Fate of Dragons

Chapter Twelve

***

"You look really nice," Glenna said softly as the attendants gave their robes a final brushing to smooth them out.

"Thanks. You do too," Tesa said.

Glenna's smile was so relieved that Tesa felt a pang of remorse at how she'd been treating Glenna. She'd been giving her the cold shoulder from the time they'd left Areth. Glenna had mostly given up trying to talk to her after Tesa had rebuffed her first few efforts early on.

The sun now sunk lower in the sky, and an orange glow mingled with the golden lights that began to blink on throughout the temple.Tesa caught Glenna gazing wistfully toward the spires, which had begun to darken and appear ominous once more. Seeming to sense Tesa's eyes on her, Glenna turned.

"I'm so sorry," she said.

If only she knew.

"We'll get there," Tesa said, trying to sound like she believed it. "Soon, I hope."

"They need our help. Siora...I miss her. I thought this would be the best way."

It took Tesa a moment to figure out that Glenna was referring to her telling Malía about the door.

"Maybe it is."

Finally finished with them, the Yennar-Leian attendants stepped back and formed two lines on either side of the riders, motioning for them to walk between them. Mr. Mao took the lead ahead of the procession. As the group left the courtyard, Orrie and Aerix took flight.

Orrie gave a mental sniff, as if he were offended. We're invited too.

Mr. Mao led them out of the courtyard and through the temple on a completely different path than the one they'd taken for their mage test this morning. It was much shorter. They soon came to a patio that overlooked the beach, and Tesa recognized it as the balcony they'd seen when they first landed in Saldive. Under the darkening sky, lights glowed along its railings.

They crossed this patio to more stairs, which climbed up to another balcony. The sounds of conversation and music drifted down the stairs as they ascended. Tesa could see groups of people casually standing about, holding drinks and talking with each other. They were dressed in robes as formal as her own.

At the top of the stairs, a wide open patio stretched out before them. It was bordered on three sides by ornately carved railings. On the fourth side, a row of pillars held up the roof to an indoor space equal to the size of the outdoor patio. Tables were grouped around the edges of the floor both inside and out, and servants in plainer robes ducked in and out with trays of food and drinks.

More of the golden magic lights filled the space. They lined the railings of the balcony, stretched overhead on strings, and adorned the centers of the tables. Automatically, Tesa's mind went to wondering at the number of mages it must take to maintain so many little lights, but she caught herself and remembered that the lights weren't maintained by mages, but instead by bound magic spells.

Tesa sidled close to the railing as they walked and snatched up one of the lights. The small gray stone glowed where it lay in her palm. A tiny symbol was etched on its flattest side. She glanced around to be sure no one was watching, then slipped it into her pocket.

Just as she did this, their procession suddenly stopped. They'd turned at the top of the stairs and hugged the railing until they came to the pillar closest to the wall of the indoor portion of the ballroom. Tall standing curtains blocked off an area just inside the pillars, and Mr. Mao pulled one curtain aside and beckoned for them to go through.

"Finally. What took you so long?" Malía rushed over to them and grabbed Neela by the arm. "Is everything all right?" She gave a small glance toward Tesa.