Golden Sea: Book Two in the Mapmaking Magicians Series by Emma Sterner-Radley

Author:Emma Sterner-Radley [Sterner-Radley, Emma]
Language: eng
Format: epub
Publisher: Heartsome Publishing
Published: 2021-02-10T16:00:00+00:00

Chapter Eighteen

Solstice Born

The cave was lighter now, the morning well on its way. The mood was still dark, though, Eleksander thought. All the unanswered questions and mistrust overcrowding the small space. He and Hale watched Taferia search for words. Or perhaps stall.

Taferia scratched at the tight, coiled curls at the back of her neck before saying, “Where to begin? Well, the year you four were born had a peculiar summer. To be exact, it had a peculiar month around the scorching summer solstice.”

“Please tell me we’re not going to discuss weather,” Hale snarled.

She gave a mirthless chuckle. “In a way, we are. At the summer solstice of that year, we had what at first looked like a simple heatwave. The high temperatures, and the lack of clouds or rain, wasn’t all that happened, though.”

Hale rolled his eyes. “Let me guess, there was also no wind.”

Eleksander wished Hale would calm down and be quiet but he knew him well enough to recognise this behaviour as his way of coping with stress.

It didn’t matter as Taferia ignored him. “The sun didn’t just shine all the time; it darkened to a golden hue. The nights were shorter than at a normal summer solstice, too.”

“Wait, I was born during the summer solstice,” Hale said.

“Exactly,” Taferia said giving him a meaning look. “All four of you were. That summer solstice the animals had larger litters with healthier young. The crops, which should’ve died without rain, grew more bountiful. The air was heavy with heat and magic. Everyone waited, sensing something significant was happening.”

Hale opened his mouth to say something. Considering the grin on his face, Eleksander was pretty sure he was going to say that his birth was the significant thing. Luckily — for Eleksander wanted to know more since he’d never known his exact birth date, always celebrating his birthday on the day when the Aetholos took him in — Taferia spoke over him.

“What did happen was the children born around the summer solstice had strong magic right from birth. They floated toys into their cots and slept with swirls of magic emanating from their tiny baby fingers. Or, should I say, you did.”

Eleksander was about to ask follow-up questions when Taferia added, “We all thought that those of you born during that solstice would be the strongest magicians of our age. But, as you grew, your magic settled back into the normal amount of any child. So, we thought whatever strangeness had happened that solstice ended when the summer did. Most people forgot all about it.”

“I guess the Twelve didn’t forget? You seem to know a shitload about this,” Hale said, arms crossed.

“We do. One of our scholars specialised in the research of that summer solstice. In fact, you know her. Tutor Atha Santorine.”

Both lads reacted with noises of surprise and contempt, making Taferia hold her hands up. “I know, I know, you’ve had negative experiences with her. Nevertheless, you will recall that she never tried to hurt you and that she had a brilliant mind.

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