Equinox (Book One of the Firebird Chronicles) WATTY AWARD HIDDEN GEM WINNER 2015

Chapter Fifteen: Valkyrie

‘Ma’am, Kirsten has returned.’

As we waited outside the manager’s office, I laughed inwardly that Kirsten, the Angel who I had rescued, seemed so much more anxious to meet her boss than I did. She had dragged me all the way to the bridge, and I had been sure we were about to cross it— until we had diverted, down the path towards the Bathhouse. The building was even more beautiful up close; a calming giant with slate roofs, all reaching a point in the centre. It was made of sleek, shining wood, with panels of white canvas that slid. A small, curved bridge led to the entrance, surrounded by white flowers and gentle trees, slowly swaying in the breeze.

The inside was low lit, with very simple wooden décor. We took our shoes off at the entrance, where there was an entire rack of guests’ shoes. Kirsten passed me a pair of white slippers and led me through the Bathhouse.

The main entrance was large, with a central staircase leading upstairs, but we quickly veered away, down smaller passageways.

‘The baths are down here,’ Kirsten explained, but I frowned once more. I couldn’t imagine so much space, all for a bath. But she didn’t expand any further, and I quietly mused over it as we reached yet another sliding door.

A young girl was waiting outside. She was dressed in the same uniform I had seen on the girl before; a worker, presumably. She nodded respectfully towards Kirsten and me, before sliding the door back and entering, shutting it behind her. From inside, we heard her announce us.

‘Kirsten’s back?’ a quiet voice was heard inside. ‘Good. Send her in.’

The door slid back once more, and the girl beckoned us in. The second person in the room glanced towards us, and froze when she saw me. Silently, the manager lady looked at me, then back at Kirsten, and said, ‘We appear to have a guest. Some tea, Hattie, please.’

‘Yes ma’am,’ the young girl replied, and she quickly exited.

The room was lit by an amazing window; a huge rectangle, cut into the wall, that allowed a view across the river, running swiftly past us, and into the distance. The figure was standing by the window, and she turned to look across the water. From behind, I could tell that she was an extremely tall woman; muscular, and strong. She held herself with pride and confidence. She wore the same robes that everyone else did, but somehow they looked much more formal and important on her.

‘Kirsten, it’s been nearly a day,’ she sighed. ‘Where have you been?’

Kirsten fidgeted.

The woman turned back to us. She had steel grey eyes, with a stare that powered from across the room towards us. Down the left side of her face, an old scar jaggedly streaked from her temple to her jaw, shutting one eye closed. It aged her dramatically. Her hair could have been youthful— it was still a dull brown— but her face retained a haunted look that told me this woman had been through hell, and come out at the other end.

‘Kirsten,’ she said sternly, gesturing for us to sit. There were cushions along the floor, seated by a low table in the centre of the room. We crossed the woven mats and obediently sat.

‘I went to see my sister,’ she mumbled, ‘but she’s been drinking again. I stayed to clean out her rooms. There were bottles hidden everywhere.’

The woman looked understanding; her face softened a little.

‘We were all worried,’ she said, ‘we thought you might have been caught out after curfew...’

Kirsten visibly paused, and the woman tensed again.

‘You can’t lie to me, Kirsten,’ she said, her voice low but clear. ‘What happened?’