Drift: River of Falcons Book 1

June's Note

They sat in silence until Ubi said, "You know what? It's nice to be free. Thanks!"

Drift looked at him in surprise. "I'm not sure how free you are. You're being hunted. You can't just do what you want."

"I wanted to eat bread, and I did." He smiled. "That was nice! But I'm sorry I didn't leave you any."

Drift smiled, too, in spite of herself.

"What do you want?" he asked, eyeing Drift.

"Never you mind," she said.

"To get your grandmother back?"

"Of course."

"To have friends? Be a girl? Do proper magic?"

"Shut up," Drift said. "You're prying."

"I think," he said, "that you want to be the princess who overthrows the—"

"No. And for your information, I'm sure I'm not a princess."

"I'm fine with being a searcher," Ubi said. "You can't deny who you are."

"If you know who you are, then maybe," Drift said. "Besides, I notice you said you're a searcher, not The Searcher."

"What's the difference? I have a birthmark, that's all."

"They say there's only one Searcher in each generation."

Ubi shrugged. "You're just playing with words," he said. "When will lunch be ready?"

"And The Searcher is supposed to find the one thing that most needs finding. How's that going? Have you found it yet?"

"Who told you that?" Ubi asked.

"Summer."

"Did she. Actually," he added, sounding thoughtful, "I just may have."

Drift snorted.

"Except this thing isn't so sure of who she is yet," Ubi said.

"What? Oh. Shut up! I'm not the—"

"You better be, because somebody needs to do something."

"That's not my problem. I just need to find Summer."

*

At the conclusion of the midday meal, Nautilus had asked Abdera to walk back from the dining hall with her. Sweeping grandly down the pathways, her broad strides crushing any tender perennials that dared to grow out onto the path, Nautilus had led the way to her oversized cottage with Abdera flitting anxiously behind. Upon arrival, Nautilus collapsed onto a comfortable couch.

Abdera perched cautiously on a straight-backed chair. "I am honored by your request, Antiquissima," she said, "but why do you wish to speak with me? Has something important happened?"

"Events have unfolded, although not precisely as I had anticipated."

"I thought the Old One always knew—"

"Don't be ridiculous! No one knows exactly what is going to happen. I have a better sense than others, but I still have to wait to see how each bud of a future event is going to unfold."

"Oh. It sounds like gardening."

Nautilus rolled her eyes. "Of course it sounds like gardening! It is. Now stop talking so I can tell you what's happened. Early this morning, a suspicious boy was almost captured behind the Palace. I've learned that..." She paused to lean forward and lower her voice. "He's actually a girl in disguise."