Starrlings 1: House of Fire

chapter 39

L U M I

After a few weeks of lessons, Lumi had fallen into a familiar rhythm at Hilverton College. She was finally able to navigate the confusing alleyways and streets of the school, and to find all of her classrooms. Meal times became a normal occurrence rather than a terrifying fate, and Lumi learnt to keep her head down. In the evenings and on free days she mostly locked herself in her room to study, where she was able to be undisturbed. Late at night sometimes she would sneak out to see the stars, but now she always remembered to be back in the House of Fire before Tai knew she was gone.

But some evenings Lumi noticed that Tai was not around. Lumi rarely spent any time in the common room, because she didn't like being surrounded by so many strangers, but some evenings as she walked past it on the way to her room she did notice her brother wasn't with his friends. She had no idea where he was, but she knew better than to ask him.

On a sunny day with no lessons, Lumi planned to go and visit Jinni and work on some training exercises with him, as she had most days off. But when she went down to the common room and asked where Tai was, Chiru said that he'd gone out.

"Out?" Lumi asked.

Chiru shrugged, then looked back down at the newspaper she was reading.

Without Tai to worry about her, Lumi felt a glimpse of freedom. She took the now-familiar path down to the kinnhouse, to sit on the fence and watch the tigers.

She was surprised to run into Raphael near the canal.

His eyes lit up and he grinned as he walked towards her.

"Princess. What a brilliant surprise."

She didn't speak, but she didn't need to, because he filled her silence with more words.

"What a perfect morning - I love these crisply autumn days, don't you? And the suns are shining down on us today. New Hamilton will be at its glory - you should see it when the light catches on the buildings... in fact! You should see it today! I think it's best if we just take Kala... I'm not confident your tiger will make the flight. But we'll both fit on Kala's back - she's strong."

He increased his speed, and Lumi almost had to jog to keep up, and he was still holding her hand. His charm and happiness was endearing, and magnetic; contagious, and she felt giddy at the thought of him, golden brown like autumn leaves.

He whistled, and the sound seemed to pierce through the whole school, making Lumi jump. She'd never heard a whistle so loud, so powerful.

Raphael turned to her and grinned.

Kala the giant falcon arrived in a beating of wings, landing gracefully on the lawn. She turned her yellow eyes onto Lumi, and Lumi stared back at the giant bird, daunted. But Raphael didn't notice Lumi's hesitation. He swung himself onto Kala's back with practiced ease, and then reached down to give Lumi a hand.

She took his hand again and allowed him to pull her up.

Kala was faster than any kinnling that Lumi had ever ridden, even with two people aboard her back. The falcon took to the skies like she was made of nothing but wind, her huge wings stretched on either side of them.

Lumi gripped onto Raphael, embarrassed at their sudden intimacy, as he whooped at their speed. He was laughing, and she felt a bubble of laughter erupt from her own throat.

This was freedom. On the back of a giant falcon, holding onto the Prince of Lombardia, and leaving the school behind them. Tai would have no idea where she was, and Lumi felt relief cascading through her body at the realisation that she didn't even care.