CHAPTER 24 – What Connects

There are months when nothing makes sense, and moments when everything at last comes together — when all the puzzling pieces that were scattered along the path suddenly click into place. Saphienne had one such moment when she arrived before Celaena’s house, gazing beyond a gate in a low wall that surrounded a hill which steeply climbed through terraced gardens overgrown with budding flowers up to a grand doorway in a house that was grown from more than–

Iolas spoke with awe. “This is your home?”

Celaena paused, her hand on the gate, and looked back at them. “Yes?”

Saphienne blinked. “How many trees?”

“I’ve never counted.” Celaena glanced up through the gardens, considering the grand building which she called home and the great trees that wove together to form its rooms. “Three, I think? One of them is much younger than the others, though. Father expanded the house when he decided he wanted a child.”

Tearing their eyes away from the sight of it, Saphienne and Iolas shared a look.

Celaena hesitated, and stepped away from the gate. “Is something wrong?”

Shaking his head, Iolas strolled past her. “No. I just never imagined you living in a place like this.”

“Like what?” Celaena blushed, self-conscious. “Is it the gardens? I know they’re a little wild, but I’m not really much of a gardener, and they’re only tended to every other month.”

Realising that Celaena was oblivious, Saphienne smiled, and for once she was the one to reach out to her. “The gardens look beautiful,” she promised her as she took her hand. “We just weren’t expecting your home to be so impressive.”

Although reassured, Celaena was still perplexed. “You’re impressed? What’s so impressive about the house?”

Iolas started laughing as he pushed through the gate. “This explains a lot.”

“What does?” Celaena let Saphienne lead her into her own gardens. “And what does it explain? Why are you– stop laughing!”

But neither of them could help their giggles, not until they climbed the hill — not until Celaena muttered under her breath and pulled free of Saphienne to sweep haughtily through the pair of doors that led into her reception hall. “You’re being very rude,” she sniffed at them, though she was less offended than bemused. “I suppose you had better come inside.”

Which Saphienne and Iolas hesitated to do, both children feeling small as they took in the tiled floor – which was dark as the midnight sky – and the high, white, vaulted ceiling – which lay three stories overhead – and the grand staircase that swept from one toward the other, lightening as it ascended. Saphienne stepped in first, and her footsteps echoed off the polished wooden walls and bounced up to the landings of the upper floors.

Iolas joined her. “I’ve never seen a place like–”

The door shut itself behind them, and they both jumped.

Celaena was on the stairs, and she smirked. “Sorry, the door’s enchanted. It wouldn’t have opened, without me. You’ve never been to a wizard’s home before, have you?”

Unable to help herself, Saphienne began to correct her. “Our master–”

“I mean a real wizard.” Celaena gestured around the hall. “Someone who really knows what they’re doing.”

Clicking his way across the floor, Iolas stared all around himself — including down at his feet, disconcerted by his audible footfalls. “Your father: he’s a more powerful wizard than our master?”

“I mean, he must be.” Casually sitting on the steps, she shrugged. “I don’t know which degree of spellcasting he’s obtained, but it’s higher than whatever our master can do, I’m sure.”

That Celaena didn’t know the specifics intrigued Saphienne. “You don’t know? Why not?”

What little confidence Celaena had found quickly faded away, and she was once more unsure of herself. “We don’t talk much about magic. I’ve seen him cast spells, and he was always very clear that I’d learn wizardry once I was old enough, but apart from telling me what to study… he was always careful not to break the rules.”

Looking to Saphienne, Iolas nodded. “Wizards aren’t allowed to teach family members, are they?”

“No.” Celaena sighed. “We can’t discuss magic. Not until I’m a wizard in my own right. He was much more cautious about it than–” She stopped herself, clearly reconsidering what she was about to say. “…Than others I’ve heard about.”

Realisation made Saphienne speak aloud. “You mean Faylar’s aunt.”

