2

Risky Request

Dapples of light splashed through the canopy above on the worn dirt path. Aviana and Cryson walked side by side, through the spiraling islands that made up Starglade, connected by ornate bridges infused with arcane. The water of Starlake splashed against the formations. Thanks to arcane intervention, the peaceful sound was never drowned out by the roar of Starfalls, the waterfall that surrounded and protected their home. The mist from the massive circular waterfall filled the air, obscuring much of the sky and surrounding mountains and forest, like a curtain.

The two strolled past homes built within ancient trees. Only a few trees this far back on the islands—there were fifteen islands in total—were businesses. Most had been established on the first four.

Other clanmates mingling about stopped and stared. Most tossed dark looks in her direction. Some even whispered, purposely loud enough for her to hear the unkind words. It made her gut twist. No matter what Aviana did, she could never get them to let go of their unjust prejudice. Will I ever be welcome here?

She and Cryson walked past a large stone building, one of only two to exist in Starglade. An elegant sign hung on it. Stargazer’s Lore. Awful sounds, what could be surmised as attempts at making music, squealed and clanged their way through the open front doors, making both Aviana and Cryson cringe. This was their bardic college, and the headmaster, Athar Starsoar, had recently gotten a new batch of students.

They continued on, passing through the second-to-largest island, dedicated to agricultural needs. Chickens and ducks moved about while alpaca and goats were corralled into specific areas to keep them away from the crops and fruit trees. Several owlcats lay about, acting as sentries.

There were only three tree homes on this island, belonging to three families who enjoyed their jobs providing for the clan, and like all other businesses here, engaged in friendly competitions to call themselves the best agricultural providers.

A cool breeze blew, a welcome relief from the humid summer air, but also a promise to what would come in a moon’s time for autumn. Not that autumn and winter were tough here in the tropics of the Karma Wilds, but they were a bit colder. Aviana and her brother came to the last island in the spiral—the largest of them all, and most protected by being deep within the spiral. An intricately designed temple of marble, precious metal, and stone stood near the backside of the island—the temple of dragons. This was the only other building in Starglade not made inside the trees, and also the most sacred.

Beside it, the largest and oldest tree in all the Karma Wilds, the Whispering One, swayed in the breeze, her brilliant colors of arcane-infused nature on display. Owlcats mingled by her massive roots. Pride leaders, easy to spot by their immense size, conversed with each other, based on their ear and tail movements, while also keeping an eye on their respective prides. Queens and other adults watched the cubs of different ages chase after the dapples of multi-colored light the Whispering One’s leaves created.

An old voice penetrated Aviana’s mind. “Well, hello there, Aviana. I wondered if you’d try to slip away from your sister after that fun display this morning.”

Aviana chuckled and spoke back to the sentient tree. “Yes, Whispering One, even I have my limits with her.”

“She’s an interesting child. I hope your travel plans will help her grow into the strong woman we know she can become.”

Aviana swallowed. The Whispering One was one of the oldest beings in existence. Her roots grew so far down into the land, they touched the arcane leylines, drawing them up and affecting the land around her. It created the most unique ecosystem Aviana had ever seen in her limited chances to travel.

This reach, of course, gave her not only a unique existence, but the ability to keep an eye on all the goings-on in the area. Secrets were not easy to keep, especially if she was feeling rather mischievous in a particular day.

“You haven’t told anyone, right?”

The old tree chuckled. “Not this time. I want to see this all play out in the moment. I need a source of entertainment today.”

Aviana shook her head. The Whispering One was an interesting being, that was for sure.

However, they didn’t head into the temple. Instead, they walked to the far side of the temple, to a path leading below the backside of the island. At the bottom of the path was a ledge and the wide mouth of a cave. Since it wasn’t walled off, Aviana knew their father was inside and expecting visitors.

“Did father disable the traps?” Aviana asked.

Cryson nodded. “The usual floor and wall ones, at least.”

