let themselves fall back into the inferno, diving as gracefully as swans. I release my anxious breath when I see the flames don’t burn them; instead, the Valukans manipulate the air around them so that they’re torpedoed back into the sky. They split off as the vortex spits them out, gracefully weaving the air beneath their feet so it looks as though they’re riding upon clouds.
Some of the Valukans also practice enchantment magic; they shape and mold the air beneath them, enchanting it into shapes like dark navy clouds filled with stars, or a fierce and seething sea beast so it looks as though they’re riding into battle.
When they do fall, they do it delicately, landing noiselessly upon their feet with soft bows and satisfied smiles.
We’re on our feet clapping within seconds, and Azami beams, hands clasped excitedly to her chest. “You liked it? Truly?”
“Of course we did, it was incred—”
“I have so many ideas!” Shanty interrupts, the words practically exploding from her. “I’ve never seen elemental and enchantment magic mixed like that, it’s brilliant! I think you should perform it at night. Make the colors brighter. And you can add music that syncs with what everyone is doing!” Though Azami’s face twists with surprise at first, she laughs as Shanty throws an arm over her shoulders excitedly. “You’re going to grow this, right? Monetize?”
“That’s the plan. We’ll need to get better with enchantment magic, but it’s a start. We want to adapt with the changing times and show off that change doesn’t have to be scary.”
No longer is my guard up as she turns to seek me out, so excited and relieved that I’ve no idea how I ever could have suspected she’d be capable of hurting me. “I want Valuka to feel like a place brimming with magic,” she says cautiously, as if hedging her bets against my input. “I want it to be a place where you can ride water horses or take off on the wind. I want there to be performances, and for it to be so beautiful that people want to come back again and again.”
“It’s ingenious.” Shanty’s grin is so hungry and crooked I almost think to pull Azami away from her. But the up-and-coming adviser is too excited, grin so wide it threatens to break her face as she clutches onto Shanty’s arm happily.
“This was all your idea?” I ask.
Azami no longer appears shy when she answers. She squares her shoulders and bats away black strands of hair so she can look me straight in the eyes.
“Visidia has been stagnant for ages,” she says confidently. “And many of its people are the same, afraid to embrace change and truly see what Visidia could be if we allowed the kingdom to prosper. You’re changing the foundation of this kingdom, and I believe in your mission. I believe in what you’re doing, and I want to be part of it.”
The smile that comes with her words strikes me hard in the chest, filling an emptiness I hadn’t realized I’d been sitting with.
“I want to help you mold a new Visidia,” she says, voice as smooth and as confident as rain. “Together, I believe we can reshape our kingdom for the better.”
And to my surprise, I believe her.
“Azami Bargas,” I tell her, “I believe you’re going to be one of the greatest advisers Visidia has ever seen.”
CHAPTER TWENTY-NINE
Our first day on Valuka has only just begun.
Men buzz excitedly around us, checking their hair and breath when they think I’m not looking. Unlike on Curmana, they do not wear their finest attire, but loose tunics and cotton pants—clothing that allows their movements to be as free and flexible as their magic calls for.
“We wanted to be the ones who put on a performance for you,” Azami tells me. “Not the other way around. I know you’re here with a purpose, Amora, but I didn’t want you to have to feel like you were on display. I wanted everything to feel as natural as it could.”
“Which I’m guessing is why you didn’t give me time to clean up?”
Azami offers an apologetic smile. “You’re only going to sweat, anyway. I figured it’d be fun if you spent the day testing out magic with us. We can figure out your affinity!”
It’s as though all the heat is zapped from the island at once, leaving me cold and tense. “I … thought people got to choose which element they practice?”
She tucks sleek black hair behind her ears. “You can, of