Starsinger

Ink

Aaron breathed in the scent of the bright, clear morning and tried to ignore Jace brooding like a stormcloud at his back.

They were weaving through the town around the Luminarium, in a district where artisans and merchants kept their shops. Aaron let his eyes roam over the wares for sale, honey-sweetened pastries, scented prayer candles, and thick woolen shawls dyed in vibrant colors to keep their wearers cheery through the winter. He felt at home. Although the shops didn't tower half as tall as those on Market Street and their cedar walls were pale reflections of the redwood timbers back home, he recognized the shop people with their pitched voices and eager eyes. Almost without realizing it, he started searching for his father's shop, as if he'd turn the corner and be home again.

"They've got roast pies." Aaron pointed to a bakery. "Last summer vegetables of the season. Any interest in second breakfast?"

"None," Jace said sourly. The baker's assistant overheard him and glowered.

"You're in a delightful mood this morning. I'm starting to think I should have left you behind."

"Seems everyone's thinking that these days," he muttered. Aaron shot him a look and Jace shook his head. "Gods, that sounded pathetic. Pretend I never said it."

"Have you talked to Delia?" Aaron asked, keeping his voice as neutral as possible.

Jace kicked a loose cobblestone out of his way a little more aggressively than necessary. "Nothing to say. She wants space, I'm giving her space."

"And taking it very well, I see."

Jace glared at him. "I'm just tired of sitting around trapped in that library. I can't do anything in there, just twiddle my thumbs while Pierce and Raelyn debate historical texts and Delia tries to translate a dead language into something remotely helpful. You and Sapphire can help with the modern books, but I'm too slow to be good for anything."

"That's not true," Aaron said. "Reading slow is still reading."

"I can't keep the letters straight. I could spend hours trying to make them play nice on the page, and by that point either you or she would be halfway through. That's a poor use of resources. I know that, because strategy is what I'm good at. But I can't do what I'm good at because I've spent two days stuck in a library and now I'm here following you through this town for gods know what—" Jace stopped suddenly. He looked at Aaron. "Why did you drag me along with you? What are we doing here?"

"Thought you could use a break from the library," Aaron said lightly. "Evidently I was right."

"No, you've been leading us somewhere. You keep checking the shop signs."

He'd wondered how long it would take Jace to notice. He handed the striker a rolled parchment. "Take a look."

Jace unrolled it. "The Conservatory's map. But why—" He saw it. "There's an X over the Luminarium."

"Fellow at the coffeehouse this morning gave me an address." Aaron peered both ways down a side street, then turned left. "Thought we should go check it out."

Jace's brown eyes lit up. "Another lead. Well done." He straightened, his gait lengthening back into his confident stride. A moment later he remembered his poor mood and frowned. "You could've told me."

"Figured you'd want to figure it out for yourself. Honestly, I'm surprised it took you this long. You must be slipping."

Jace leveled another evil look at his friend. "You have a funny way of trying to cheer me up."

Aaron grinned. "It worked, didn't it?"

The streets became narrower and the soldiers pressed close to one side, this time both searching for the next landmark. Aaron knew that Jace needed a task, and to tell the truth, so did he. The strained politeness between Raelyn and Delia had dissipated, but over the past few days an entirely new barrier had sprung up around the mage, a forced detachment as she considered the choice before her. They were all trying to respect it. Between that and the novices that regularly paused by the library's transparent walls to stare at Sapphire's hair, their research efforts had been stifling.