Since Esmera was abandoned on a stranger's doorstep as a baby, the only person who has looked out for her is herself.
Until a lark starts visiting her, leaving behind exotic flowers and iridescent pebbles that the internet doesn't recognise.
Esmera...
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The clouds drifted across the sky like smoke, the only silent part of the new day dawning upon Milatanur. Esmera leaned over the edge of the balcony, propping herself on her elbows.
The bright flowers embellishing the ground sang to welcome the crisp morning. The wind giggled and whispered as it swirled around Esmera and disappeared among the mountains. She knew there was a town nearby because if she closed her eyes and quietened her mind, she could hear the rumble of people moving but nothing more than that. She fancied she glimpsed the buildings between two mountain peaks ahead.
She tried to extend her perception, zeroing in on the sound of the town until it was the only one filling her head, but that was no help. She couldn't discern any voices within the rumble, any scraping of chairs or clattering of crockery.
She frowned. Never had she experienced this when using her auditory ability, not even when she eavesdropped on every level of Tauram's apartment building the previous day. The town must be quite a distance away, and even her power had its limitations.
So deep was Esmera's focus that the unmistakable tap of footsteps behind her escaped her notice until a voice cut into her concentration.
"Ready to go?" An annoyingly familiar voice boomed behind her, a startling contrast to the murmurs in the distance Esmera had been straining to hear.
She jumped. "You really need to stop sneaking up on me." She glared at Tauram as he leaned on the balcony beside her.
A playful wisp of wind blew through his black hair. Esmera's fingers itched to right it again, but she also kind of liked the ruffled look on him. Somehow he made it elegant instead of untidy, as he did the dark, rumpled cloak, long white shirt that looked like it hadn't been ironed since he had been banished to Arkōsāra and the narrow brown trousers that had a crease running down one leg.
Maybe it was his regality. Maybe it was something else entirely.
"I didn't think it was possible to sneak up on an śradūgara." Tauram cocked his head. "I wasn't even trying that time."
Esmera huffed. "You still nearly gave me a heart attack."
His infuriating smirk deepened as if he was fighting a laugh. "My apologies, Lady Esmera."
She rolled her eyes. She didn't need to be reminded how dreadfully incompetent she was as an auditory sorcerer. Maybe it was because she hadn't trained her ability. Maybe it was because she wasn't as powerful as the rest of her family had been.
Once the unwelcome idea had taken root in Esmera's mind, it wouldn't be removed. Tauram had said that śradūgaraha could command armies and win wars. Esmera couldn't even hear people talking if they were too far away. Jilhari was crazy if she thought Esmera could be anywhere near ready to face Ruagu within one week.
She sighed as she fidgeted with the loose end of the fabric wrapped around her waist. She hadn't known where to tuck it.
Tauram's eyes widened as he studied her from top to toe, starting at the closed black slippers with loops securing them to her ankles, up the red skirt and blouse embroidered with gold, right up to her curly hair, which was pulled back by a hair tie she had scavenged from the dresser in the room she had claimed for herself.