Her father wasn’t known for removing the traps that protected his valuables, but sometimes he liked to issue challenges by not even disabling his traps at all. Sometimes she hated those days. Others, she relished the challenge, though she rarely came out unscathed. She wasn’t that great at avoiding or disabling them.

Her brother snickered. “Means you can’t get sneaky with your sticky fingers.”

Aviana grunted as they entered the cave. “At least I’ve gotten away with it more than you and Cryson—combined.”

He pushed her into the wall. She glared and tried to grab him, but he was quick and ran off down the cave path.

“Get back here, Cryson!” Aviana rushed after him, but as it usually worked out, he was far faster than her.

Torch sconces lit the cave tunnel. The walls and floor were smooth from the wears of time. The tunnel opened up to a large chamber filled with mounds of all manner of priceless art, gold, gems, weapons, and more—all glimmering in the low torchlight.

At the far end of the cave, an enormous dragon with blue scales, frills along the limbs and bulky body, and four back-curving black horns with a slight twist to them growing from his head relaxed.

Upon their entry, his golden eyes pinned to then. He spoke in draconic, “I see you two are at it, like always.”

Cryson pointed at Aviana and spoke back in draconic. “She started it!”

Aviana rolled her eyes and bowed. “Good morning, Father. And no, I didn’t. He pushed me and then ran off before I could do anything about it.”

Their father shook his head and then shifted, taking the form of a tall and imposing elven man, with long dark hair shaved on either side of his head and dark facial hair, appearing maybe twice Aviana’s age, of russet complexion. He now had intense blue eyes instead of gold, and unlike the others of the clan, he didn’t carry the mark of the Shikala on his forehead. A straight sword with an onyx blade hung at his side.

“What am I going to do with you two?” His words now came out a mix of Draconic and Elvish, though Aviana understood with ease. Since the clan spoke both languages, it was a common occurrence for everyone to meld the two in conversation.

Aviana’s eyes squinted as she giggled. “Show us how many gray scales we’ve given you?”

Her father ran his fingers through his hair. “No grays. I age gracefully.”

“About as graceful as the old hag is at dancing,” Cryson muttered.

Their father narrowed his eyes at Cryson, who jumped behind Aviana to use her as a shield. She found it amusing.

“Father, Cryson said you wanted to speak to me?” As much as she enjoyed this kind of fun with her family, she did have a task to complete. And she wanted to get through her father’s topic before proposing this crazy travel plan.

Her father nodded. “Yes. Nothing serious, just a concern I had.”

Aviana’s brow rose. If wasn’t serious, why not come see her? Early in her life, he’d summon her instead of coming to see her, as he deemed it safer. But as the decades passed, their secret meetings meant nothing when the rest of the clan still caused her problems. So, he’d chosen to visit her every now and then instead of keeping up the façade.

“I’ve sensed arcane energy use around your home,” he said.

Shit. She should have known this would come up. She had to do her best to play this off. She wasn’t able to lie. Not because it was her father and she struggled to do so with him, but because lying wasn’t easy for her at all. She’d never been able to. She tried once, as a small girl, and the lie lodged in her throat.

However, she’d learned to tell partial truths instead, and that skill came in handy in these kinds of situations. “Of course you do, Father. I care for owlcats. I have food that needs to be made for them. We’ve been over this.”

Her father took a deep breath and placed his hands on her shoulder. “We discussed that infusing arcane into food was the only thing you should do. As a natural magic practitioner, my little sapphire, using arcane in any way is dangerous. Even at the small scale I have allowed, it would be considered madness.”

His jaw set firm. “But you know that’s not what I mean by arcane use. The arcane I sense is far greater than the allotted amount—attempts at spellcasting. You promised me you wouldn’t practice arcane.”

Aviana rested her hands on his and smiled at him. “I promised I’d be careful with my magic studies. And I haven’t broken that promise.”

