somehow aware of the need to be both still and silent. Once we hit the lawns, though, she stretched her wings and took to the skies, erupting in giddy chirps that mingled with the already-present litany of beast calls.
I tracked her erratic flight pattern and grinned. One Effreft enjoying the afternoon sun wouldn’t draw that much attention. Not when every Charmer in sight had a beast of their own by their side. Hooking a right, I made a beeline for a spiraling staircase wide enough for several people to stand side by side on the steps. It wrapped around a gargantuan tree and climbed upward to a network of buildings high in the leaves.
I’d never explored Hireath before. And as I strolled about—careful not to directly interact with anyone in case Kaori caught wind of my whereabouts—I was fascinated by their way of life. Vendor stalls with fresh fruits and baubles and flowy clothing so unlike the restrictive garb in Wilheim. Charmers everywhere, bright smiles on their faces and beasts weaving between their ankles. They didn’t exchange bits either. The more I watched, the clearer it became that their society was exchange based. Dried fruits for silken thread. Promises for future wares when they didn’t have anything immediately on hand to offer. It was…bizarre.
It also explained why Leena had resorted to other means of work outside of Hireath in order to survive in our world.
Before long, my gaze traveled where it always did when I found myself in a town—to the kids. They rushed around me playing a game I didn’t know, shouting at the top of their lungs and racing across wooden bridges. They were boisterous and full of life. They had friends, beasts, families. There were no alleys housing malnourished street kids, no traces of displacement at all. They were all…loved. My chest tightened. If only I had been so lucky.
Stop griping. I shook my head just as Effie landed on my shoulder, a soft, almost-worried coo accompanying a nudge to my cheek.
“I’m okay.” Forcing a smile, I scratched the back of her head. She narrowed her eyes as if in disbelief but caved once my fingers started in earnest. Appeased, at least for now.
“Whoa, you have an Effreft? How did you manage that?” A nearby boy screeched to a halt before me, pausing in the middle of whatever game he was playing with his friends to stare at Effie. The rest of his group rushed over, each one displaying a similar look of awe. Toothy smiles beamed up at me.
Grinning, I crouched before them so they could get a closer look. “I have a really good friend who was kind enough to give her to me. Want to pet her?”
“Yes!” It was hard to tell exactly which child had answered, given they all squealed and inched closer. Small fingers delicately trailed the length of Effie’s mint-green body, and she eyed them with a mixture of delight and caution. After a few moments, she deemed them safe and hopped off my shoulder to roll on the ground before them.
“Go ahead, scratch her belly,” I said, indicating to her soft underside. “She loves that.”
“I wonder if she loves being as reckless as her owner.”
My entire body stiffened, and I bit back a groan as I slowly turned in place. Looking up at Kaori, I offered her a sheepish grin. “Hey, there.”
She folded her arms. “This doesn’t look like meditation.”
“Maybe not in the traditional sense.” I glanced back at the kids. Completely absorbed by Effie’s antics—she was now flapping her wings and chasing her tail, fully aware of the giggles she was eliciting from her new fan club—they didn’t notice Kaori. Or maybe they didn’t care.
“Not in any sense.”
“I was on my way back, I promise. I just needed—”
She turned on her heels, the end of her long coat smacking me in the face. “If you’re not back in that room before I arrive—and I’m on my way now—you’ll regret it.” Then, thrusting her hand outward, she summoned her legendary feline and slid onto her back. She stroked her silver hide and then bent her head low so her lips just barely ghosted the beast’s ear. “Run, Stella.”
Right before her feline bolted, I swore I saw the smallest of smiles.
“That’s not fair!” I shouted after her retreating form. Yet I couldn’t help but grin. I turned to my beast and signaled for her to land on my shoulder. “C’mon, Effie. We’ve got work to do.”
Eighteen
Leena
“I don’t like this.” Standing at