The journey to Seena was just as uneventful as the journeys that came before it, but Nastasia didn't mind. Just as Josephine had said, they traveled at an easy pace which gave everyone a chance to recuperate from the challenge in Lake Pontus.

    By the time they crossed the border and Eldon's lush forests gave way to the white sands and coarse grasses of Seena, Nastasia's aches were all but forgotten. Now, her attention was captured entirely by the land surrounding her.

    It was astounding, but not in the same eerie way that Blod's lands had astounded her. She'd always heard about Seena's cool desert terrain, but to see it in person was almost surreal. It was what she imagined walking on the face of the moon might be like.

    Everywhere she looked, her eyes were greeted with endless waves of ivory and the faint rustle of wind blowing through sparse vegetation. The white sands were disturbed only by random patches of grass, yuccas, and colorful deposits of sea glass.

    Every few feet, sunlight glinted off the shards of blue and green half-buried in the sands. Nastasia already carried several pieces in her pocket to give to Alexei. She couldn't figure out why there would be sea glass strewn across the desert. Her studies had never mentioned that small detail.

    She knew that Seenanites were well versed in the art of glass making. Their ample sands made the perfect source material after all. All of the stained glass used in Nyctoli came from Seena, but sea glass? Her answer finally came when they passed through a settlement only a day's journey from Jalil.

    The procession had made camp for the night and Nastasia accompanied Josephine and Elise through the town's market. Between the three of them, they could speak enough of the Seenanite's native language to converse with the merchants who didn't speak the Common Tongue. It was from an elderly woman that they'd heard the tale of the sea glass.

    In ancient times, she told them, when the lands of Blod were still riven with war and Nyctoli belonged solely to the Dwarves, Seena was a kingdom underwater, engulfed completely by the Caeles Sea. As the years wore on, the shoreline began to retreat, leaving white sands and deposits of sea glass behind. When Andrian began pushing its border past the Ina River, during the same lifetime as Saint Oleksandr, the shoreline settled at its current point.

    Once her story was finished, the woman had gifted each of them with a necklace she'd strung while speaking. Upon every piece of sea glass, she had carved a different rune. Elise had tried to return her necklace immediately but the woman merely took her hand in her own dark one and closed it over the stones.

    "We can't wear these," Elise explained. "Many of the people we travel with would kill us if they saw these runes."

    The woman patted her hand with an understanding smile, but replied, "You are in Seena now. Ismene protects her children and blesses them. These will offer you her protection."

    They took the necklaces without protest after that, although they kept them in their pockets. Many of their companions, the Eldons especially, made no move to hide their distaste at the Seenanites' open appreciation for Mages. Everywhere they looked, there was sage burning in circles of amethyst and worshippers of Ismene watching over them.

    Many were obviously Mages, who proudly flaunted the runes tattooed on their skin. Nastasia couldn't help but think of Danitza and wondered if she would maintain her secrecy even here. It would be the wiser thing to do considering they would leave for Andrian and then Nyctoli afterwards.

    But perhaps being somewhere accepting of them would coax more Mages out of hiding. She just hoped they would be careful. The next day, Nastasia's concerns vanished at her first glimpse of Jalil. The sight of the city sent a pang of homesickness through her so sharply that it brought tears to her eyes.

    The white-stoned buildings of the city with their onion domed towers and stained glass windows held a distinct resemblance to the ones in Dimesa. However, their windows more commonly depicted images of Seenanite history and the Goddess Ismene, as opposed to Nyctoli's history and Saints.

    She found herself staring at the palace especially once they reached the grounds and made camp. A vast rectangular body of water separated them from the building itself. Nastasia sat on the edge of it, dipping her fingers into the cool water and letting them drip onto the petals of lotus blossoms floating past her. Occasionally, she let a flicker of starlight fall with the water.