That was no half-truth. She’d found some arcane books to look over. She knew the dangers of arcane, as well as any other type of spellcasting ability. She also knew just how dangerous it could be to mix any of them. But Aviana was determined. If the Whispering One could exist, then Aviana could find the secret to using both types of magic at the same time.

Of course, she needed to understand arcane and her natural affinity to it before she did much casting with it. She hadn’t lied to her father. She wouldn’t attempt any spell until she was sure of her abilities. Aviana was almost there, hence her father sensing what she was doing. But Aviana wasn’t foolish enough to push beyond what was safe.

Her father let out a heavy breath. “Very well. You’re as uncontrollable as your mother. But you’d better not do anything reckless.”

She smiled. “No more than I usually do. Which brings me to something I want to ask you.”

Her father’s brow furrowed. “I don’t know if I like how you’ve presented this, but tell me what’s on your mind.”

Aviana took a deep breath. “We both know Temperance’s coming-of-age test will happen this year, but she’s far from ready. Not a single person, except maybe her, would claim otherwise.”

Her father chuckled, but let her continue.

“I’d like to request the opportunity to take her outside of the town to allow her to spread her wings and grow. Just the two of us.”

Her father’s eyes darted to Cryson, who now sat on the ground, lounging. “Did you know she was going to ask this?”

Cryson nodded. “She ran it by me before we came over. The plan wasn’t beyond my level of crazy, so I didn’t see the harm in her bringing it up.”

Their father’s lips pressed together, and his brow knitted. It was a common face he made when thinking. He took a moment to speak. “I can’t say I like this proposal, but I’m willing to hear you out. Tell me your exact plan.”

Excitement built up inside Aviana. This just might work. She’d thought about everything on the walk over, making sure this proposal would be perfect. “Thank you for letting me talk to you about this. I know we don’t allow just anyone to travel anymore. And I wouldn’t feel the need to propose this if it weren’t for how Calypso raised Temperance.”

Her father grunted. “Yes, this is true. And even if I agree to your proposal, we still need to tell her, which won’t go well, I can assure you.”

“Hence me calling this a risky request.” Aviana chuckled. “Now, Temperance loves to read. We all know this. So of course our little… bookwyrm thinks she knows everything there is to the races and towns on Alaria. I want her to experience these places. I want her to see how they’ve changed from our books and learn firsthand how others outside this town work. I believe, in doing so, this will help improve her naïve nature. It’ll force her to critically think about many things, including her own actions and thought.”

Aviana took a breath. Her father still didn’t stop her, so that was a good sign. “I’ve mapped out a rough route. I’d like to start by going to Windshire.”

Her father’s eyes flashed, but he still waited. She knew that town may not sit well with him, but she had to try.

“It’s the only human-majority town in the Karma Wilds, and because it’s a merchant port, I thought this would be the best place to start her. She’ll learn more about humans and how they act, while also understanding how to deal with merchants that are even more underhanded than ours.”

Her father grunted. “If humans are good at anything, it’s definitely that.”

Aviana didn’t care for his wording, as she’d met many good humans in her times sneaking out of the town, but chose to stay on track. “After Windshire, I will bring her to Lakecross, so she can experience not only halflings, but eccentric ones at that. Then, I’d like to travel over to Kirdarim so she can see the great gnome city—”

Her father held up his hand. “What about Nardrul? That’s closer.”

Aviana nodded. “I thought about that one, and I could alter our route, but I had hoped to show her a different climate as well.”

“I see.” He nodded. “Continue.”

“After Kirdarim, I would want to make the long trek to Sandgil. It’ll expose her to the only city where you’ll find Katalara, and because it’s a free city, it has rules she won’t come in contact with anywhere else.

Her father nodded. “I don’t hate the idea. Continue.”

