Page 29 of Under Restless Skies

The cage moves up, and I watch my surroundings in awe.

My understanding has always been that the academy is at the bottom, followed by the main quarters of the Sky Guard, but with some overlap in training grounds, obviously. Above it, sits the castle. But if we’re going up like that, they’re interconnected.

We stop some five floors beneath the top, and then she takes me to a bright, large hall, lit by many sunholes, the floor in polished wood, and the walls in pink marble. After we walk by large metal doors, we cross a small, discreet wooden entrance.

The sight stuns me.

The room is enormous, with a high ceiling and tall windows with colorful mosaics. White sheets cover some furniture in the corners, while the marble floor has a delicate floral pattern, mirrored in the wooden ceiling.

This is a grand hall. The famous mosaic hall, I suppose, where coronations and balls happen. Only one of the gorgeous windows has sunlight peering through it, sharpening and brightening a design of a golden dragon. The other windows are covered with external metal panes, which makes sense, considering the possibility of a dragon attack. I’m assuming the only reason the one window isn’t blocked is so that the room doesn’t need lamps or lumos jars.

Rosalia looks around, searching for something, then frowns.

I follow her line of sight and see a blond girl, wearing a gray uniform like mine, sitting by a bucket, her head down.

The cleaning crew boss approaches the girl and clicks her tongue. “What’s this? Are you under the impression that correction is vacation?”

The girl gets up quickly. “Not at all, madam. Not at all.” Her blue eyes are swollen and red, as if she’d been crying, and her right arm is in a sling. She’s also quite short.

Rosalia sneers. “Useless miscreant. And yet Foros might like you after all. I brought a novice to help you. Once you’re done, help her find her way.” The woman then glares at me. “Dare step where you’re not allowed, and I’ll personally make sure your days here are over.”

I just stare, stunned by the threat. Does she really think that serving her is that much of a privilege? At least she doesn’t linger, and instead turns around and leaves, her shoes click-clacking away from the room, as I exhale a sigh of relief.

“She’s always like that,” the girl says, her voice small. “You get used to it.”

“You’re in the cleaning crew?” The idea of making a friend is a thin ray of light peering through the dark clouds in my heart.

Her chuckle is sad. “I might be. Soon. If they don’t expel me first.”

“Expel?”

“I’m a recruit. Second year. You’re a first year, right?”

I nod. I should tell her I’m not technically in the academy, but the thought hurts so much that I don’t want to say it out loud.

“My name’s Celine,” she continues. “I don’t recall seeing you…” She narrows her eyes, as if trying to recognize me.

“I’m Mayara. I started today. Just now. I’m… in the cleaning crew.” There. I said it. It would be silly to pretend I’m something I’m not.

She blinks a few times, seeming confused, then says, “Nice. I thought you got training too.”

I shrug. “Tomorrow, maybe. I don’t have a schedule yet.”

“Makes sense.” Her voice sounds strangled, as if she was stifling a sob.

“Are you all right? Is something wrong?”

This time, when she closes her eyes, tears fall. She opens them and points at the enormous windows. “See those glass panes? See how they’re dusty? See how huge they are?”

“Yes.”

“I need to clean them all by five.” She points at a sandglass on the floor, then at her wrapped arm. “And… it’s been hard. If I don’t finish them, I’m out.”

“Out of the academy?”

She lets out a sob. “They think I get hurt on purpose or something, that I don’t want to train. Commander Mallor is on my case. He’ll expel anyone who even breathes wrong near him.”

Mallor. Commander Mallor’s orders, Flavio said. Was this man the one who put me here?