“Show me? I’m certain I can help.” Davien steps forward.
Oren turns the book, holding it out so Davien can flip through the pages. I look around his side. There are pictures of houses and their various parts on the left-hand pages and instructions on the right. Whoever made the drawings had a meticulous attention to detail. Every joist and joining has been carefully labeled and marked. The instructions detail everything from supplies, to timing, to words that need to be said and actions that need to be performed.
“Is this a spell book?” I ask.
“It’s a record of rituals, yes.” Davien continues flipping to the pages marked with silken bookmarks.
“It was passed down in my court,” Giles says fondly. “Rituals from a different age, when the Court of Pillars were the best builders in all of Aviness.”
“So if I do this—” I point a finger at the instructions on a random right page “—then I get this?” I move my finger to the left page, where there’s a detail of an awning over a door.
“Simplified, yes.” He nods.
“Though you likely won’t be doing anything. These are for fae.” Giles chuckles.
“You speak too quickly about things you don’t know, Giles. Always a shortcoming for you,” Davien says plainly.
“Pardon?”
“I brought Katria here because I thought she might be of critical use to us.”
“You’re going to have her help with a ritual?” Giles balks.
“I’m going to have her perform one. If she’s up for it.”
“Excuse me?” It’s now my turn to share in looking at Davien in disbelief. “I’ve never—I don’t know—you saw how it went earlier.”
“How it went earlier is exactly why I brought you here.” Davien looks at me. “You don’t do well in confined spaces. You struggle with instruction and rules.” I suppose that’s not entirely untrue. “And you clearly were uncomfortable around Allor.” That’s definitely true. “None of that makes for a positive environment to use magic in. I thought this would be a project you could be enthusiastic about—you like working with your hands. You enjoy building things. And you prefer to have a purpose stemming from a clear goal. We’re working on something important for all of Dreamsong.”
I force myself to ignore just how much detail he has gathered about me and my personality, instead asking, “Which is?”
“A tunnel into the mountain,” Giles says eagerly. Oren gives him a sharp nudge. “What?”
“It’s supposed to be a secret.”
“Who is she going to tell?” Giles throws his hands in the air. “We’re basically her only friends here!” I blink several times and my chest tightens. He catches the expression and hastily adds, “Sorry, I mean, that came out harsh—”
“You think you’re my friend?” I whisper.
All three of them look at me now with strange, unintelligible stares.
“Well…yes. Unless that bothers you?”
I shake my head quickly. “Not at all. I’m not familiar with friends. Never really met many people. My family kept me inside. A lot.” I force laughter, trying to ease the awkward atmosphere but no doubt making it worse.
Davien gently grips my shoulder and squeezes lightly. “You have friends here, Katria.”
“I finally make friends and they’re a world away.” I’m still laughing. So why does it hurt? Pain flashes through Davien’s eyes, as though it’s his chest tightening and not mine.
“Just a Fade away,” Oren reminds me. “One we’re fairly well versed in crossing.”
“Right. So, this project is a tunnel into the mountains?” I quickly try and divert the topic away from me.
“Yes, just in case Boltov attacks. At least some of Dreamsong will have a place to escape to,” Giles says solemnly.
“How many?” I can’t help but ask.
“Not enough. Though we’ll do our best.”
