The Ashen Raven's Treason

Chapter 39

Three weeks have come and gone. Time has passed swiftly in the busy schedule of training, sleeping, and eating. I feel as though I have done nothing else. Not to say my days at the Void Palace haven't seen their fair share of communication with a child that can't speak, a mother that doesn't have enough time to be one, and a Luminary that offers comfort after betrayal.

When I first arrived, I didn't expect to fall into a routine, but I wake in the morning with one goal in mind: to be better than I was the day before. I dress without Fidibi's assistance, and most mornings, I'm gone before she has the chance to bring sweaty, magic-riddled clothes back to my room once they're clean. After my monthly cycles presented themselves during the middle of the night, she had a busy day ahead of her—cleaning sheets, the duvet, and the clothes I ruined. She accepted my nervous apologies.

Not only has Fidibi become a large distraction for what I should be focusing on—my departure back to the capital—but protecting Edire takes large portions of my days. When I'm not training with Zikkora, I'm overseeing her lessons with the Void Queen or a private teacher, creating an array of distractions to center the focus anywhere other than the Luminary tether. And for my sake, it hasn't been a subject matter since I started paying close attention.

Fidibi was right. The young girl that can't form any words other than 'mommy', 'milk', or 'hungry' is already well-adapted to her powers. She understands the complexity of strengths better than the students that have studied foreign magic for years, and some of the best Luminaries in the Utilitarian Legion—the highest class in the palace—can't comprehend how easily Edire goes about the simplest tasks.

Innocence is lost on those that have followed the pages of a book, notes from teachers, orders that keep them confined to a box. Edire doesn't understand entirely what she carries, but that makes it all that much easier for her to comprehend and appreciate it. As young as she is, I would expect her to hate the magic given to her, to resent what she must learn for the rest of her life. It's just the opposite. When a wielder doesn't focus on the laws, on complexity, on the sheer danger and fear of their power, they act freely.

We could all stand to behave a little more like Edire.

And her mother. Though it is still difficult for her to flip the switch on her identity, Fidibi toes the line between friend and servant by sticking to her duties but taking the time to appear in my chambers late in the evening with a full meal, dessert, and healthy conversation. We haven't mentioned anything further with Luminary powers besides the simplicity of Edire's training sessions, and I'm all too glad for it.

I haven't attempted the Luminary tether since contacting Gustus. After vomiting in a rusty bucket normally used to collect drips coming from a crack in the ceiling, I have decided it is best to not attempt something that will leave me bed-ridden. He hasn't appeared in my dreams, and he hasn't tried to contact me during daylight hours. In busy hours of the day, when my mind wanders, I wonder why I haven't heard more. Why no one has even tried to contact the Void Palace to reason a negotiation to have me back. Gustus looked shocked to see me, expectant of a sudden arrival. Though it didn't ignite a fire under him to find out if what he saw was truth or nightmares crawling under sunlight.

Nothing from Cloak. Not even Chaska. Three weeks in, and there hasn't been a single word of suspicious suspects treading into the Void in hopes of finding the palace so far in the north, they'll lose themselves in a blizzard. They haven't spotted soaring dragons circling over these northern mountains, and the Panjandrum Corps hasn't stepped foot into this territory. Their only journey was into Hegemonize to recruit more Luminaries for the Raven Queen's forces. That was all Wyetta's spies could gather. The prince never left his closest supporters, not to ask questions.