ShadowSong [Book 1 & 2: Complete] [NaNoWriMo16/17]

Chapter 69 - Kindred Spirits

Despite the Serpent's best efforts, Jason woke up the next morning feeling fairly refreshed.

"Good morning, Sae," said Jason with a glance at his Liaiser screen. He still had five minutes before he needed to get up, but what was the point in waiting?

"Morning, kiddo," said Sae, fluffing himself up in a shower of soft snow beside Jason's pillow. "How are we feeling?"

"Fairly well, thank you," said Jason, scooping his Ascended up and placing him on his shoulder as he opened the curtains. After last night's Manifested, he spent a few moments savouring the early morning sunlight streaming through the glass. "Banshee allowing me a full night's rest before is still greatly appreciated, though I'm concerned she's running almost empty herself."

Sae rubbed his head against the side of Jason's jaw to get at the few feathers he couldn't preen himself. "Yep. This city is too big for two Lumi's to handle alone."

"How long does it usually take for Skypillar to chose a new pair of Luminaries?" asked Jason.

Sae lowered the wing he'd been working his beak through, and for a moment longer than it should have been, his gaze wandered somewhere far out the window, off into the distance where Skypillar loomed. It was over in an instant and Sae's beak was back to work under his wing, but Jason couldn't catch the gaze of his Ascended as he replied.

"I uh... really couldn't tell you, kid. It's just different every time."

*+*+*+*

Jason arrived outside Olivia's house a few minutes earlier than usual.

The side street was empty with no Olivia in sight. After pulling the Gleamer to a stop, he pulled his Liaiser out from his pocket to check. No messages from her saying she was running late or otherwise, but he was early. There was no need to assume anything just yet. It left him with a chance to debate whether he should tell her about Cryo's vision, about the Starsong dress, about Ella.

But as a few more minutes passed without any kind of message, Jason's concerns started to rise.

He locked the Gleamer, put his helmet in the side car and picked up his violin case. After nearly losing Sae's ear cuff yesterday, he wasn't about to take any chances with things he cared about.

Jason knocked on the door that Olivia usually waited by three times and stepped back. A muffled voice from inside called out. Footsteps followed, and twenty seconds later, the door opened to Olivia's mother--Lydia, she'd asked him to call her.

"Jason!" she said, stepping forward and pulling him into a one-armed hug. She looked like she was half-dressed for work and still had a coffee in one hand. "Olivia said you'd be around soon. I'm not sure she'll be able to go to the temple today."

Jason's stomach clenched. "Is she well?"

"She has one of her migraines," Lydia said. "I think the excitement from everything might be a little too much for her. She's been looking exhausted these last few days and it finally caught up to her. She tried to message you earlier, but she couldn't look at the screen light and she wouldn't let me touch it. Something about her wallpaper and not wanting me to see it. She did ask me to send you up when you arrived, however."

"Ah, I see," said Jason quietly. "I apologise for the interruption to your morning."

Lydia waved her hand. "No problem at all, sweetie. Come with me, I'll show you where her room is. Just keep noise and light to a minimum."

Jason followed her up the stairs and into a small space on the second floor that combined the dining room, the kitchen, and the living space into one. The entire area was probably the same size as just the dining room in his own house, but despite its compact size, Olivia's home felt far more open and friendlier. There was more chairs around the table than people in the house. The pictures weren't perfectly straight on the walls--there were a few that weren't even on the walls--but despite that, the side of Jason's mouth curved upwards at the small glimpse into her life.