“I think avoiding Natamere would be something we can agree on. Exposing her to such a zealous environment may not be good for her.” Saying it that way stung her tongue. It was true that the holy city of Akorith didn’t have the best reputation for being accepting, but she knew someone from there. Someone important to her, and he wasn’t that bad. And unknown to her father, she wanted to stop in the city if time permitted. But she kept that part of her plan quiet so he wouldn’t shoot her down. There were other elements about the city that meant her father would want to ensure they both stayed far away from it.

“Avoiding that city, of course, would make for a longer travel to Sandgil without hitting any towns marked on maps. Not ideal when it comes to supplies, since we’re talking about partial desert travel, but it will also test Temperance in ways she may not expect.”

“When you leave Sandgil, where would you head?” her father asked.

“This is where I had planned to head back to the Karma Wilds, stopping in Nardrul. She’ll meet more humans there, as well as dwarves. This will be good exposure to see how mixed-race cities work. And then we’d return home from there.”

Her father grasped his chin with a finger and thumb. “That’s a long travel route. Do you think you could accomplish this by the time her birthday and test come about?”

Aviana worked her lips as she thought. “That’s the only part of my plan I’m struggling with. I don’t know how long that’ll take. I may need to have an extension to do it all. Otherwise, I can modify the route and hope she learns just as much from the shortened experience.”

“Do you think you’ll take on any mercenary jobs?”

Aviana shrugged. “I don’t know. I might, to give her that experience, but if they cut into our travel time, or if you and the elders think it’s unwise, I’ll avoid them.”

Her father nodded and thought about everything she’d said. Waiting killed Aviana, but she didn’t want to look desperate. “Alright, I’ll allow it.”

Joy rose up and overwhelmed her. She threw her arms around his neck. “Thank you, Father!”

He chuckled and patted her head. “The elders still need to approve. And Calypso also has a say in this.”

She let go and nodded. “I know. But your approval of this makes me happy.” She played with her fingers. “I was worried this would come off as stupid to you…”

“You need to give yourself credit. You thought everything out and left little room for me to point out errors. You could have made it a little less winded and drawn-out, but I won’t fault you too much.”

Aviana smiled wide. She could accept that criticism.

Her father reached out and lifted her chin. “You’ve grown more on me.”

She rolled her eyes. “You saw me yesterday. I can’t grow that much in a day.”

“No, not physically. At least not this time.” He smiled. “Every day you become more like your mother.”

Aviana smiled. “That’s a good thing, right?”

Her father bent over and kissed her on the forehead. “It will always be a good thing, my little sapphire. Her memory hurts, but you make that pain worth it.”

A bittersweet taste hit her tongue. He mother had disappeared when Aviana was twelve. She’d been told a lie about what had happened, that she was dead, but Aviana saw right through it. Every time she asked her father about the incident, he’d act out of sorts and try to change the topic of conversation, restoring to firm reprimanding if she continued to push the subject.

He sucked at lying to her. Her father could produce eloquent lies, except with her. Maybe it was because for the longest time she was his only daughter. Maybe it was because she looked so much like her mother. Regardless of the reason, he didn’t repeat the words the elders told her that fateful night.

And neither did Akorith, when she’d asked him. While the god never gave her a straight answer, he’d hinted that the truth wasn’t likely to be what had been uttered to her. And as long as she did what he asked, she’d find out the truth. It was another reason she’d stopped pestering her father.

Aviana desperately wanted to understand what happened, among other things related to her mother. Like why Aviana could never shake the feeling her mother didn’t love her.

She never wanted to believe it. Who ever did? But as the years passed and her mother chose to spend time with two special individuals over spending time with her, leaving Aviana under the supervision of her grandfather, and eventually alone when he’d… passed away. I’m still not convinced of that either. It’d been far too jarring of a situation. Almost as if magic had been involved in some way.

Far too many lies revolved around her family. And she wanted to dissect them all.

Of course, that’d have to wait, now that she was going to be leaving with Temperance. If Calypso cooperates, that is.

Her father took a deep breath. “Shall we head above to break the news to Calypso?”

