The Starriest Summer (The Cycle of the Six Moons, #1)

Chapter Seven: Arriscyal

After telling him several times that my feet hurt, Gediyon starts giving me a history lesson on Arriscyal. That's a nice way to distract me from the pain.

"The kingdom used to be called the Coastal Lands of the Gifted."

"Is that what Arriscyal means?"

"Actually, Arriscyal is a compilation of the first two kings' names. They were brothers."

He goes on, reminding me that anyone native to these lands is born with the power over a single element.

"What, is there something in the water that makes everyone hokey pokey?"

"It's genetic, but abilities can vary greatly from father to son, or mother to daughter. At birth, an infant is bestowed with that single ability, but they must grasp it within the first minute of life, or the mother cannot pass on another ability until her next conception."

Now he sounds like a biology teacher. Well, I know that if Gediyon taught history at my school, none of the girls would fall asleep in class, and if he taught biology, girls would stay late for help with homework, whether they need it or not.

"So if they get a single element," I ask, "how come you have a bunch?"

"That, I do not know. My mother couldn't even explain it to me."

Ah, well, it doesn't make him any less cool if he doesn't know why he's cool.

When we reach the end of the bridge, I'm ready to dance and sing, and then I see the miles ahead of fields, farms, and spiking out of the ground every now and then, windmills. Farthest in the distance is a gleaming spire, and before that, a thin line of white running from as far as I can see from the left all the way to the right. I guess those are the city walls.

I sigh as we continue down a paved path that cuts between the farms, but I won't say any more. I've tortured Gediyon enough with all my complaining.

"Do you see that tower in the distance?" Gediyon asks. "It's the center of the ArriscyleanPalace. It's also where our healer sleeps."

I spit hair out of my face. I almost forgot that we're here to recruit the healer, and it turns out that she's a princess too? I bet she also has a menagerie of beasts that she can summon in battle—probably in a closet along with ridiculously flashy gowns. Let's see you defend yourself in that hoopskirt, Princess!

I'm making faces to myself, gazing away over a farm with animals that look like walking mops, when I hear rattling in the distance. I look straight down the road and see something headed directly for us. Whatever it is, it's going to run us over!

I dash off the road onto some plush grass. I look back at Gediyon, but he's still standing in the middle of the road, watching me with a smile.

I wave my arms. "Gediyon, watch out!"

"It's the kingdom escort," he says.

In a flash, the silver carriage stops a yard in front of him without even a screech. Two large, muscular cats lower themselves into a sitting position, like lazy sphinxes. They're striped white and silver as shiny as the carriage.

The coachmen step off. They're dressed a lot like Gediyon, wearing the same emblazoned white cloak, and one of them also has long hair. Both of them are wearing an engraved, golden chest plate.

They salute us. "Good morning, Sir Gediyon Raidyne." They face me and bow. "Your Serene Divinity."

The one with longer hair says, "We have orders to escort you to the palace at once."