With her father's memory failing and her mother gone, Soraya Thenayu enrolls in distant Darkwood Academy and immediately becomes enemies with the richest kid at school. Between hiding her father's gift of illegally harvested magic, befriending socia...
Oops! This image does not follow our content guidelines. To continue publishing, please remove it or upload a different image.
Even though she slept soundly under her thick navy blue comforter, Soraya sensed her father's presence creeping closer towards her bedroom. She awoke just as he towered over her bed.
I'm leaving for Matumi today. This is the last time I'll see papa for quite awhile.
Tishva gently nudged his daughter's shoulder with his weathered hand. "Morning kiddo," he said, his voice low and firm. "It's time to get ready."
Soraya knew there was no time for dragging her heels. She sat up, being careful not to bump Yabo, who was sleeping by her feet.
Tishva drew apart the dark navy blue curtains, letting in a pale yellow stream of light from the rising sun. "Today's going to be a long day for you," he said while picking up Soraya's suitcase. "I let you sleep in as long as possible and made us breakfast. I'll explain more while you're eating at the table."
"Sounds good," Soraya yawned in reply. Before her feet hit the icy wooden floor, her father had already vanished down the hall, his heavy footsteps growing fainter as he descended down the spiral staircase.
"I wonder what today will bring," Soraya pondered while staring at the sunlight pouring in from her window. She hopped out of bed and looked down at the ground below. The pearly white snow covering the trees and ground outside sparkled and looked enchanting. "I'll miss you," she whispered to her mother's grave. "Please help Papa remember me."
The girl changed into warm black stockings and a light green dress with long sleeves and a jade ribbon around her waist. It reached down a little past her knees. Soraya loved the two deep pockets sewn into either side, which in her opinion, made it the most practical for traveling in. She then scooped up her pandacoon, who was sluggish from having just woken up, and cradled him like a baby.
"I want to take you with me so badly, Yabo," she wished longingly. "I just can't leave you behind, I love you too much."
Soraya planted several kisses on his fuzzy face and placed him on her shoulder, where he happily sat and stretched to wake himself up. She then flew towards the kitchen, where her father stood at the dining room table, waiting.
"Kiddo," Tishva said, setting a plate filled with bacon and eggs in front of her seat. "I'm worried about going into town with you today. We'll run some errands and I can drop you off at the train station, but we'll have to hurry. I wish I could take you to Matumi, but I'm afraid of straying too far from home in my condition."
"I understand..."
They were both worried that he might forget who she was out in public. Although it made sense for him to stay behind, Soraya was nervous about getting to the other side of their country on her own. The town of Rivinsdeep was a small and tight knit community made up mostly of elderly Azakuins. Everyone knew everybody and looked out for each other like a family. She wasn't sure how the bustling oceanside city life of Matumi would be in comparison.