♦ ♦ ♦

Aviana and her father entered the temple of dragons. He’d sent Cryson to retrieve Calypso while they worked things over with the elders.

The entrance of the temple, nothing more than an oversized archway, opened to a single spacious chamber. A few other arches and doors tucked away in other parts of the room led to smaller alcoves and rooms. Large columns reached for the high ceiling above.

Various statues of past exemplary clan members and dragons of varied colors lined the main chamber, their intricately carved appearance enhanced with metal and gems. In the center of the temple, reaching nearly to the highest point of the ceiling, and surrounded by a sparkling pool of water infused with arcane, stood two statues of twin-headed dragons—Akorith and Lusaria. Beside them, made to fit into the space was another dragon, smaller and single-headed, but no less imposing, with impressive double horns growing from his head, and heavily gemmed enhancements—her father’s statue.

She wished he hadn’t done that with his statue. But it had happened long before her time, when the clan had seen a great darkness—one that caused her trouble to this day for merely breathing, even though things had improved over the past decades. When mother started pursing him. And her father was as stubborn as ever and wouldn’t move it just yet. One day, she’d convince him to move it to a better spot.

A tall, well-built elven woman with tan skin, appearing maybe a decade or so older than Aviana’s father, strode confidently through the chamber. Her black hair freely flowed behind her as she moved, a few strands of gray hair visible. She carried a flowering staff in her hands.

The woman noticed the two of them immediately and smiled, her dark eyes squinting. A warm, welcoming aura radiated from her. “Ah, Aviana, Raileth, what an unexpected surprise. Can I help you with anything?”

Aviana bowed. “Good morning, Velatha. We have an urgent matter to discuss with all of the elders, if you wouldn’t mind helping us round them up.”

Velatha nodded. “Of course. Sketha is in the midst of meditation, but shouldn’t be too hard to disturb for an important matter. And I believe Raliff is taking a morning nap. Though Miksha may be—”

“I’m right here,” an annoyed elderly female voice shouted.

Everyone turned to see an old, hunched-over elven woman of dark complexion slowly making her way into the temple. She had braided, long gray hair and carried an ebony staff that she used to help her walk, though Aviana knew better. This woman didn’t need help walking. She liked to pretend, in order to catch her victims off guard.

The light breeze from outside ruffled her loose-fitting red and white dress. A black sash wrapped around her waist, and a pattern of star lilies were designed into the skirted half of the dress. The dress didn’t quite fit her right, relying a great deal on the sash to keep it on her body, exposing quite a bit of skin. From Aviana’s understanding, it was the woman’s favorite from when she was younger… and taller.

Her staff clicked on the floor as she moved. A deep scowl sat on her face. Aviana swore it was permanently etched there. “The annoying whelp you named Cryson… or Bryson, whichever of the twins it was, interrupted my morning stroll and told me to come back here at your request, Raileth. You’d better have a good reason or I’ll hit ya!”

She waved her staff in the air to add to her threat. Aviana had been hit often enough by that thing to know it was no idle threat. She didn’t wield it properly, hitting for both discipline and fun, simply because she was bored. It was best to not rely on being on her good side all the time, and just stay out of reach as much as possible.

“Ah, I see you’re in a pleasant mood as always, old hag,” Raileth greeted.

Aviana did her best to keep a straight face. Miksha was the orneriest person in this entire town. Hers rivaled all the possible bad moods from every clan member put together. A warrior in her prime, she still had all the spunk of her youth mixed with the attitude of an aged woman no longer allowed to fight. Many in the town called her old hag, or something similar, because of it. Even Aviana called her it behind her back. And sometimes to her face if she was in an exceptionally foul or cheeky mood.

Miksha’s dark eyes narrowed. “Don’t try to sweet-talk me, you overgrown lizard.”

Raileth held up his hands. “Wouldn’t dream of it.”

Aviana struggled now to appear neutral. She had to press her lips together so as not to laugh.

Miksha pointed her staff at Aviana. “You watch yourself, too.”

