Chapter Twenty-Five
“Come on,” Dax said, holding out his hand. “I want to show you … well, everything. The Great Hall. The practice rooms. Oh, and the fountain! You’ll love the fountain.”
“Rijes Velk,” Marin reminded him.
He waved his other hand airily. “Yes, absolutely, I’m going to ask, as soon as I find one of the grandmasters. Until then, let me show you my world. Ree? Do you want to come?”
Marin gazed at the stairs beyond the dock.
Half of her wanted to see where Dax came from; the other half didn’t want to see the place she was going to lose him to.
She felt an ache, right under her breastbone—it could get worse if she went up those stairs.
“I should stay. Far more people want transport out of Alyssium than can afford it. Can’t leave a boat unattended. ”
“Surely, Silver will be safe at the conservatory.”
She shrugged. It felt safe, but was it? They had no real idea what was happening inside the building, if peace was actually restored, if the provisional government had any clue what they were doing.
The librarian hadn’t filled her with a whole lot of confidence in the competence of the new administration.
Likely, they were overwhelmed and would be uninterested in the theft of a sailboat from a random supply runner.
Ree wrapped his branches around the mast. “I’ll stay and guard Silver.”
That was adorable, but—
The sea serpent flipped his tail out of the water, spraying the dock and the tunnel walls. A clear message: Stop being ridiculous and go.
He was right. She was making excuses. It was just … that stairwell looked like the kind of deep, dark cave you shouldn’t venture into.
His hand still extended, Dax said, “Perri and Ree will protect the boat.”
Marin raised her eyebrows. “You’ve gotten better at understanding him.”
“I’ve always been a quick learner. Are you coming?”
She saw the hope in his eyes. She couldn’t crush that, especially when she couldn’t even articulate why she felt so much foreboding. Coming here was a very sensible next step. The grandmasters could help. It didn’t necessarily mean goodbye just yet.
Without another word, Marin took Dax’s hand.
His face lit up into a smile, and he tugged her toward the stairs with all the enthusiasm of a kid about to show off his collection of favorite toys, and then took the steps two at a time.
A laugh burst out of her. It was sweet how excited he was to show her.
Or how excited he is to be home. Her laugh faded as she realized that was the more probable truth.
He’d been away from home for the first time.
Of course he was happy to be back. He’d missed it.
This is where he belongs.
She’d known it, but now seeing it … Of course it was true. This was his home, and he wanted to be here. Her heart twisted at the thought. This was what the ache under her breastbone was trying to tell her.
He pulled her down a hallway with marble floors, stained glass windows, and walls covered in silver-and-gold mosaics. Everything gleamed, but she barely had a chance to look.
“The fountain is my favorite spot in the conservatory,” Dax said.
“It was carved by … oh I don’t remember her name, a famous sculptor from a couple centuries ago.
Gifted by the emperor on the summer solstice and enchanted by a trio of sorcerers.
If you toss in a scroll of music, it will play it, regardless of what it is. ”
“That must make for a lot of soggy paper,” Marin said.
“Well, yes, there’s a man whose job it is to dredge the dissolved paper out of the fountain every other day.
During exam times, students use the fountain to help them study, and it gets clogged with paper.
I don’t think the sorcerers thought it through entirely, but the music!
” He led her through a doorway and then halted. “Oh. That’s … Oh no.”
Vast and opulent, the atrium looked like what Marin imagined a palace throne room would be like: vaulted stained glass ceilings, ornate golden pillars, pristine marble floor.
In the center was a larger-than-life sculpture shaped into musicians: men and women playing a variety of instruments.
Their faces were streaked with rust-colored stains, as well as blue and green.
Water stains, she realized. This was Dax’s favorite fountain—or it had been.
“It’s beautiful,” she offered.
“It’s dry,” he said, distressed. “It’s never been dry.”
A voice called from across the atrium, echoing in the vastness.
“Daxicend? Is that you?” An older man appeared in an archway—he wore a long blue robe and had a braided beard and a bald head that was tattooed with a circlet of musical notes.
“Oh thank the sea! We didn’t know what happened to you!
” His footsteps rang out on the marble as he hurried toward them.
Dax bowed slightly. “Grandmaster Harvo. The conservatory—is everyone all right?”
Panting, the grandmaster reached them. “Where have you been?” he scolded.
“Searches went out for you. We’ve been monitoring the lists of the dead.
