viola Mistflow,” I respond, keeping it vague.
Loris nods knowingly, leaning against the doorframe. “Yeah, she’s been on my mind too,” he admits, his voice tinged with something not unlike irritation. I raise an eyebrow, sensing there’s more to his words. “There’s something strange about her, don’t you think?” Loris muses, his gaze distant.
Curiosity piqued, I ask, “What do you mean?”
He hesitates before continuing. “It’s just how she handles herself, the conflicts she smooths over. It is out of character for a human.”
I furrow my brow, considering Loris’s observation. “What do you mean, out of character?”
He waves me off. “Forget I said anything. I just get a peculiar feeling from her.”
That makes two of us.
Loris and I head out, down the winding stairs from my loft to the ground level. I turn towards the Palace of the Patricians, ready to part ways with Loris for now. He’s on his way to do some spellwork on the lightning grid that powers our infrastructure. With his help, we may be able to bring the grid down enough to cause some chaos later during the Race. At this point, anything that could make Mace’s job harder will be welcome.
The Palace is bustling with activity, people milling about as they prepare for their day. The scent of tea and roasted nuts waft over me. I follow my nose to the command center, where Plume is just exiting. “Hey, Zeph!” she calls out.
I wrap my arm around her in a half hug, enjoying her skin’s warmth against me. “Long night?” I ask, noting the deep purple under her eyes.
“Incredibly. We woke up the seps, a griffin, and Wendigo.”