Aviana held up her hands. “I am staying out of this.”

“Just tell me what’s so important that it has to be discussed now, and maybe I’ll consider you an innocent bystander.”

Aviana wanted to ensure all the elders were here, but Miksha also wasn’t known for her patience. “It’s about prepping Temperance for her coming-of-age.”

Miksha narrowed her eyes and Velatha turned. “Before Miksha can say anything, let me go get the others. No one can argue that this would be an important topic for everyone to present for.”

Miksha grunted. “Fine, fine. But be quick.”

Velatha dashed off. She didn’t look or move like someone you’d expect to be called an elder, a coveted title only given to a select few deemed worthy to make ultimate decisions for the clan. But, due to her druidic ways, she aged far slower than other elves. No one even knew her true age. Except maybe the Whispering One. But even she refused to give that secret.

As the oldest of all the elders, Miksha had been titled prime elder instead. No one was quite sure why, but someone had the crazy idea to give her the most power. Aviana’s father liked to joke it was because she looked the oldest. Aviana, on the other hand, suspected Miksha could make the best judgment calls out of all of them. Ornery as she was, she took her role seriously. And Aviana had seen a compassionate side to her, as rare as it was.

Moments passed and Miksha grew more impatient by the second. Aviana worried the old woman would start causing havoc when Velatha returned, two people following her. One, Raliff, was a tall, elderly, dark-skinned elven man. He had long, graying hair pulled back in a tail, and an athletic build that easy carried the two curved blades hanging at his sides. All around he had a well-aged dignified look, though his sleepy dark eyes offset the appearance a bit.

The other, Sektha, was a tall, lanky woman with umber skin tone and dark eyes. She had undercut gray hair, pulled back into a tail in popular warrior fashion, and wore robes similar to Cryson’s, though unlike him, cloth had been wrapped around her hands and arms.

“Thank Akorith!” Miksha said. “If you took any longer, I might have died of old age.”

“One could only hope,” Raileth muttered.

Miksha’s black staff whistled through the air and slammed into his shoulder with a resounding crack that echoed through the temple. Everyone inside cringed, including the priestesses. Raileth, on the other hand, didn’t flinch.

His eyes slowly went to the old woman. “You’re losing your touch. You used to hit harder than that.”

A fire lit in her eyes. Aviana jumped in before anything bad could happen. “Can we please get to why we’re all gathered?”

Raliff nodded, stifling a yawn. “Yes, I’d like to get back to my nap.”

Amused chuckles echoed through the group before Aviana gave the elders her proposal. Once she finished, she waited silently for their decision.

Velatha spoke first, nodding as she did. “Yes, I can see why you wanted to run this by us. Your plan is…”

“Outlandish,” Raliff said. “This is too crazy to work.”

Sektha shook her head. “I disagree. World experience will always triumph over reading about them. And Akorith knows, Temperance needs such an experience. If not for the sake of her test, the sake of her sheltered mind.”

Miksha grunted. “Sheltered isn’t a word I’d give her. There is something not quite right with the girl.”

Raileth’s eyes narrowed. “Watch it. That’s my daughter you speak of.”

“Yes, well she doesn’t know she’s your daughter, now does she?” Miksha shot back.

“Because of Calypso,” Aviana said, doing her best to keep the conversation civil and on topic. “Which we all know is part of the problem here.”

“The woman does what she thinks is best for her daughter,” Sektha said.

Raliff laughed. “No, we all know she does what is best for her. And no one knows what that is, either. She’s not all there in the head these days.”

“It’s disturbing,” Velatha agreed. “And as the family in charge of our history, we should be mindful of her well-being, as it affects us all.”

Sektha looked away from everyone, toward the entrance of the temple. “Well, we’ll be able to include her in this now, whether we’d all like to or not.”

