Page 62 of Tempest

“So,” Iason said, as he washed the plates in one sink while Argo swam lazily in the other. “Sophie. We should talk schools. They work a little differently in Mislia: you choose the classes you want to take from a board in the main square, and you move between schools for each class. Is there a subject you liked, in Staria?”

“I had a tutor, so no.” Sophie shrugged as she dried the plates. “He pretty much left me alone to read adventure books most of the time. But I think I’d like to learn more about, well. Science? Relating to the ocean. People here talk about tide pools and reefs and so on, and I’d like to know how it all works, and why—and not just ‘because a god made it that way,’” she added, looking over her shoulder at Levi.

“I generally leave them alone,” Levi said. “But you don’t need school for that. I can teach you, if you like.”

Sophie’s face lit up. “Really? What about when…” She glanced at Iason. “When you’re a dragon again, and you have to leave?”

Levi gave Iason a heated look, and Iason struggled to meet his gaze. Levi hadn’t actively asked Iason to try to break their bond for a few days, and after what Summer, Tanis, and Levi’s family had to say about it, Iason wasn’t entirely sure he wanted to. The possibility loomed over him, the shadow of an eternity spent watching the world change and grow, and Iason felt a chill despite the sunlight streaming through the window.

“Dragons can swimandfly, you know,” Levi told Sophie. “I can keep bothering you, if you like.”

“Oh. Yes, thank you.” Sophie grinned. “I’d like that a lot.”

“Then let’s go.” Levi got up, the glass beads in his braids glittering.

Their lives took on something of a routine after that. Levi would take them on walks by the ocean, leading Sophie into the water so she could examine sharks, stingrays, schools of minnows, and brightly colored jellyfish that clung to Levi’s arms but left no marks. They spent hours watching an octopus in the shallows while Levi talked about the various coastal shelves in the ocean, the whale pods he visited, and the way the currents shifted near the icy shores of Lukos.

Little by little, Iason started to piece together the shape of Levi’s life before two hapless humans pulled him out of the depths. Sometimes, while Levi spoke of deep fissures and feeding patterns that looked like complex dances, he’d meet Iason’s gaze, and Iason could feel the message hidden in Levi’s expression.You could see them, too, one day. If you wanted.

In those moments, Iason wanted it so badly he ached. But then the fear of an endless expanse would creep over the edges of his awareness, and he drew back again.

“I’d like to take Sophie to see some of my sirens,” Levi said one night, as he and Iason lay tangled and sweaty in their bedsheets. Levi was draped over Iason, always needing some form of physical contact, and Iason had opened the window to let the cool night air in. “I made a rule that they shouldn’t interfere with human affairs, but I think that was just me slipping away again.”

Iason raised his brows at Levi. “Away from humanity?”

“Perhaps. I’m remembering the things I used to love—or do love—and it’s surprising, somehow, to think I would spend so much time asleep. Not that I dislike sleeping. It’s lovely. You should do it more.”

“I’ll take that into consideration.”

“But I’d like to be awake for a while.” Levi snaked an arm under Iason, hugging his waist. “I think I could be more anchored, now. If I wanted to be.”

Do you want it?the quiet voice asked, and Iason looked up at the ceiling, imagining the stars wheeling high above. “Does it ever frighten you?” he asked. “Eternity.”

“No.” Levi smiled, closing his eyes. “There’s so much to do.”

Iason lay awake much of the night, listening to Levi’s quiet breathing, the creak and groan of the house settling, and the distant rhythm of the ocean.

A few mornings later, he woke to an empty bed and clattering in the kitchen. When he came downstairs, Levi was practically dragging Sophie around, chattering excitedly.

“I went out and spoke with a group of sirens this morning,” he said, as Iason stumbled blearily into the room. “One of them is an elder—not actually old; that just means he’s, like… a scientist, but for sirens. He agreed to speak to you, maybe arrange a way to have lessons. They’re all pretty wary about people, so you’ll need to keep this a secret. No one else knows.”

“On my life,” Sophie said, following Levi around like a puppy.

“Would it be easier if you two go alone?” Iason asked. “I wanted to speak to some of the mages in the rebellion today.”

“Really?” Sophie asked, before being distracted yet again by the concept of seeing an actual siren. “I mean, sure.”

“It might put them more at ease to have only one new visitor,” Levi admitted. “But you’re still welcome.”

“Maybe next time.” Iason watched as Levi walked Sophie through a few gestures of respect for sirens, and they were babbling to each other as they went out the door.

Alone in the small beach house, Iason sighed and made himself a cup of strong tea before setting out.

He gathered the papers he’d taken from the rooms beneath the crypts and folded them into a pocket of his chiton. The breeze rolling down the street brought the scent of the sea and the beach, and several teenagers rushed by with boards under their arms and demons trailing at their feet or shoulders. One of the demons was in the shape of a bird, and when it sang, the sound of clear bells rang over the small neighborhood.

There weren’t as many tents on the beach anymore—Sophie said people were starting to move back into the city, now that an uneasy peace had settled over Mislia. There were still spell nets and warding circles, which glowed faintly as Iason passed but threw up no shields to bar his way, and Summer and Tanis were sitting on their porch with a group of young children, possibly giving them a lesson. A few of the children had demons, but there were also a few with the pale violet-and-silver hair of people from the hills.

Iason found Lazaros in his tent, clearly about to fall asleep in his chair. He startled when he saw Iason. Then a shadow of doubt fell over his open face, and he drew back slightly. Summer must have told him who Iason truly was, and Iason realized it hurt to see the distrust in Lazaros’s eyes. He dispelled the illusion over his face and closed the tent flap, and Lazaros straightened, casting a spell to light the magelights hanging at the corners of the tent.

---