Her words caught Celaena by surprise, and the wizard’s daughter scowled at Saphienne. “I didn’t say any such thing! And Faylar would resent the implication.”

Reaching the staircase, Iolas sat down on it as well, a few steps below Celaena. “I thought our master was the only wizard in our village?”

Turning her attention to him, she nodded. “He is. Well, the only wizard who is recognised by the Luminary Vale. There are others, and they’re entitled to be called masters if they wish, and they have the right to assert their opinions if consensus is sought between practitioners of the Great Art. But they don’t have the authority our master does, since they can’t…” She grinned at Saphienne. “Since they can’t invoke the Luminary Vale.”

“But what about your father?” Iolas pressed her.

“He doesn’t live here.” Celaena spoke matter-of-factly. “He hasn’t lived here for… I think a few hundred years.”

Saphienne crossed to the steps, but didn’t sit. “So you live with your mother?”

“Oh, no.”

Realising she had assumed, Saphienne faintly blushed. “Sorry. I mean, with your guardian?”

“What do– oh!” Celaena laughed. “No, Saphienne. I meant that my mother doesn’t live here — not that I don’t have a relationship with her. She’s a priest, cloistered, and lives far to the west. She visited me, once.”

Iolas stared up at her. “Who do you live with, then?”

“Well, nobody.” Celaena shrugged. “One of the neighbours is technically my guardian now, along with our master.”

Saphienne couldn’t believe it. “You live here alone?”

“Why wouldn’t I?” Celaena glanced between them both. “I stayed with father in one of his other houses when I was very little, and then he had someone from the village look after me when I first moved here. Madris, if you’ve met her?” She smiled, warmly. “She’s really lovely. Sometimes, she visits for tea.”

Disturbed, Iolas shook his head. “Don’t you get lonely?”

Celaena furrowed her brow. “Lonely? A wizard has to be comfortable being alone. Solitude is important to our work. And I have plenty of friends.”

“…That’s very sad, Celaena.”

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Once more caught by surprise, she held his gaze for a moment, then looked away, and her eyes glimmered as she shook her head. “Don’t be odd.” Celaena smoothed her apprentice’s robes as she stood and turned away from her friends. “Anyway, we can talk properly in my study. Come on up.”

Saphienne lingered for a moment at the bottom of the stairs as the others climbed, casting her eyes across the tile floor. It looked cold.

* * *

After their shock wore off, Saphienne and Iolas adjusted to Celaena’s lodgings quite quickly, and they were delighted to discover that her study – which was as big as the sitting room of Saphienne’s family home – even had its own small library. Saphienne’s enthusiasm dimmed slightly when she realised that she’d already read most of the books, and she was puzzled as she wondered what the point was. Why did Celaena have private copies of so many texts, when the village’s library could provide all she would ever need? Did she reread them so often? Were they all of sentimental value?

“Sentimental?” Celaena laughed at Saphienne’s question. “Not at all. Doesn’t every decent wizard need a library of their own? Don’t you have one? How about you, Iolas?”

He shook his head in reply; Celaena thought they were both quite odd.

Later in the afternoon, in the middle of their note-sharing session, Celaena abruptly looked up, then jumped to her feet and threw open a window, greeting the magpies that had come to roost outside. She introduced each as she fed them with seeds she kept in her satchel, explaining their family history, along with their rivalry with the local crows — which she was doing her best to calm, by feeding the two flocks together whenever she could. She beckoned her fellow elves over, introducing them in turn to her avian friends.

Iolas already knew about the seeds. “She really likes birds,” he said to Saphienne, gently petting one of the tamed magpies as it ate from his palm. “I just didn’t know she liked them this much.”

* * *

When evening came, Saphienne lingered outside the imposing doorway after Iolas had left, and she stared thoughtfully at Celaena, until the older girl blushed.

“What is it, Saphienne?”

Saphienne made up her mind. “Would you like to have dinner with me?”