Watch.”
Emane had joined them, looking warily at the pounding surf while Drustan stared out into the rising sun, breathing in the salt water. Alcander kicked more rocks over the edge.
“Now, watch again.” This time he bent down, running his hand over empty air, muttering something under his breath. Standing up, he stepped off the cliff. Kiora reached for him, her scream frozen in her throat, but Alcander didn’t go anywhere. He was standing on air, nothing underneath him.
“How…how are you doing that?” Emane asked.
“Lomay’s home is this way.” Alcander marched forward, over nothing, without looking back to see if they were following.
Kiora went first. Her foot landed on something as real and solid as what she had just left. She grinned, watching the waves breaking below her.
“Fine,” Emane grumbled behind her. “Just fine. The girl can’t cross rope bridges, but invisible ones are not a problem.”
Drustan laughed.
Kiora shouted back over her shoulder. “Invisible ones don’t feel like they are going to collapse beneath me.”
“That makes perfect sense, Kiora. Absolutely perfect sense.”
“Did you know your sarcasm becomes thicker when you are afraid?’ Drustan said, stepping over the cliff.
“That is not true,” Emane argued.
“Really? Then why are you still back there?”
Emane looked at the very long drop to the ocean beneath his feet. “I don’t like this,” he groaned. “I don’t like this at all.”
Alcander yelled back to them. “Hurry up!”
Emane more jumped than stepped off the cliff. Feeling something solid beneath him, he took a few hesitant steps forward. POV – we’re in Kiora’s thoughts, not Emane’s.
When they caught up with Alcander, they were far enough over the water that they could look back and see the full cliff face stretching upward from the ocean. It was magnificent in its raw beauty.
Reaching out, Alcander muttered more unintelligible words and then wrapped his hand around something Kiora couldn’t see. He pushed, and a door swung open. A grand entryway greeted them. A giant staircase flowed upward, splitting at the top and running both directions. It was less of a house and more of a palace. Alcander walked ahead of them, followed by Drustan, who did not seem surprised. Kiora and Emane walked in slowly, eyes wide.
“How…” Kiora began.
“Lomay lived here for a long time,” Alcander explained. “When it came under attack, he made it appear as if it had fallen into the ocean. Then he concealed the house right here.”
“Don’t birds ever run into it?” Emane asked. “It’s enormous.”
“No, whatever hits it is instantly transported to the other side.”
“And when they are transported, they have no idea anything has happened?” Kiora walked in a circle, taking in the full magnitude of the home.
“No. And the pathway is not solid until the correct incantation is spoken.”
“Impressive,” Emane said.
It was impressive, but Kiora’s eyes felt like they were full of sand. “Let’s get some sleep,” she said. “We have a couple of days before Arturo arrives, and we could use all the rest we can get.”
Alcander led the group up the stairs and to the left, where a hall opened to multiple guest rooms. Kiora didn’t know how long it had been since the house had visitors—she imagined it had been a while—yet there was not one speck of dust on anything. Magic must have kept the rooms in pristine condition.
Alcander showed Kiora to a room in the middle of the hall. She didn’t see where he took the others, but could feel by their threads that their rooms were near.
The sun was shining in through a large set of glass double doors against the far wall, and she saw a balcony jutting out. Had she not been so exhausted, she would have gone out to investigate, but right then all she wanted was to crawl into bed. It was large enough to fit four or five people and the headboard was taller than she was, stretching up the
Emane had joined them, looking warily at the pounding surf while Drustan stared out into the rising sun, breathing in the salt water. Alcander kicked more rocks over the edge.
“Now, watch again.” This time he bent down, running his hand over empty air, muttering something under his breath. Standing up, he stepped off the cliff. Kiora reached for him, her scream frozen in her throat, but Alcander didn’t go anywhere. He was standing on air, nothing underneath him.
“How…how are you doing that?” Emane asked.
“Lomay’s home is this way.” Alcander marched forward, over nothing, without looking back to see if they were following.
Kiora went first. Her foot landed on something as real and solid as what she had just left. She grinned, watching the waves breaking below her.
“Fine,” Emane grumbled behind her. “Just fine. The girl can’t cross rope bridges, but invisible ones are not a problem.”
Drustan laughed.
Kiora shouted back over her shoulder. “Invisible ones don’t feel like they are going to collapse beneath me.”
“That makes perfect sense, Kiora. Absolutely perfect sense.”
“Did you know your sarcasm becomes thicker when you are afraid?’ Drustan said, stepping over the cliff.
“That is not true,” Emane argued.
“Really? Then why are you still back there?”
Emane looked at the very long drop to the ocean beneath his feet. “I don’t like this,” he groaned. “I don’t like this at all.”
Alcander yelled back to them. “Hurry up!”
Emane more jumped than stepped off the cliff. Feeling something solid beneath him, he took a few hesitant steps forward. POV – we’re in Kiora’s thoughts, not Emane’s.
When they caught up with Alcander, they were far enough over the water that they could look back and see the full cliff face stretching upward from the ocean. It was magnificent in its raw beauty.
Reaching out, Alcander muttered more unintelligible words and then wrapped his hand around something Kiora couldn’t see. He pushed, and a door swung open. A grand entryway greeted them. A giant staircase flowed upward, splitting at the top and running both directions. It was less of a house and more of a palace. Alcander walked ahead of them, followed by Drustan, who did not seem surprised. Kiora and Emane walked in slowly, eyes wide.
“How…” Kiora began.
“Lomay lived here for a long time,” Alcander explained. “When it came under attack, he made it appear as if it had fallen into the ocean. Then he concealed the house right here.”
“Don’t birds ever run into it?” Emane asked. “It’s enormous.”
“No, whatever hits it is instantly transported to the other side.”
“And when they are transported, they have no idea anything has happened?” Kiora walked in a circle, taking in the full magnitude of the home.
“No. And the pathway is not solid until the correct incantation is spoken.”
“Impressive,” Emane said.
It was impressive, but Kiora’s eyes felt like they were full of sand. “Let’s get some sleep,” she said. “We have a couple of days before Arturo arrives, and we could use all the rest we can get.”
Alcander led the group up the stairs and to the left, where a hall opened to multiple guest rooms. Kiora didn’t know how long it had been since the house had visitors—she imagined it had been a while—yet there was not one speck of dust on anything. Magic must have kept the rooms in pristine condition.
Alcander showed Kiora to a room in the middle of the hall. She didn’t see where he took the others, but could feel by their threads that their rooms were near.
The sun was shining in through a large set of glass double doors against the far wall, and she saw a balcony jutting out. Had she not been so exhausted, she would have gone out to investigate, but right then all she wanted was to crawl into bed. It was large enough to fit four or five people and the headboard was taller than she was, stretching up the
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