A Court of Stars and Memories

43. Tales in Flight

    Mitsi woke earlier than usual on the morning of the Exchange. Lysander had informed her that he'd be around by mid-morning to take her to Windhaven so they could fly to the Dawn Court with the Exchange group. He'd encouraged her to pack as lightly as possible for a week-long stay, but she'd been at a loss of what to take, while still trying to keep her belongings light and compact.

    Luckily, Seren knew exactly what she should bring along, and Mina was an expert at packing. Somehow, the two females had fit four dresses, two pairs of leggings, two sweaters, a nightshirt and nightgown, and another pair of pants, along with things like her brush and hairbands into one small satchel.

    Mitsi was certain she'd never get it repacked when it was time to return to the Night Court. She pursed her lips and eyed the satchel once more, briefly pondering whether or not she could fit another nightgown in. Mitsi shrugged finally, deciding not to bother with it. Odds were she'd just ruin Mina's packing job, and she'd be fine wearing her pajamas for a few nights in a row.

    Mitsi grabbed her boots out of the wardrobe and tugged them on over her black pants. She'd donned her new Illyrian leathers again at Lysander's behest. He claimed they would protect her skin from the wind, and even though she wasn't sensitive to the cold, he swore she'd be grateful for the insulated layers during their flight to the Dawn Court.

    A part of her hoped he'd offered those as excuses to see her in the outfit again. Mitsi still blushed with pride and embarrassment when she recalled how he'd stared at her when she first wore it.

    The last thing she did was tie her hair back into a ponytail. Mitsi cast a quick look over herself in the wardrobe's mirror, then grabbed her satchel and left the room. She found Mina and Micah hovering in the entryway downstairs. Both of her siblings perked up when she approached.

    "Are you sure about this?" Micah asked. "The Dawn Court is so close to home, and Cyrus told me that Wynter and Kallias think they've started to pick up on Father's trail close to the border."

    A tremor shot down her spine, but Mitsi refused to let her fear show. She raised her chin and squared her shoulders. "I'll be fine. I wrote to Wyn myself after Lysander first mentioned this trip. He told me that he doesn't believe Father or Julian have left the Court yet, and I'll be safe under Lysander and Thesan's protection."

    "I don't see why they don't just set the wards around the borders to keep Father and Julian trapped in the Court," Micah grumbled. "Then we wouldn't have to worry about this." The front doors opened with a creak, but Mitsi couldn't see who had entered yet.

    "You know they can only do that when they've recently come into contact with the person they're tuning the wards to," Mina replied, rolling her eyes. "Until they find Father and Julian, they can't directly set the wards towards them."

    Micah just muttered something and sighed in response. "I hope you enjoy yourself," he added clearly. "But make sure you..."

    "If you tell me to be wary of Lysander, I will find as many frozen toads as I can and line your bed with them again," Mitsi growled, jabbing a finger into her brother's chest.

    Mina snorted as Micah raised his hands in surrender. Mitsi turned towards her and blinked in surprise when her sister pulled her into a quick hug."Be careful," Mina warned. "Don't do anything stupid." She fixed her with a pointed look and stepped back.

    "Ready to go?" Lysander's voice called from behind.

    Mitsi faced him and nodded. "I was hoping to say goodbye to your parents though."

    "They'll be in Windhaven. Come on." He beckoned for her to follow and she obeyed, giving her siblings a parting wave. Lysander lifted her once they were outside the house, and took off flying towards the mountains.