Page 9 of Song of the Dawn
“Where are you from, Mila?”
“Solynn.”
“Ah, that explains it.” She rested the basket in the grass and put her hands on her hips, shaking her head mournfully. “Cities will be the death of people, but they are too blind to see.”
“What do you mean?” I asked cautiously, surprised by her bluntness.
“Those poor children, growing up without a place to run and play. They don’t have adventures or plant gardens and harvest from the soil. Or get dirty playing in the mud or learn how to swim like the fishes. In the city, they stay inside, growing fat and lazy, forgetting about the land, arguing over money and politics, instead of enjoying this. Life is simple, but the whims of society make it complex.”
I almost laughed until I realized she was serious. Covering my mouth with my hand to hide my amusement, I asked, “Are you from here?”
“Lagoda? Naw. Dusty and I came up this way years back when Ezra visited our farm and made us a deal. We were falling behind, couldn’t keep up with the land or make enough money to sustain ourselves. He welcomed us to this paradise, and we’ve been here ever since. He has a good heart, he does.”
Ezra. Owner of the Dawn. Shielding my eyes against the sun, I glanced back at the tower, which appeared taller and even more forbidding from down in the gardens. I opened my mouth to ask her what he was like, since I’d yet to meet him, but Giselle went on.
“I admit, I was curious when he made the offer, because according to legend, mysterious things happen here.”
Her words caught my attention. “Like what?”
Giselle’s eyes sparkled as she lowered her voice. “Not long ago, something strange happened on the island out yonder.” She pointed at the lake. “Since then, rumors have spread that we are not alone. Beings of myth commune with nature, although they hide from human eyes. Some call them fey, woodland folk. Others calls them spirits, but the tales are the same. A maiden from the village got lost in the woods for days and came back with no memory. A pair of horses disappeared from a farm, a widow found a sack of coins on her doorstep, and a couple, barren for years, suddenly had twins. The spirits are mischievous, blessing some and punishing others. Legend is, if you visit the island on a night when the barrier between worlds is thin, you can dance with the spirits and they won’t harm you. Although, you won’t remember a thing the next morning.”
I stared in astonishment, unsure what to say, especially because Giselle looked serious. Did she believe in the supernatural? “Have you gone to the island on such a night?”
“If I have, I don’t remember it.” Giselle suddenly snorted. “Tell you what, come with me one night, and we’ll see if the legends are true.”
My skin itched with the desire to escape from her outlandish tales, and suddenly I remembered my duties. I snatched up the basket, which was heavier than I’d expected, and grunted. “If I don’t have to work,” I told her, the guileless words slipping from my lips because I had no intention of joining her.
“Well, I’ll let you get back to work.” Turning, she waved. “Until next time, Mila.”
“Bye, Giselle,” I called after her retreating form.
Taking the eggs, I made my slow way back to the inn, but the wonder of the morning stayed with me, as though the sight of the rainbow had given me a blessing.
Back inside, the rush of the day pumped through my veins. I walked behind the bar, to the kitchen. Walls that did not quite reach the ceiling divided the kitchen into three parts. The first had a round table where the staff ate and where trays to go up to the guest rooms were placed.
Beside it was the mechanical lift, a device that carried one to the next floor. It was a clever way to alleviate the need to constantly run up and down the stairs, and Rachelle had showed me how to turn the crank to select a floor. Beyond it was a short hall with a door leading to the cellar. On the other side of the wall was a space for cutting, cooking, and preparing and another room where the meat was stored.
As I set the heavy basket on the kitchen table, Moses, the cook, came over to look. “Oh, that’s unique,” he said, picking up the eggs one by one.
Moses was a slight man, a little shorter than me, with tight gray curls covering his head. His skin was dark and leathery, but he had blue eyes that twinkled, and tended to hum when he wasn’t talking. He was easy to like, a bit absentminded but an excellent cook. “Look at this. A little blue egg. Now, that’s unusual. I’m going to save this one for something special. Maybe a cake.” He winked at me.
“It is pretty special,” I agreed.
He tapped his head. “You’re Mila. Correct?”
“Yes, this is only my third day here. I’m still learning.”
Moses winked again. “Ah, you’re the one who will play during the dinner hour. Now, I look forward to that.”
“Thank you,” I beamed, only slightly nervous. Tomorrow night would be my first night to perform, and aside from practicing, I’d never played for a lengthy amount of time.
“I bet you haven’t eaten yet.” Moses picked up the basket. “Don’t move. I’ll make you a plate. Breakfast is the best meal. If you eat a good one, it’ll keep you going all day.”
“Thank you.” I perched on the edge of a chair, determined to eat as quickly as possible before helping Rachelle.
My stomach growled as Moses returned not five minutes later with a plate of eggs, mushrooms, biscuits, tomatoes, and cheese. At first glance, it looked like too much food, but when I started eating, delicious flavors burst on my tongue, making it impossible to stop.
Halfway through my meal, a shadow darkened the doorway. A reminder of the discomfort I’d experienced when bathing my first evening made me shiver. I jerked my head up and almost choked as I caught sight of the golden-haired man.
