Page 22 of The Song of Sunrise
“Or maybe she’ll be with the Starwatchers, if only they still existed,” Leaf jokes. “I bet my toned and bronzed bottom dollar that she’s with the Sun’chers.”
Castor snorts. “Leave your rump out of this. I’ve seen enough of it this summer during our travels.”
We continue to ride through the afternoon, Leaf and I taking turns sharing stories while Castor grunts his approval. A relatively peaceful ride despite my nerves growing with each mile.
“We are nearing the border of the Watch,” Castor announces, and within a minute, I sense something different about the air, like it’s easier to breathe.
“Finally!” Leaf exhales. “As much as I love traveling with you two, I don’t think my ass could take one more night of sleeping on the ground. No offense,” he adds, looking at me.
“None taken,” I say. “Honestly, I don’t think I could manage another night either.” I feign passiveness, but my stomach feels like it’s perpetually tripping, unexpectedly flopping to the side and spraining an ankle.
Another new place.
Another new start.
The sun lowers as we ride through shallow streams, across muddy patches of grass and small forest trails until ancient, layered red rock juts upward in large mounds on either side of us.
My lungs expand with the crisp night air. Stars wink awake through the dusky sky, the pinpricks of light preparing to observe their subjects below.
We trot single file through a narrow crack between two rock walls. I wouldn’t have seen it if the Watchers didn’t lead me right to it. I spread my arms wide like a bird until the rough stone of the passage lightly scratches my fingertips. Leaf casts some sort of enchantment so that the pass illuminates in front of us. The darkness follows us closely behind.
“This is Shadow Pass. The Watch is just beyond here,” Castor murmurs behind me.
“Aptly named,” I whisper back.
The crevasse curves gently to the right, revealing a slightly wider path and opening beyond where two large silhouettes stand on either side, weapons ready.
“Good evening gentlemen,” Leaf waves his brightened hand, then closes it, extinguishing the light.
“Name and purpose,” a guard says as he steps into the center of the path, blocking us.
“My companions and I are expected by the council. Please notify them to prepare a room for a new recruit.” Castor lets out a short breath and nudges Lux forward into the moonlight. I feel him tense behind me.
The guard’s mouth opens then promptly shuts in shock.
“Mr. Washington! I apologize. Right away then.” He scuttles backward, leaving plenty of space for us to pass.
We continue forward through the opening. Creamy lavender moonlight pools around us, and my eyes widen at the sight. Perched among the ancient rock and billowing evergreens is an enormous castle. The entrance, only accessible by a series of deadly looking switchbacks, is halfway up the polished white stone wall. Three large geometric spires shoot upward so tall they pierce into clouds, two splitting the front entrance and another jutting from somewhere in the middle of the castle.
It is beautiful and terrifying… as if I’ve stepped off the stage, right into the stories I so often sing about. A lush forest thick with pine trees that have to be over one hundred feet tall swishes pleasantly in the breeze as an owl hoots. Mountains reach jaggedly toward the star-flecked sky, grasping for the moon only to find it sparkling the surface of a giant lake.
Castor leans forward, his lips brushing the tip of my ear.
“Welcome to the Watch, Akemi.”
8
The Library Cat
Iam gasping for air by the time we get to the top of the narrow switchback stairs. Two onyx doors three times my height stand solidly shut before me, linked together by the center peak of an engraved “W”. Before Leaf finishes extending his arm to knock, a series of loud clanking sounds like a mixture between rock and metal comes from behind the door. The notes echo tenfold across the quiet rocky landscape, bouncing the sound from one side of the ravine to the other and creating an eerie, erratic rhythm.
Leaf is first to go inside, Castor next. And I linger for a few moments.
Sun burn me, I cannot believe I’m doing this.
I try to swallow, but my tongue is too dry. I walk through the onyx doors into the castle.
The interior is made with the same bone white stone as the exterior. Smooth and unforgiving. Moonlight drifts through ceiling windows high above, illuminating the chamber ofcircular stone columns. In the center of the room is a dark oval pool, shallow and still.