Everyone looked to find Cryson entering the temple. A lithe, petite elven woman of light complexion followed. Her wild reddish-brown hair bounced around her shoulders, and unlike most of the town, covered much of her visible skin, wearing a midriff-baring top under a long drape of colorful cloth, wrapped from around her waist and slung over her shoulder. The excess draping cloth flowed behind her.

Her blue eyes were intent on the gathered people. She was a near-spitting image of Temperance, only she looked round Raileth’s age, and had no visible freckles on her skin.

Velatha smiled. “We’re glad you could join us, Calypso. We know you’re quite busy.”

“Yes, well, I was told this was about my daughter.” Calypso’s eyes flashed to Aviana for a moment before focusing on the elders. Aviana had an uneasy feeling about that. “I hope she hasn’t done anything to cause trouble.”

Velatha shook her head, her smile not fading. “No, no. Nothing like that.”

Calypso took a position in the cluster of individuals next to Raileth, and cocked her head. “Then I don’t understand why we need to discuss her.”

“We’re discussing her coming-of-age,” Aviana said.

The woman’s eyes darkened. “What are you talking about? She isn’t old enough for this discussion.”

“Calypso, her twentieth year comes in less than a year,” Aviana said. She did her best to keep her tone soft. Aviana could already tell this wasn’t going to go well. “And we fear she isn’t ready for it.”

“Of course she’s not ready for it.” Calypso’s tone rose a little. “She’s not the right age.”

Miksha tapped her staff on the ground. “Get it together, woman. Have you had your nose in your books so long you’ve forgotten how many years have passed since the girl’s birth?”

“Of course I haven’t! I”—Calypso took a deep breath—“I apologize. It’s hard knowing my little girl isn’t so little anymore. What seems to be the concern about her coming-of-age? She only just had her birthday three moons ago. Her next is far enough off that I don’t feel it’s necessary for us to be planning her trial.”

“We’re not,” Sektha said. “We’re discussing her behavior. More precisely, her immaturity, which is far too pronounced for someone her age. It’s been proposed she be allowed to get a world view to open her mind.”

Calypso’s eyes flashed and she gritted her teeth. “What? Who thought up such a preposterous idea?”

Velatha opened her mouth to speak, but Aviana spoke up instead. She wouldn’t hide from Calypso. “It was me.”

Rage flared in Calypso’s eyes. “How dare you, you insolent girl! How dare you suggest such a dangerous—”

“I dare because I care for my sister.” Aviana refused to back down. As quickly as this had escalated, she had expected it. “I made the request because I care about her well-being. I have run my travel plans by my father and by the elders. None have—”

“How dare you!” Calypso raised her hand, energy sparking from it. “You do not make decisions for my daughter!”

Aviana took a step back, her eyes widening. Calypso was a well-known arcane magic user. If the rumors in the clan were true, she could be the most talented, aside from Raileth. And now her eyes flashed wild with such rage… Aviana feared for her own life.

“You do not get to take her—”

“Don’t you dare!” Raileth stepped in front of Calypso, his posture strong and intimidating. His hand crossed in front of his chest, the back of it poised to strike the woman.

Calypso shrunk back, her eyes tight with fear, and the magic on her fingers died. But Raileth didn’t strike her. He let out a hard breath and clenched his fist before lowering it, his muscles tight.

“No, striking you would not be right. I apologize for losing my senses there. But as the Guardian of this clan, I will not tolerate you attacking another clanmate in anger, least of all my eldest daughter. Do you understand me, Calypso?”

The petrified woman didn’t react, not that Aviana blamed her. Not much could rival her father’s rage. She’d seen it a number of time when some clan members had made attempts on her life in the past.

Raileth moved away. His reduced proximity to Calypso allowed her to recover, though she remained quiet.

Miksha grunted and tapped her staff on the ground. “While all of us agree that striking her wouldn’t have been appropriate, I say she would have deserved it after that display.”

Calypso’s eyes turned to the ground, shameful for her actions.