You’re on the list of the missing!” He looked as if he wanted to shake Dax, but he didn’t touch him.
Instead, he flapped his hands as impotently as a flightless bird.
“I didn’t mean to worry anyone,” Dax said. “Shiare must have told—”
“Yes, yes, she said you went off with some sailor.” His eyes fixed on Marin. He raised both his eyebrows expectantly and disapprovingly.
Marin tried not to scowl. Some sailor. Not the sailor who’d rescued all of them and transported them for free. She’d been reduced to just “some sailor.” How fun.
Dax laid his hand on Marin’s arm. “Grandmaster Harvo, may I introduce Captain Mariner of Flicker. She saved my life, as well as the lives of my colleagues, transporting us to safety during the chaos of the revolution.”
“All the others returned,” Grandmaster Harvo fussed.
“You did not.” Belatedly, he added to Marin, “I thank you for your service. I will see you are granted a season pass to any and all concerts you desire.” He then looped his arm around Dax’s and began to lead him across the atrium.
“You must be checked by our healers, and we must inform Grandmaster Vorac. He has been most concerned with your absence, especially with the winter solstice concert only days away! Your opus must be performed, and he has no idea of your progress.”
Unsure of what she was supposed to do, Marin followed. She wished she’d stayed on Silver with Ree and Perri. She’d never felt so much like she didn’t belong. She wanted to grab Dax and flee as far as she could. The magnificent Music Conservatory of Alyssium felt so … opulent yet empty …
This place is like a venomous jellyfish, luring you in. Or warding you off.
Grandmaster Harvo was speaking to Dax in a low voice. When they reached an arched doorway beyond the former fountain, Dax extracted his arm from Harvo’s and said, “One moment, please, Grandmaster.” He bowed and then crossed quickly to Marin.
Reaching her, he glanced over his shoulder at Harvo, then said softly, “I think I’ll have more luck if I speak to them solo. Apparently they were … upset … at my absence. I’ll have to smooth things over first, and…” He paused, searching for the right words.
“And that will be easier if the random sailor who stole you away isn’t nearby,” Marin finished for him. I don’t belong in this overly shiny world.
He gripped her arms. “That’s not … Look, right now, if we want to find Rijes, this is our best option. I promise I will do everything I can to locate her. I do have sway with these people.” He added, “I think. Anyway, I’ll have more luck if I talk to them alone.”
“Yes, sure, I understand.” She did. Of course she did.
From their point of view … Whatever. She was the random sailor who’d taken him away from his great work.
She swallowed hard and told herself it was fine.
This wasn’t goodbye. He was just going to ask about Rijes Velk and then …
what? Did she think he would just return to her and they’d sail away, happily ever after?
She couldn’t help feeling as if the tide was receding, and there was no way to pull it back.
“While you talk with the grandmasters, I’ll take care of that librarian’s request for transport. ”
“Or you could stay here,” Dax said, his hands still on her arms. “I’ll arrange a guest pass. You can explore, listen to whatever music is being created—”
She shook her head. “You do what you need to do. I’ll make sure I’m back in…”
“An hour?” he guessed.
“An hour,” she agreed.
He glanced at Grandmaster Harvo, who was scowling, his bald head wrinkled. Dax released her but didn’t move away. “Can you find your way back to the dock?” he asked. “I’d take you myself, but grandmasters aren’t known for their patience. Once word spreads I’m here, they’ll descend en masse.”
Marin had the urge to kiss his cheek. With Grandmaster Harvo watching, she didn’t. She didn’t want to make things more difficult for Dax. “If you need a rescue…”
He grinned at her, the same grin that she’d seen daily on the sailboat. She wondered if he showed it often here. “I’ll be fine. You be careful.”
“Don’t worry about me. I have Perri.”
“And Ree,” Dax said.
“Bravest shrub ever.” Marin suddenly didn’t want to leave.
She couldn’t shake the feeling that if she left him alone here, he wouldn’t step foot outside again.
It wasn’t so much that he was in any physical danger.
She didn’t think these people meant him harm.
In fact, they clearly valued him. Or they value what he can do, which isn’t quite the same thing.
She wondered if they even knew who he was, if they knew what made him smile, if they knew how he watched the sunrise and sunset every day over the sea as if it were new and miraculous.
Grandmaster Harvo cleared his throat.
Dax stepped back.