Page 123 of The Song of Sunrise
Markus sneers but stays silent.
Lady Neda tilts her head in acceptance.
Lord Clayoq nods.
Lord Rollo grunts but does not challenge. Ever since his championship win, he restricted travel between the Underworld territories. No humans or Elves cared to change this section of the treaty, not wanting to get involved in Underworld politics.
“There are no objections or challenges. It is agreed.” The Scribe sits and furiously scratches at the page until all my requests are recorded. “We will begin the next phase of our negotiations, after which we will have a three week grace period for the new laws to be transcribed formally.”
Three weeks and the magical contract keeping my people below the Surface will be broken. They will be able to travel across the territory boundaries in Jord once more, hopefullyopening up much needed trade between our courts. For seventy-five years, I have been waiting for these words to be inked. I should feel relief, but I just feel empty. At what cost was this achieved?
Theyknow.
They know Akemi is a Starwatcher.
The meeting drags on and on as the other royal delegates negotiate on behalf of their territories. By the time the meeting ends, it’s well past midnight and Lady Neda of the River Tribe flooded the room twice, not taking her last place bargaining position well.
Lord Rollo of Jord and his Oksvakt stormed out after losing a trade route deal. Only Lord Clayoq and his Roc Riders standing calmly behind him seem to have maintained composure, this chaos nothing but a light breeze.
I’m one suppressed yawn away from walking out of this room stifled by too many inflated egos for a cold drink and a cigroot. Fuck, I hate politics. But I keep my face statuesque and remain patient until the meeting is concluded. I will not mess up the advantage Akemi granted me. If there is one thing my wicked father taught me, it would be patience.
The meeting ends and I earthwalk to the springs, hoping Akemi wasn’t waiting for too long.
She is not there.
No scent remains whatsoever, like she never came.
I earthwalk to her room.
Only a faint scent remains, hers and her roommate’s.
I follow the trail outside, into the woods, and down a narrow pathway toward Olwythion. Drunken human Watchers and cadets are paired up in the woods, some are already stumbling back to their rooms.
Frustration mixed with dread sets in. She must have gone out with her friends, but something feels off. We had agreed to meet.
I earthwalk to Anita’s Tavern to find Ramona and Leaf dancing. Castor looks sullen at the bar. I charge forward and grab his collar. I can smell Akemi on him.
“Where is she?” I demand.
“Woah, woah, woah,” Leaf says, joining us, palms facing up. “Easy, easy.”
“Akemi left a while ago, went back to her room to rest. Said she still wasn’t feeling up to dancing after the healers patched her up,” Ramona offers.
Anger whips through my system so quickly, I can feel it setting my eyes aglow. “You let her leave here.Unaccompanied?”
I look to Castor this time straight on. If we have one thing in common, it’s our feelings for Akemi.
“I offered, but she insisted she needed time alone in the fresh air or something like that,” he says, his words slightly slurred from drinking.
I release his collar and storm out of the tavern.
Ramona runs after me. “What’s wrong?”
“She wasn’t in your room.”
Ramona’s face blanches, white as the frozen ground around us. We are the only ones who know about Akemi’s true identity. Ramona left Akemi alone. Left a—now known—Starwatcher alone.
I turn on the spot and earthwalk to the path in the woods that leads back to the Watch. This time I pause and turn slowly, opening my senses. Where is she?
