Chapter Twenty-Five #2
Maressa tugged at her husband’s hand. ‘You remember Naal, Selwyn? Naal Westerra, the Air Warden-’
‘Yes, yes, Mari, I remember who she is,’ Selwyn said tiredly but not without affection for his wife. He took Naal’s outstretched hand. ‘I am pleased to see you again, Naal.’
Kyra was introduced to Selwyn, and he greeted her with the same careful formality. Maressa busied herself in the kitchen almost immediately, muttering under her breath about what tea she ought to serve them, whilst Selwyn showed them to the front room and invited them to sit.
The silence that followed was nothing short of awkward.
Selwyn waited for Maressa to return with their tea without saying another word.
Naal was humming to herself as though completely unaware of the uncomfortable atmosphere, and Kyra took the opportunity to let her own eyes sweep over the little details of the run-down house.
It was well lived-in, that much was clear.
The floorboards were rotten in places, bits of wallpaper were peeling off, and the upholstery on the furniture was holed and worn.
Despite all that, it was a home. A cosy, wonky home that held an abundance of happy memories in every nook and cranny of every corner.
A family who had never owned much of anything but the love they shared for one another.
There was something else alongside those cherished fond memories. A fresh, profound grief imbued into the very walls.
Kyra didn’t know how she knew that.
‘So,’ Maressa said, settling into a burgundy armchair after handing a cup of particularly strong smelling tea to each of them.
Kyra slyly sniffed at hers and tried not to make a face as the fumes flew up her nose.
‘It’s been a long time since we have seen you, Naal.
How have you been?’ Maressa said warmly, patiently, but it was obvious by the jolting of her leg that it was not the question she wanted to ask.
Naal sipped her tea, somehow without grimacing at the sour taste, then sat the teacup back down on its mismatched saucer. ‘I am well, thank you for asking, Maressa. But as I am sure you have surmised, I did not come here to bore you about my own well-being.’
For the first time, Maressa’s smile faltered. Kyra could hear her heart thundering. ‘Do you…’ she swallowed, eyes flickering to Selwyn and back before whispering, ‘do you know where he is?’
‘Regretfully, no,’ Naal said. ‘However, Kyra and I are here to attempt to find him. Am I right in thinking it has been three years since Kano disappeared?’
‘Yes,’ Maressa breathed. ‘Three years almost to the day. He… he had not been himself for a long time, but… there was nothing we could do to help him. He was fulfilling his duty. We could not stand in the way.’ Her voice trembled then, and Selwyn’s hand rested gently on her knee.
Her jolting leg stilled. ‘I’m glad he left.
And I… I wouldn’t want him to come back if it meant being in the King’s service again.
But not knowing if he is even alive… it’s just… I…’
Tears spilled from her eyes again.
‘Maressa,’ Naal said gently. ‘If Kano was not alive, I would know.’ Kyra didn’t know if that was true, but Maressa took the words as fact and nodded fervently, blowing her nose on a hanky that she pulled from her sleeve.
‘Your other son…’ Naal continued, ‘he is also missing?’
Maressa nodded again, slower this time. ‘They think he did it,’ she said fearfully.
‘They think he was the one that got him out. He disappeared the same day Kano did. The king sequestered Selwyn and I from our work for weeks because he thought we had aided Kano’s disappearance.
The… interrogation process was quite thorough.
’ She gave an involuntary shiver. Selwyn’s face hardened.
‘But we knew nothing of it. Kawai never said a word to us. Then they were both just… gone.’
‘Kawai?’ Kyra blurted, sure she had not heard right.
‘You know him?’ Hope lit Maressa’s wet, shining face. Her eyes were so wide, the iris’ like two suns dipped in honey.
The eyes of her son. The eyes of the winking raider.
Naal was watching her impassively, though Kyra could have sworn her head shook ever so slightly.
‘No,’ Kyra said, quickly recovering herself. ‘It’s just a nice name is all.’
Maressa’s shoulders deflated. ‘Oh, yes. It was my father’s name.’
‘Do you think Kawai aided Kano’s escape?’ Naal prompted.
‘There was never any real proof…’ Maressa began, and her voice dropped to little more than a whisper, as though she were afraid of being overheard.
‘But Kawai had been troubled since the king conducted Kano to his service. He grew distant and rebellious and… we hardly ever saw him toward the end. Kawai hates everything about the powers that govern us, hates the discrimination between fae and humans. But Kano… he was a devoted servant to the king. He would never have left of his own accord.’