“I have made my decision,” Miksha said. “Aviana will be granted permission to take Temperance on this trip, to discover her inner adult, if you will.”

Calypso’s eyes widened. She held up her hands as she begged. “No, please. Please, don’t let her take my daughter.”

Miksha’s eyes remained hard. Aviana didn’t know how she did it. Even though the woman had just tried to attack her a moment ago, the desperation in Calypso’s voice tugged at Aviana’s heart. “I will not change my stance.”

Her eyes went to the other elders, who all nodded. “Your display here was unspeakable, Calypso. Instead of hearing out Aviana’s plan and possibly suggesting an alternate route in a calm, mature fashion, you succumbed to immediate rage. You were willing to harm her for no other reason than being concerned for her sister’s current mental well-being.”

Miksha closed her eyes and shook her head. “Aviana is right to be concerned. Her level of maturity does not come close to her physical age. And I’m starting to see why. This travel experience will allow her to spread her wings and grow appropriately, away from the parent who may be clipping them, intentionally or not.”

Calypso’s eyes widened and she swallowed, words lodging in her throat. Miksha had a look that said there would be no more arguing. She’d made up her mind, and all the other elders backed her.

As the decision sank in, Calypso’s expression became more neutral, but only for a moment. Her eyes sparked a dangerous, livid hue as she turned her gaze to Aviana. “You will regret this, Aviana.”

She spun on her heels and stormed out. Raileth nodded to Cryson. “Keep an eye on her. I don’t want her doing anything funny—especially not with Temperance.”

Cryson nodded in response and followed the crazy woman. Sektha left the group of elders. “I’ll keep an eye on her as well, just in case she tries to use her magic on Cryson.”

Aviana didn’t blame her for the lack of trust. Calypso had reacted even worse than Aviana had imagined she would. She looked to her father, who stared out at the temple entrance. “Why did you choose her?”

He didn’t look at her as he spoke. “That woman just a moment ago… the one who would have attacked you without hesitation… wasn’t the woman I chose two decades ago.”

He looked at his hand. “I need to go and do some thinking. Let me know if you need anything for your trip, little sapphire.”

Raileth walked away. Confusion plagued Aviana. Miksha and Raliff dispersed to do their own thing, while Velatha came up and stood beside her. “Tributes are tricky.”

Aviana’s eyes darted to the youngest elder, irritation flaring up in her. “She wasn’t a tribute.”

Velatha opened her mouth, but Aviana repeated herself. “Calypso wasn’t a tribute. Don’t think you can pull that dragonshit of a lie over me. I’m far too smart for that. My father may have demanded tributes when he first took over, but those stopped in time as he learned the errors of his ways. We don’t have tributes anymore.”

Her eyes narrowed at Velatha. “My mother wasn’t a tribute, and neither was Calypso. I wish you’d give up on that poorly crafted lie. It serves no purpose except to make things worse in this clan.”

Velatha let out a sigh and patted Aviana on the shoulder. “You’ll understand some day.” She looked to the entrance. “Now, you should go and break the exciting news to your sister. I expect to hear her squeals of excitement from here.”

Aviana didn’t like that Velatha was changing the subject, but didn’t feel like pushing it. “We never finished discussing the travel route. I need to know if Temperance has to be back by the exact trial day, or if we will have an extension due to this unique traveling situation.”

“The other elders and I will talk it over.” Velatha smiled. “Go about your planned route, and if we feel you both should come home sooner, we’ll send you a message.”

It wasn’t exactly the best answer, and it seemed far too unpredictable. But it was better than nothing.

Velatha turned to walk away, but stopped. “Oh, and don’t forget to go over this with the owlcats. They’ll need to know you’ll be missing the next birthing season.”

The elder had a point. That may not go over well with some of the prides. Aviana had earned the trust of so many of the prides living in Starglade, their expectation to rely on her was a little too heavy sometimes. Especially during the two seasons when cubs came about.

First, Temperance, though. That’ll be easier to handle… I hope.