Book 2 - Chapter 18

“It’s unlike Mara to be late,” Ciri observed.

Noah sat in the grass of the backyard the following day. He’d spent most of the previous evening recounting his encounter with Lady Frostwing, the story sparking a round of debates between him, Ciri, and Ken. The elderly Fae wanted to leave the city immediately while still stubbornly refusing to explain why, and Ciri wondered aloud whether Noah should return to the docks to deliver the Rookhaven evidence to the Fae and ask them to present it to the king and queen during negotiations. In the end, they decided the likelihood of the winter Fae appearing on their doorstep was relatively minor — and that if they handed over the evidence, the Fae were just as likely to destroy all of Rookhaven outright. So they stayed the course.

“I’m sure she got held up with something,” Noah replied, using one hand to tinker with his contraption and the other to keep Piper from jumping onto it. “Besides, she’s only a few minutes late.”

The object of his attention was one of the uglier prototypes he’d ever built. On the ground sat a small square wooden basket, five centimeters wide on each side. At its corners, four long metal needles rose ten centimeters into the air. Halfway up, he’d bent additional needles into a circular cradle for a candle, and at the top, threaded through the eyelets, was the bottom of his expensive silk cloth — cut and sewn into a rough teardrop shape to form a closed envelope for the hot air.

Ciri fidgeted with her Glyph. “It is still out of character for her.”

Noah checked the calculations in his notebook one last time before leaning back to look at her. “You’re right, it is. How about we test this, and if she still hasn’t shown up by the time we’re done, we go check on her? That way we’ll know for sure.”

“A reasonable plan,” she agreed.

“Are you ready then?” Ken asked from behind him.

“Ready,” Noah confirmed.

Ken stepped closer, shielding a lit wooden stick with his hand. Noah took the makeshift match and held the flame to the candle’s wick. When it caught, he extinguished the match, scooped up Piper with one arm, and slowly backed away.

“Is it working?” Ken asked. “I don’t see much happening.”

“It’ll take a few minutes.”

Ciri joined them, watching the prototype nervously. Gradually, the flattened balloon began to stir, the silk lifting itself off the ground. Noah grinned and nudged Ken when it finally inflated enough to stand upright under its own power.

“See? It’s working.”

“It’s supposed to fly though, isn’t it?” Ken asked, still unconvinced.

“If I’ve done the math right — and I usually do — it will. It’s just a matter of time,” Noah said, confidence growing.

Beside him, Ciri whipped out her notebook and began sketching furiously. A moment later she switched to note‑taking, her eyes darting between the balloon and the page. When it finally lifted off the ground, she let out an audible gasp and scribbled even faster.

Noah chuckled and looked at Ken. “See?”

“It’s not very high,” Ken said, then paused. “Though I suppose you’re going to tell me to wait a few more minutes, and by then it’ll be well above the trees.”

“That’s the goal, yeah.” Noah nodded, watching the prototype slowly rise. “Now the next problem is scaling. If we want one big enough to ride in, we’ll need a bigger basket — ideally wicker. And a lot more silk. And help sewing it all together. I was thinking we could ask Hannah.”

Ken raised an eyebrow. “I doubt she knows how to sew.”

Noah laughed. “No, I agree. What I meant is that sewing the balloon is basically sewing sails. Someone had to sew the sails for her ship — both originally and every time she repairs them. I’m sure she can at least point us in the right direction.”

“Actually, I think you’re going to have a problem long before that,” Ken said, pointing. “Your first problem is retrieving it.”

Noah turned — and his heart sank. A rogue gust had carried the balloon several meters into the air, well out of reach. He gritted his teeth and spun toward the house, intent on grabbing his crossbow to shoot it down.

Unfortunately, the griffon in his arms had other plans. Piper leapt free, flapping hard and gaining altitude. Noah let out a wordless shout, whirling just in time to see her swipe at the balloon with her front talons.

“Piper, no!”

Too late. Her claws tore through the soft silk, sending the balloon sputtering and spinning. The candle went out as it whipped through the air, catching Piper by the wings and dragging her with it. She squawked in shock as the whole mess drifted over the neighbor’s yard.

Then it crashed.

“Fuck,” Noah hissed, sprinting to the tall wooden fence before stopping short.

Ken appeared beside him, bracing his back against the fence and cupping his hands. “Here. I’ll give you a leg up.”

“Thanks,” Noah said, planting his boot in the elderly Fae’s hands.

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Ken heaved him upward with surprising strength. Noah grabbed the top of the fence and hauled himself over. Relief washed through him when he saw Piper still moving, though cawing in pain and panic. He swung his leg over and dropped down, crouching to absorb the landing.

Keeping one eye on the identical-looking visitor’s house, he jogged to Piper and knelt. In her struggles she’d tangled herself even deeper in the deflated balloon, panicking as she clawed blindly. She raked his hands and arms, drawing blood, while he carefully pulled the silk apart and freed her.

The moment she was loose, she launched herself into his arms, trembling. Even though they risked being caught, he couldn’t help but sit back and stroke her feathers, checking her over. When he saw she’d escaped with only minor bumps and bruises, he let out a long breath.

“You had me scared there,” he whispered, kissing the top of her head.

She looked up at him, meeting his green eyes.

“Don’t do that again, okay?”

She growled.

He sighed. “You’re right. It’s not your fault. You were trying to help. Just… next time, when I tell you to stop doing something, you need to stop. I’m not doing it to be mean. I’m trying to protect you.”

She snorted and looked down.

“Okay, yes, I didn’t actually use the word ‘stop’ that time. But you can’t tell me you didn’t know what I meant.”

In response, she buried her face in his chest.

