Andromeda

Chapter 2

Chamomile hit Andromeda with the news as soon as she settled into a chair in the library. "I'm going to be leaving Leoral for a while."

"What?" It took a moment to register. "But... it's my fifteenth birthday this week."

Chamomile sighed. "I know, I'm sorry. This is something I must do. I was hoping we could celebrate this evening, but seeing that you came home late... I'm afraid we don't have much time."

Leaving. Andromeda slumped back into her chair. Chamomile would disappear from time to time, but as far as she knew, she'd never left the continent. And right before her birthday? What was so urgent that she needed to leave now? "Do you at least know how long you'll be gone?"

"I'm not certain yet. At least a week, up to a couple of months. Maybe longer."

Chamomile glanced outside the open windows. Her hands twitched and reached for a book, brushing along the spines on the shelves before falling to her side again. Cool air drifted inside with the soft song of late summer crickets.

"That long? What are you even doing?"

Chamomile hesitated. "I can't tell you."

"Right," Andromeda muttered. "Because you never tell me anything about Icekeep."

"There's nothing good on that continent! The settled parts don't accept our kind, and the north is much too cold and barren for you. It's far too dangerous, Andromeda. I can't let you go."

Andromeda nodded slowly. Chamomile could be right, of course... there had to be a reason she never told her anything about the far-off continent. But still, the fact that she was leaving so close to Andromeda's birthday, and with barely any explanation, pierced her heart harder than any knife or spell could.

"I'm leaving as soon as possible," Chamomile continued. "I'm expected in a few days, and if I want to catch a boat... yes, no later than midnight. We can have a few hours to celebrate your birthday, but then I must be off."

"Actually, I think I'm fine." Andromeda stood, her body stiff, and left the library to stand on the platform overlooking the clearing outside. Was a proper celebration too much? Chamomile had always been somewhat distant, but she usually showed at least some effort to show Andromeda she was cared for. And fifteen was such an important number. The magical number... when members were selected to train for the Queen's Guard, it was when they were fifteen years old.

Whatever she's doing must be important, then.

A firefly drifted lazily by, its light flicking on and off, on and off. Andromeda extended her finger, but it drifted just out of reach.

There was something about the little creatures that drew her to them. Maybe it was because one of her only memories of her father, Vallant...

No. Don't go there. You know what he did.

Still, despite the better of herself, Andromeda couldn't help but wonder if her parents were close by, watching and taking care of her. Maybe that was why she felt so alone in the winter months.

A voice from below pulled her out of her thoughts.

"Is she gone?"

"Y-yes, I believe so. Must have left through one of her escape routes."

Andromeda stiffened. The voices were familiar; they were ones she heard every day. Well, maybe not every day in the case of these two—Dragon and Belladonna. Chamomile's second-in-command and the sneak that hid in the shadows all day.

"Paranoid old lady," Belladonna, the first person who had spoken, snorted. "I don't need to read minds to know that. So? What did they say?"

Shock jolted through Andromeda. Dragon had the rare ability to read minds, but he only ever used it to record Chamomile's thoughts for her. Eavesdropping just... didn't seem like something he'd do. Maybe Belladonna, but not him.