1. Chapter 1

Chapter 1

M aura took a deep breath of cool, salt-laced air and savored the the wind nipping at her cheeks. The expanse of the Vaporiad Sea sprawled before her. The sea was a new friend of Maura's; she had spent most of her days in the snowy hills of Beitar. Until her life went up in smoke, in every sense.

She forced her spiraling thoughts down, refusing to let herself dwell on the home she'd left behind. It wasn't much of a home by the time she'd left. She much preferred this wild, rocky northern coast and its reckless icy waves.

The sea occupied a large portion of the center of the continent of Domhan na Rùin, and she had always dreamt of seeing it. Though, with Beitar's isolation, that hadn't seemed like a dream likely to come true. Gazing out at the endless depths, she couldn’t imagine being anywhere else.

Maura decided that–since she was in full possession of her time–she would take a walk up to the cliffs. She had made the walk dozens of times in the month she'd been here, and she’d never seen a soul. It had been strange at first to get used to being so alone here, but she had quickly grown to enjoy the solitude.

The human population of Aphana avoided this particular stretch of coastline at all costs. Tales of vicious sirens dragging unsuspecting people down to their city beneath the waves were told to children at bedtime here. The moment Maura had inquired about the fisherman’s cottage, the locals had vehemently warned her against living here. The sirens were one of many non-human species native to Domhan na Rùin, but unlike the minotaurs of Mistreon or the vampires of Ichorna, they were not fond of humans. It was said the siren city lay far beneath the waves near here. Anyone with sense stayed far away. Well, anyone with sense and money.

Maura didn’t have the coin for anything but the little cottage she now called home. She didn't mind, though; she had yet to see any sign of vicious water-folk. Perhaps they had left off guarding these waters with the shores abandoned for so long.

As Maura hiked, clouds churned in the sky, mirroring the turbulent motion of the sea below. She was close enough to the cliffs that there was no point turning back. A little rain never hurt anyone.

Savoring the burn in her muscles from the rugged ascent to the clifftop, Maura finally reached her destination. From this vantage point, she could see for miles out to sea. This place was wild–and quiet in the way she needed quiet. As she stared out, committing the view to memory, fat drops of rain began to fall.

Water slowly coated the rocks she stood on, but she didn't move to leave. She stood on the very precipice of the cliff, feeling the thrill of the sea’s vastness before her. She let the rain soak into her clothes and delighted in its cold bite. She felt alive, like the water below was a part of her soul that she’d always been missing.

There was a sudden crack of thunder, its warning flash of lightning hidden in the roiling clouds, and her body jolted–forward. Right over the edge of the cliff. She was standing too close to the edge for such a sudden movement, though, and before she even truly felt what was happening, the sensation of falling registered in her mind.

The cliff where she’d been standing loomed above her, framed by the backdrop of the stormy sky, and grew more distant by the second. The sounds of restless surf grew louder as she fell, and everything she tried so hard not to think about spun through her panicked mind in an instant.

Her bakery. The smoke. The ash that was left behind. Her mother succumbing to the fading magic, her father's broken heart. Her midnight escape from her country, the only home she'd ever known. All the sadness and loss and loneliness, all at once, until the searing sting of cold took her under.