A Sprinkle of Stardust

Chapter 5 - Delivery

The colour leached from the sky outside as day gave way to dusk. It looked different on this side of Fegris Mountain.

The sun set in the west, and Lyrani was always at ECISI to see the orange orb begin its descent and home in time to watch from her bedroom window as it slipped beneath the horizon. That was if she didn't have an assignment or meeting elsewhere.

It had been three days since Lyrani's briefing and her acceptance of the Vlitavia mission, and she wasn't any readier to face it.

There was so much that could go wrong. What if someone figured who she and Trelle really were? What if they got caught? It would mean certain death.

If they failed, King Nash would continue his reign of terror. If they succeeded, they could leave Elvenland unruled and vulnerable to attack by the other clans. Both paths presented unpleasant possibilities.

Lyrani took a deep breath.

There was too much at stake. Rosel and Keehege had already failed. Irylen was Elvenland's last hope.

Lord Dundor was right. Removing the king and dealing with whatever followed would be better than being aware of his violent crimes and letting him continue them. Lyrani had her doubts at first, but now she had her evidence too. This was the only way.

Lyrani would succeed. She had to.

A furry feeling against her fingers brought her attention back to the task at hand. The culprit was a fur coat, one of the few things Lyrani had taken with her the night she left her childhood home for good.

The humans killed animals for their fur. Elves took a softer approach, using their magic to create a fur-like material in the same way Omiane turned the night's essence into rolls of fabric and Dessie grew flowers to make clothing.

The coat was a bulky, hideous thing, but at least it kept Lyrani warm. She held it up, studying the way it transitioned from camel-brown around the neckline to fawn at the hem.

It was part of every lady's winter attire, so it would fit right in at the palace, but it was summer. Such a heavy jacket wouldn't be necessary. Besides, it wasn't something a maid would wear, and that was what Lyrani would be for the duration of her stay in Vlitavia.

She hung the coat back in her wardrobe. Peering among her other clothes, she took out an ankle-length, midnight blue dress, another remnant of the life she had lived before leaving home to become an ECISI agent.

The footsteps were soft, almost silent, but Lyrani heard them when she bent over her trunk to pack her dress away.

She froze. There was someone in her room.

Before she could react, a cushion hit her on the back of her head. She spun to see Morloy, still in his white work tunic, leaning against the doorframe with a box in his hand.

"How old are you? Five?" Lyrani rubbed her head, glaring at him.

"Come on, Lyr." Morloy flashed his familiar grin. "Would a five-year-old have an arm like that?"

Lyrani rolled her eyes and bit back a retort. She would let him have this one.

It was the first glimpse of his playfulness she had seen since the Loweim fire. Perhaps Morloy was back to his old self. The thought lifted Lyrani's otherwise grim spirits.

"Is that any way to say goodbye to me?" she asked instead.

The grin didn't leave Morloy's face. "Of course not. That's why I bought you these." He handed her the box.

The aroma of cornflower pancakes drifted up to Lyrani's nose as she opened it. The smell was like breakfast in the pavilion with her parents and picnics in the meadow with her friends. It smelt like love, peace and happier days.