‘I understand,’ Naal said quietly.
‘Why now, Naal?’ Selwyn said suddenly, and rather coldly. ‘Why have you come now?’
‘Selwyn!’
Naal levelled Selwyn’s cool glare, then after a moment’s pause, she said blandly, ‘I am here now because war is coming. It has never been more imperative that the Wardens come together to combat the rising threat to the south.’
‘I see,’ Selwyn said tightly. ‘Kano is merely a Warden to you, nothing more. You mean to use him just as our king did.’
Maressa was outraged. ‘Selwyn, please!’
‘Answering the call of duty, and being forced to serve a power-hungry king are not the same thing,’ Naal said with blunt finality. ‘The Water Mother never intended for her Warden to be a slave. We are not puppets for monarchs to use as they please.’
‘So, why did you not come to Kano’s aid sooner?’ Selwyn demanded, heat rising on his stubbled face. ‘Where were you, Air Warden, to liberate him from that slavery?’
‘Shhh,’ Maressa whispered earnestly. ‘Please… they are listening! They are always listening…’
Naal did not match Selwyn’s anger. Instead, her expression softened with sadness. ‘Had I been able to do just that, believe me, Selwyn, I would have.’
An aggressive knock at the door had them all falling silent. Selwyn closed his mouth on what Kyra was sure to be another point of argument.
Husband and wife looked at one another, eyes wide. Naal said steadily, ‘Are you expecting someone else?’
‘They know you’re here,’ said Maressa, her voice barely audible. ‘They’ve been watching the house ever since our boys disappeared.’
‘I suppose we are not the only ones looking for Kano, are we?’
‘No,’ Maressa whispered. ‘I’m sorry, Naal, I should have known they would-’
The impatient knock sounded again.
Naal stood, and with quick, elegant hands, performed the same spell over Kyra’s head that made her own wings invisible.
Maressa gave a small gasp, and Kyra didn’t have to look down at herself to know that she too was now hidden from view; the sensation of the spell on her body was as though she were now lighter than air. It was somewhat nauseating.
Another knock.
Selwyn padded out of the room to answer it, Maressa watching frightfully from the armchair.
Naal pressed a finger to her own lips. A warning for Kyra to remain silent.
The door was opened, and Selwyn gave a curt, ‘Yes?’
An official voice carried through the little house. ‘Mr Astaveron, I am here at the behest of His Majesty the King. We have it on good authority that the Air Warden was seen entering these premises accompanied by an earthling female. We have a summons for-’
‘The king wishes to summon me, yet does not do the summoning himself?’ Naal said with perfect cynicism as she joined Selwyn at the door.
Kyra kept her silence, listening.
‘Air Warden,’ the kingsguard said by way of greeting. ‘His Majesty is most pleased to know you are in his city, and requests an audience with you at the palace, by means of a banquet in your honour.’
‘I do not suppose this is the kind of invitation I would be able to decline?’
There was a pause. ‘It would be unwise to do so. You and your earthling companion are expected before His Grace imminently.’
Naal gave a great sigh. ‘I do hope His Grace knows he is interrupting a reunion between old friends?’ The kingsguard did not deign to respond. ‘Nevertheless, I accept this invitation. However, I came alone. You will find no earthling in this house.’
Kyra was suddenly very aware of the sound of her breathing.
Another pause. ‘My report said-’
‘Your report was wrong, my good sir.’
‘I have a warrant to search this house for-’
‘By all means, search away!’ Naal said. ‘All you will find is a half-drunk cup of tea that I have not had the privilege to finish.’ The kingsguard muttered something about refreshments at the palace, and Naal gave a tinkling laugh.
‘Oh, I am sure there will be plenty, though I doubt it will taste as sweet in the king’s company.
’ Still in the armchair, Maressa winced at Naal’s acrimony toward the monarch, as though it struck fear into her gentle heart.
‘Would you still like to search the house and waste more time? As I recall it, His Majesty is not the most patient of males. Let us be on our way.’ Conceding to Naal’s careful manipulation, the kingsguard mumbled his agreement.
‘Selwyn, thank you for your hospitality. Do tell Maressa the same. I will call back later tonight. Well, what are you waiting for, dear sir? Lead on.’
There was a hasty goodbye from Selwyn before the door was closed once more, leaving Kyra invisible and alone with the two waterlings in a stunned sort of silence.