Starrlings 1: House of Fire

chapter 67

L U M I

Tai found her curled up in an armchair beside the fire. There was nowhere else to go. Raphael had offered to find her a room in the House of Air, but by the time their conversation had ended, she hadn't had the nerve to remind him again. She hadn't wanted to talk to him for a second longer.

So she'd retreated to the relative safety of the common room of the House of Fire. Upstairs, in the dormitory she'd been assigned to, there were other girls sitting on their beds, laughing and chatting. Lumi hadn't dared to interrupt. And her private bedroom on the top floor was destroyed and boarded off.

"Follow me," Tai instructed, when he found her. He led out of the House, past a crew of spring starrlings who were working on rebuilding the top floor.

Tai opened the main door of the kinnhouse and led Lumi inside, to find Jinni and Yainni curled up together.

Jinni blinked and looked up at them with sleepy eyes.

"Where are we taking them?" Lumi asked, as Tai led Yainni out of the kinnhouses, with Lumi following behind.

"To New Hamilton," Tai said.

"Tai, we're not supposed to leave the school," Lumi said.

Tai didn't look back at her as he spoke. "What makes you think I follow school rules?"

Lumi wavered. She had never disobeyed anyone in her life. She had always obeyed every command. Every action she had ever taken was to follow a command or a rule, from her grandmother, or her aunt, or her brother. She hadn't even been able to disobey her grandmother and join the fire army, like her aunt had wanted. She had never disobeyed anyone.

But now Tai wanted her to disobey the school rules of Hilverton.

And Lumi found that she wanted to.

Lumi had never flown with Jinni all the way to New Hamilton, and yet Jinni seemed most comfortable around Yainni, and Lumi was confident tonight that they could do it together. The air was icy once they got high into the clouds, and the school and the town disappeared below them.

New Hamilton presented itself as a glittering spectacle at night. Lumi was amazed at the golden lights sparkling below, lighting up the city from well inland to the shiny skyscrapers that stretched over the cliffs. Everything seemed to glow a warm gold. It was vibrant against the black ocean.

Tai, astride Yainni, led them deep into the streets of New Hamilton, where they landed between buildings in a place lit by strings of golden lights. The city was still alive, even in the middle of the night. Lumi saw the golden, beckoning windows of a casino, and the posters outside a cinema lit up in bright lights. Everything seemed exciting and new, as Tai led them and the tigers through the vibrant alleyways and side streets.

Lumi smelled it before she saw it, and her stomach grumbled as soon as the familiar smells wafted to her. But then she saw the brilliant red curtains in the window, and the golden lights displaying the words in the Fire tongue and in Starg. It was past midnight but the restaurant was full, and there was a huddle of tigers sitting outside, relaxing in the warm firelight of the lanterns on the street.

"It's a Liaohuan restaurant," Lumi murmured, as they approached.

"The best food in New Hamilton," Tai said, with a satisfied smile, as he led her inside.

When Lumi and Tai pushed through the thick red curtain behind the front door and entered the restaurant, Lumi was overwhelmed by the rich smell of simmering sauces, the sounds of laughter and conversation, and the colours, that reminded her so much of home. Lumi had never been to the province of Liaohua in the Fire Lands, but it was the closest thing to home that she'd experienced since arriving in Lombardia, and it made her feel safe and warm.

"Welcome, Master Taikku!" the host greeted them with a deep bow. "And you must be the beautiful Miss Lumiko. It is an honour." Again he bowed deeply. The tongue he spoke was affected by a strong Lombardian accent. He was beaming and round-faced, pale with dark hair like a man from the Fire Lands, but from his accent Lumi guessed he had grown up in Lombardia.

He led them to the finest table in the restaurant, which was empty but set for two, waiting just in case they would arrive.

Lumi noticed that almost everyone here looked like her. Everyone had the pure black hair of her people, and although the shades of their skin varied from very light to dark, they were all recognisably people of Fire. She could hear her own language spoken around the room. She recognised the distinct dialect of Liaohua, and even the dialect from Rajashapur. But she also heard plenty of conversations in Starg. While all of these people were ethnically Kaio, it seemed most had been living in Lombardia for a long time. They were immigrants to Lombardia since before the Fire War.

"You've been here before?" Lumi asked Tai.

"It has been important for me to make connections with the Fire people living in New Hamilton," Tai said, smiling up at their host. "These people may hold Lombardian passports, but they are still my people." He paused, then looked at her. "Our people," he corrected.

They were served dish after dish of the food Lumi had been craving for weeks. Small bowls of salted broth that burned her tongue and warmed her tummy with their spice. Platters of crisp tofu baked in cubes, deliciously soft inside. Noodles with fresh vegetables, dripping in sweet sauces. Strong spiced curries with rice. Perfectly plump dumplings filled with tender flavours.

Lumi ate more than she had room for, and then more again. She drank hot tea and felt her cheeks flushing with warmth. She almost cried when their host brought her favourite sweet pastries as dessert, flaky and filled with pistachio and honey, and glistening with oil.

Tai watched Lumi as she ate. A smile was playing on his face, but it seemed good natured. He was happy to see her happy. And she could tell he was enjoying the food too.

"When have you been coming here?" Lumi asked. She was feeling warm from all the food.

"At night," Tai said. "Most nights. They have good food and good music and the people here are interesting. They have a tradition during the night season, to watch the stars after dinner."

Lumi smiled. It filled her with joy to think of her people like this. They loved and worshiped the stars as much as she did, even if they had migrated so far from home.

"It was important to me that you see this place. This restaurant. I wanted you to know of its existence. If there is ever a time where you need help, you must come here. These are your people. They are Kaio, and they are sworn to you above any Lombardian princeling or greedy king. They are here to serve you."

Lumi glanced around, at the people in the restaurant. She licked her fingers to clear off the sweetness of the pastries.

She looked over at the hosts of the restaurant. "And they serve you?" she asked.

Tai smiled. "Of course," he said. "They serve me very well. These people have been instrumental in conducting my plan."

• Author's Note •

Thank you for reading this chapter, and please don't forget to vote on the chapter by tapping the star button! x

My question for you...

If you could eat one meal for the rest of your life, what would it be?

See you next chapter :) xx elle