When she entered D.C.’s room, Alex had to pause for another moment just to appreciate her surroundings. She’d spent hours with her friend that afternoon but she still couldn’t get over how royal the bedroom was. Like the rest of the palace, it was richly decorated in hues of gold, with lighter and darker shades complementing each other, and white, pearlescent undertones. Everything from the carpet to the walls, the bed and the curtains, was a mixture of gold and white. The effect was stunning. However the best part, in Alex’s opinion, wasn’t the décor, but rather the view.
Although she was practically dying of thirst and ready to drop on her feet, Alex didn’t hesitate to walk across the room and open the glass door that led out to a turret-style balcony. Earlier that evening she’d watched the sun setting across the shining city of Tryllin, the dying light reflecting off the ocean and bouncing along the windows of the city below. At night it was no less breathtaking, the moon bathing the view with an iridescent glow. The sight was enough to send a wave of relaxation over Alex, helping her shake off the stress of the evening.
With a contented sigh, Alex wandered away from the balcony, heading back into D.C.’s suite for a much needed glass of water before she curled up on the lounge to wait for her friend. She must have been more tired than she’d thought, because she was woken later by D.C. poking her in the shoulder. After a sufficient amount of grumbling, Alex had just enough energy to stumble into bed and fall straight back to sleep.
her si de.
Three
“What do you say we get out of here for a while?”
Alex looked at D.C.’s excited face and replied, “I thought we weren’t allowed to leave?”
It was midmorning and they’d been roaming the halls for a few hours, with D.C. giving Alex the official tour. The palace was incredible—and huge—but what both of them wanted most was to get outside. Unfortunately, during breakfast the king had ordered that they remain inside for the day because there was some kind of parade in the city and he was concerned for their safety. The queen, in turn, had sent them both an apologetic look, but she too had agreed with her husband.
Alex had been so awed by the fact that she was sharing a meal with the ruling monarchs of Medora—and the knowledge that they’d both very graciously forgiven her stunt last night— that she’d simply nodded her agreement and ignored D.C.’s huff of annoyance.
“You can’t seriously want to be stuck in here until we have to leave for Akarnae? You haven’t seen any of the city yet!” D.C. said, bringing Alex back to the present.
It was true that Alex desperately wanted to explore at least a small part of Tryllin before they left. Especially after having seen the stunning view from D.C.’s balcony.
“Besides, I sneak away all the time,” D.C. continued, reminding Alex of how often she’d visited Bear and Jordan in Woodhaven over the holidays. “Trust me, I’m a pro.”
True enough, D.C. did manage to get them out of the palace without being seen, but that was more thanks to the contraband Bubbler vials she’d somehow pilfered rather than any real skill on her part. It helped that both she and Alex had donned disguises in the form of cape-like cloaks made out of a shimmery charcoal-coloured material with hoods that cast shadows over their faces, making them indistinguishable even with light streaming straight into their eyes. D.C. claimed the cloaks were made of Shadow Essence, a special kind of energy used by Shadow Walkers—a race of grey-skinned beings who walked around on swirling clouds of shadows. Caspar Lennox, the professor who taught Alex’s Studies of Society and Culture—or SOSAC—class at Akarnae, was so far the only Shadow Walker she had encountered. It took her a while to move past her inclination to compare him to a vampire, but once she did, she’d ended up becoming rather intrigued by him and his perpetual cloud of wispy darkness.
According to D.C., Shadow Walkers were well known in Medora for being mysterious but also doing exactly what their name implied—walking through shadows to transport themselves to new places. Hearing that, Alex had asked D.C. how it was possible, and her friend’s answer had caused her head to spin.
“You know how the sun gives off energy?” D.C. had said. “Well, long ago there was a race of beings who discovered that darkness also has its own unique energy. They found a way to trap the energy of shadows and refine it to a point where they could use it. They became known as Shadow Walkers, because the first thing they learned was how to use the energy to walk through shadows.”
When Alex had pressed for more details, D.C. had shrugged and said, “I’ve never Walked before, so I can’t tell you much about how it works. But from what Bear told me, the ring you were given from Blake last Kaldoras has enough Shadow for three Walks, so you can see for yourself what it’s like if you figure out how to access the Shadow Essence inside.”
Even now, wandering around outside under the heat of the sun, Alex glanced down at the ring on her finger, repeating the conversation in her head. It looked the same as it had the day Bear’s brother had surprised her with the gift. The band was black and the onyx-like centre stone of the ring coiled with darkness. Knowing it was infused with Shadow Essence made Alex realise it was more mysterious than she’d originally thought—but she still had no idea what it could actually do.
“What do you want to see?” D.C. asked, reclaiming Alex’s attention from her ring as they walked casually along Tryllin’s harbour.
Alex was entranced by all the sights, sounds and smells surrounding them. Apparently Sunday was the local fish market day, or so she guessed from the not-so-pleasant aroma that came in wafts strong enough for her to wrinkle her nose and hold her breath.
“It’s your city,” Alex responded. “Surprise me. But, uh, let’s maybe go somewhere away from the fish.”
Alex was certain her friend was grinning beneath her Shadow-infused hood, but D.C. didn’t comment as she led them away from the harbour and up one of the well-travelled, cobblestone roads. It made Alex wonder about something.
“Why do you have roads if you don’t have cars?” Then, not sure if D.C. knew what a car was, Alex added, “Or, um, transport vehicles?”
With a shrug, D.C. said, “Back in the days before Technos invented Bubblers, we used horses and carriages to move people and things around. The roads were necessary then, but that was long before I was born. These days the roads are mostly used as large pathways for walking traffic.”
Alex nodded in understanding as the two of them continued up the cobbled street until they reached the outskirts of the city.
“This road will take us into the centre of the city and then right back to the palace,” D.C. said. “It’s my favourite street in all of Tryllin. There’s so much to look at, with so many people bustling around.”
True enough, the moment they turned around a bend in the road, Alex discovered exactly what she meant. It was as if they’d walked into a whole new world. The noises, the colours—it was overwhelming. There were people everywhere: children running and screaming, adults calling out to one another, street vendors bartering prices with customers. Alex had never experienced anything like it before. The entire street was a trade market. Even the buildings that lined the sides of the roads had salespeople calling out to promote their wares.
There were people everywhere.