“Fine, fine. I can’t stay mad at you.” He gave her one last kiss on top of her head, then stood with her held securely against him. “Come on. Let’s get out of here.”

Recalling the layout of the visitor’s house they were staying in, he gathered the broken prototype and moved to one of the back windows, carefully peering inside. When he didn’t see anyone, he checked again — longer this time, making sure there were no occupants. He repeated the process across every rear window before he felt reasonably confident the house was empty.

Noah set Piper on the ground, earning a sharp hiss. “What?” he said, looking down at her. “I need both hands for this next part.” He paused. “I think. I’ve never actually picked a lock before.”

She tilted her head at him.

“What? I know how locks work. In theory.”

Determined to prove his griffon hatchling wrong, Noah pulled two needles free from the prototype. Using the edge of the basket, he bent the tip of one into a slight right angle. Then he curved the other into a shallow hook.

Kneeling at the door, he slid the first needle into the bottom of the keyhole and applied light pressure. When he was sure it wouldn’t snap, he inserted the second needle and pressed upward against the pins. With slow, deliberate movements he worked the two in tandem, nudging and lifting until a soft click sounded.

“See? No problem.” He grinned, withdrew the needles, and eased the door open.

He slipped all the evidence into his coat pockets and led Piper inside. As he walked through, he noted that — just like the exterior — the décor was identical to their own visitor’s house. In the back of his mind he half‑expected Ciri to round the corner and greet him with a kiss.

This feels weird, he thought as he reached the front door.

He looked down at Piper and tapped one of his coat pockets. She hopped into it a moment later, filling the entire space where only weeks ago she’d fit comfortably. Her head poked out the top as she cawed up at him.

He shook his head and exhaled. “Just… I don’t know. Keep your head down or something. We only need to walk on the street for a minute, then we’ll be back at the house.”

Unfortunately for him, he opened the door to find two city guards standing with their backs to him. They turned before he could shut it again, their eyes flicking between him and Piper before they advanced.

“Don’t move!”

Getting really tired of people telling me that, Noah thought as he raised his hands.

“Why didn’t you answer when we knocked a few minutes ago?” the other guard asked. “Everyone on this street is to stay in their homes.”

“Uhh… oops?” Noah ventured. “I’m sorry, I was busy.”

“Let the poor student be, Captain,” a voice said from behind the guards. “After all, I should be seen by my citizens!”

Noah’s gaze flicked upward to find a man dressed in the most ostentatious outfit he’d ever seen. A decorative red brigandine—far too clean to have seen real action—covered his torso. Beneath it, a white silk shirt puffed out at the shoulders a full thirty centimeters. A sword hung from a belt at his waist, and his legs were wrapped in white leggings tucked into black leather boots.

“My apologies,” Noah said, blinking at the man in bewilderment. “My… lord.” He added it hastily.

“Your Highness,” one of the guards hissed.

That makes this guy the… king? Prince? Shit, Noah thought, bowing his head.

If the man noticed the slip, he didn’t show it. Instead, he tilted his head. “And what is this creature in your pocket?”

Noah looked up again, taking in the gaudy gold necklace studded with jewels. The prince’s blue eyes matched the gems in the circlet nestled in his dark brown hair. He had high cheekbones and pale skin and overall looked the part of the pampered noble that Mara was always complaining about. Realizing he was staring—and mentally calculating how much the jewelry cost—Noah coughed to buy himself a moment.

“It’s… a raven, Your Royal Highness,” he said at last, placing a hand over Piper to keep her hind legs down.

This time, the man caught the mistake. “Oh, Royal Highness is my father,” he said with a chuckle.

Ah. The Crown prince, then.

“A raven, you say?” he continued. “I want one. Where did you get it?”

Noah furrowed his brow, trying to remember if he’d ever seen a raven in Tenebrae. “I found her up in the forest near Rookhaven,” he gambled.

“Ravens are common in the north, Your Highness,” the guard captain offered, sounding unsure whether he was insulting the prince’s intelligence.

“Ah! Of course, of course.” The prince smiled, revealing far too many white teeth. “I’ve always wanted one. How long have you had her?” Before Noah could answer, he looked skyward wistfully. “I had a hawk once, as a boy. Magnificent creature. Never quite took to me, though. I blame the trainer, honestly.”

“I… uh… yes?” Noah tried, then caught the guard’s warning look. “Your Highness.”

Without warning, the prince reached toward Piper. Noah tensed, holding her down, but she ducked her head deeper into his pocket as the fingers neared. He let out a nervous chuckle and angled his body away.

“My apologies, Your Highness. She’s shy with strangers.”

A griffon’s judgment on who to trust is wise beyond our comprehension. Lady Frostwing’s words echoed in his mind.

Thankfully, a nearby guard stepped in. “Probably for the best, Your Highness. The creature might want to come home with you, and you know how Her Royal Majesty is about animals.”

“I suppose you’re right.” The prince withdrew his hand and looked back at Noah. “What do you study at the academy?”

“General studies, Your Highness.”

“Yes, yes, important work,” he said with a nod.

Said nobody ever about general studies, Noah thought, forcing a smile.

“I couldn’t be bothered to go, of course. Far too busy. Too many responsibilities to waste time in a dusty old library. The kingdom must be maintained! Someone must be on the front, renewing our bonds, strengthening ties with the lordships, rooting out—” He stopped abruptly, squinting down the street. “Does that store have plum wine?”

The guards exchanged a look that almost made Noah feel sorry for them. “Yes, Your Highness.”

“We need some! Come, let us be off!” the prince declared, already turning away from Noah as if he’d never existed.

Noah watched them go, rooted to the spot in shock.

What the fuck just happened?