Chapter 19

                                    

                                          

                            

                                
                            
                              
                                  
                              
                              
                                
                                  
                                  
                                
                              
                             
                            
                            
                          
                          
                          
Nothing and Everything
                          
Morning came sooner than I thought. I opened my eyes, allowing a heavy beam of light to blind me. The open balconies were both a blessing and a curse; on one hand the view was magnificent and on the other, I was vulnerable to the breadth of nature be it winds, sandstorms, or sunlight so hot, it would melt the Ether bergs in Maignane.
                          
I rubbed my eyes and sat up. "Land of the sun, indeed," I noted to myself.
                          
Once my vision recovered, I spotted Innes sitting shirtless on a high folding chair with his feet resting on the balustrade. Eyes closed, his face was tilted towards the sun, basking under its warmth.
                          
"Good morning," I chuckled as I leaned against the railing, peering over at the orchards.
                          
"Morning," he yawned as he lowered his feet to stand. He inched over to me and nodded towards the stairs. "Seeing as how neither of us got much sleep, we should at least eat."
                          
I grinned and followed his lead.
                          
We made our way to the dining room upstairs, chattering about how Innes promised his people would never serve me Sealy cake.
                          
"Cow guts dipped in perfume water doesn't sate anyone's appetite," Jhilza hissed from the table, half her face obscured by the mug she drank from.
                          
I took the seat across Jhilza and began to eat from the feast laid out before us. For an estate in the desert, there must've been a lot to go around if the servants could afford to generously feed us.
                          
"So what happens now?" I asked, my eyes shifting between the captain and the assassin.
                          
Luster City was no longer an option, but I still had to find my mother. Not to mention the hundreds of unanswered questions I had about the strange books the people were holding during the Tyrant's festival.
                          
"The only option is to leave Caledonia and head west for Maignane. There is no longer anything here for any of us." Jhilza folded her arms across her chest and leaned back against her chair. "If I bring you to the Children of the Dawn, I would have accomplished my mission." She looked down at her hand and clenched it. "Three years in this sunny shit hole, I'm ready to go home."
                          
I blinked. "Three years? What exactly was your mission?"
                          
"To bring home the last of the Gifted," she replied, her eyes never leaving mine.
                          
Instinctively, I turned to Innes. Jhilza's vicious disposition returned, signaled by the narrowing as well as the strange glint in her eyes.
                          
"I'm not going to Maignane without my mother or Innes," I scoffed. "He's the only one I trust."
                          
Jhilza patted her chest and winced, as if in pain. "Ouch. And here I thought I was finally getting on your good side after rescuing you from a Warden."