Starrlings 1: House of Fire

chapter 78

L U M I

Lumi was dividing every second of her time between seeing Jinni in the hospital and meeting with the winter students to practise quelling.

Some mornings, after she'd been to the clinic to check on Jinni, she'd find herself wandering down to the fields, where a few of the cavalry were lined up along the fence every morning. Lumi would lean against the fence on the edge of the field, watching the clash of ice, water, fire and light in the battles on the pitch.

Tomas Wilder was training daily. Some mornings he would ride bareback, making leaping laps around the pitch and running through impressive drills with a trainer. He and Kobuk would create icy paths along the ground and then skate across them, building speed and then blasting against bollards with intense power. Some of the cavalry volunteered against him, and their battles raged in ice and fire.

Lumi had heard that he was the youngest ever wolf rider to compete in the Kinnling Championships in New Hamilton, and she could see why. The bond he had with his wolf was incredible. Lumi lingered on the edge of the field in the blustering cold mornings of early winter, watching as he and his wolf flew and fought in spectacular tandem.

His jet black wolf was a creature to be reckoned with, and Tom astride his back was a sight to behold. They seemed to be one creature, Tom merely an extension to the wolf, and they moved as one, always predicting the other's intention like they were connected in mind and body.

Lumi could only imagine the bond between herself and Jinni one day being half of what she saw between Tom and Kobuk.

On one of the last mornings of the week, Lumi had been meaning to slip away before Tom finished his training, but he and his wolf landed back on the ground earlier than expected. Ice and frost sprayed out from beneath the wolf's huge black paws, and the grass turned brittle and frozen underneath.

"Hey, Lumi!" he called after her, when she was halfway up the hill.

He caught up to her easily, and when she turned to look at him she saw his brow was wet with sweat, and his dark hair was slicked back with perspiration. He had a disarming grin across his face, and a glint in his eye.

"Watching me, were you?" he said, eyebrows raised. "They don't have riders like me in Kakaio?"

As he spoke, Lumi sensed the way his words echoed around them, like magic, and she was caught off guard by his charm, but also by a sense that she'd somehow had this conversation before. She swallowed.

"Are you nervous about the championships?" Lumi asked, deflecting from his question with one of her own.

Tom let his grin drop, and he adopted a more serious expression, but behind him, his wolf nudged against his arm. As they walked Tom turned back and rubbed at his wolf's ear, which allowed him to hide his face slightly from Lumi.

"I don't think I've got much of a shot," he admitted finally. "So my goal is to... not die."

"But that's not particularly likely, surely?" Lumi asked.

"I guess not," Tom said, rubbing his wolf's ear. "But I don't like my chances against some of the competitors. And that's not to mention the chance of another attack, whether your brother's behind it or not. How's Jinni doing?"

Lumi gave a weak shrug. "He's still not strong enough to stand, which means his recovery is still in doubt. The head surgeon is determined to save him, although with only three legs he won't be as capable as he once was. I guess kinnling fighting isn't exactly in our future."

"No, I suppose you always had a different future mapped out," Tom said with a smirk.

Lumi couldn't help but smile at his daring. "Yes, I suppose I have," she said. "Marriage to a foreign prince. Life as a wife."

"That wasn't really the future I was thinking you'd accept," Tom said.

Lumi's smile faltered. "I always dreamed of joining the army and working my way through the ranks," she found herself admitting. "My aunt is the general, and I always thought one day I could be like her."

As she said it, she found herself embarrassed by how childish her dream seemed. She'd never really spoken it aloud before, but she wished she could take the words back. She realised she didn't want Tom thinking poorly of her.

Tom cocked his head at her. "I can't really imagine you being in the army. Why wouldn't you take the throne?"

Lumi swallowed. "I don't think I'm much of a leader."

Tom raised his eyebrows. "And you think he is?"

Lumi looked down at her feet as they walked. "People follow Tai. From the moment we landed here, people have worshipped the ground he walks on. The other students in the House of Fire love and adore him. They see him as a prince. They see him as a king. They barely see me at all."

"Then they're underestimating you," Tom said. "But just because someone can get their face in front of a crowd, doesn't make them a good leader. Power is all about the tough decisions, isn't it? The reality isn't just leading. It's the responsibility of leadership. I think that's something you might have."

Lumi stifled a laugh. "I'm sure you don't know me at all."

"No, I guess not. But from what I've seen, you're capable of much more than you've ever let on. I don't think anyone quite knows what you're capable of. But I imagine it's big."

"Those are bold words," Lumi said. "I'm not sure I deserve them."

Tom shrugged. "I'm the youngest wolf rider ever to grab a spot in the championships, and I might just be killed tomorrow," he said. "Allow me to be a little bold."

"I'll allow it," Lumi said, and in a courageous move, she reached over to tousle the fur on the black wolf's neck.

Kobuk leaned into Lumi's affectionate scratch, and opened his mouth in a wolfish grin.

"He's going back to the kinnhouses now to get a good bath and a scrub before tomorrow," Tom said. "He and I have a big day tomorrow. We all do."

Lumi nodded solemnly.

"I look forward to learning more of who you are, Lumi Tsukasai," Tom said. He pulled himself onto the back of his wolf with the ease of a brilliant kinnrider, and before Lumi could say anything more, he was off.

• Author's Note •

Thank you for reading and an extra thank you for voting on this chapter xx

What's your favourite thing to do on a Friday night?

elle xx