Over the Sea [Dual Trilogy Book 1]

Kano

From Vore, it took us three days to reach Helmfirth. When we arrived, I decided to do the investigations myself, since the knights had been unable to acquire any information about the people on Lily's list.

I walked around the city, asking everyone I saw about the five names listed under Helmfirth. Only two names were recognized, and according to ten people, they had been Magicians, killed by an unknown woman in the middle of the knight, with no one around to witness it.

After killing House Parren, we traveled on to Ayrith. On the way, I heard from Lily for the first time.

If I am being forced into marrying him, he can at least look a little more handsome.

Hi to you, too, I replied.

Sorry, but it's true. I have attempted to talk to Alexander multiple times since he's arrived, and all I can say is, he is super awkward.

Has he told you anything about himself?

He loves to read and can play the vesola. He might as well date Indigo; he already has more in common with her than with me.

It's only been one day, Lily. I'm sure he will open up soon.

I hope so. A pause. Have you found out anything about the list of people I gave you?

So far, I've only heard about two of the names. The two were both Magicians killed in the middle of the night by an unrecognizable person, with no witnesses around.

Sounds similar to Arlo.

***

Before leaving Ayrith, Melai and I walked around the city to buy some food for our travels.

"If you could live in any other kingdom, which one would you pick?" I asked her. With our arms full, we turned away from the merchant's stand and began the walk back to the tavern.

"Hmm," she thought. "I'm not sure. I have always wanted to go to Liadan, but I do not know if I would want to live there." She turned her head, and met my eyes. "What? You have an answer, don't you?"

I smiled. "Of course I do. I would pick Eyara." One of the Southern Four kingdoms, the four of them are notorious for their neutrality. The Southern Four refuse to take part in the affairs of the other kingdoms. They don't even trade with any other kingdom except amongst the four of them. People are always welcome to visit, even move there, but they won't allow outside violence or conflict.

When learning about those four kingdoms, I had often wondered if they at least knew what happened on the rest of the moon.

"Have you been there?"

I nodded. "I went there once a few years ago. My Father found himself super busy with demands from all over the kingdom--"

"I remember hearing about that! The main island had a lot of unrest when Liadan's textiles ran out of wool."

I shook my head at the memory. "The famine eliminated the majority of Liadan's sheep, making their wool and cloth crazy expensive. Anyways, because my father needed to deal with the economy, and because of the sweltering heat that summer, he sent me and my siblings on a trip to Eyara for two weeks. Sairos stayed home, of course, but the rest of us were able to enjoy some time out of the stuffy--"

I saw the boy with the green mark again. He met my eyes before running off into the woods.

If Melai said something to me as I dropped the bags of food to follow him, I did not hear what she said.

I kept my eyes wide open and trained on him as I followed. He finally stopped, and turned around to face me.

"Kano, when will my phonx arrive?"

I came to a halt, startled by what he asked. "Arlo, you know it's different for every magician," I felt myself say. I had said those exact words before. Seven years ago. My brows scrunched as I realized what was happening. "You're not real. You..." A lump formed in my throat.

Before my eyes, he morphed into the seventeen-year-old form of himself, right before he had died.