    Her thoughts turned to her brother and Nikolai, as they so often did. They would love to see this, Nastasia thought with a faint smile. I'm sure Alexei would've already gone swimming in here and gotten into trouble. She drew her hand from the water and closed her eyes briefly. I hope they're both all right.

    She flinched when someone cleared their throat behind her. Nastasia glanced over her shoulder and caught sight of Sir Arlov. He clasped his hands behind his back, watching her with curious intensity.

    "I'm trying to find a friend of mine," he said. "A tall woman with dark hair and blue eyes. She would be wearing a gown with a high collar and long sleeves. Have you seen her?"

    Danitza? Nastasia frowned beneath her scarf. She'd seen very little of the Mage on their journey here. She shook her head silently.

    "Of course not. No one has. I think she might be avoiding me, honestly." She arched a brow, catching Sir Arlov's gaze. "She's a secretive woman," he muttered.

    What secret could she be keeping besides being a Mage? Nastasia wondered.

    "Thanks anyway," Sir Arlov said before striding away. Nastasia relaxed once his footsteps faded from earshot and resumed combing her fingers through the water.

•༻᯽༺•

    Nikolai searched for the remainder of the day, but there was still no sign of Danitza anywhere. He was beginning to grasp the idea that he wouldn't find her until she wanted to be found. She was a Mage after all, and therefore quite skilled at disappearing when she wished to. That fact was almost infuriating. It took more effort than he wished to admit to refrain from losing his temper completely.

    Nikolai was finally forced to call off his search when the evening banquet was announced and the Knights were summoned by General Nikita. He managed to find Mischa and Yuri with relative ease and, after they gave him a quick glance over to ensure his glamour was still fully intact, the three of them made their way into the palace.

    Yuri's jaw was the first to fall. "Damn. How long do you think it took them to build this?" Nikolai followed his gaze to the vaulted roof towering over them.

    "At least a century, if not more," Mischa replied.

    "Look." Yuri jerked his chin towards one of the many hanging chandeliers. "It's similar to the ones hanging in Kobmand Hall. You must've been right about where they came from." He cast a sideways glance at Nikolai, who offered a smirk in return.

    "I do know what I'm talking about from time to time, you know," he teased.

    Yuri rolled his eyes with a scoff. "All right, no need to rub it in. We don't all have royal schooling."

    Nikolai just shook his head with a chuckle and resumed his observation. They were making their way down a vast corridor that would lead into a grand ballroom. Columns of polished alabaster supported the arched ceiling, from which the chandeliers and dozens of banners were hung.

    The corners of his mouth lifted as Nikolai took note of the sigils upon each banner. There was one representing each of Damir's kingdoms as a show of good faith and sportsmanship on Seena's behalf. His smile stretched wider when they passed beneath Nyctoli's banner. It was good to see the familiar shades of purple, black, and white hanging in a place so reminiscent of his home.

    Then, Nikolai turned his attention to the stained glass windows planted between each column. For just a moment, his stomach clenched in homesickness and longing, but he drew a deep breath and simply let himself admire the craftsmanship. Some of the scenes depicted were familiar to him, but not all.

    Among them were the depictions of the Queen's elite guards and several tales from Seena's history. There were inscribed bronze plaques beneath some of the windows, but there wasn't enough time to stop and try to puzzle out the meaning of each Seenanite word chiseled upon them.

    Nikolai guessed they offered an explanation of the window scene. Perhaps if there was time later, he'd find someone to translate them for him. The next thing to catch his attention was the appearance of a narrow indoor stream winding across the floor ahead.

    Nikolai arched a brow when they reached the bridge to cross it. He peered over the edge, observing the steam curiously. It followed its delicate channel down the hall until it vanished from sight, but he could also make out more streams branching off of it.

    In fact, there was one leading into the ballroom where they were headed. It appeared to end in a shallow pool in the center of the room. "Ventilation," came a cool voice from beside him.

    Nikolai faced Danitza, already frowning. "Nice of you to finally join us. I've been looking for you all afternoon."

    Danitza paid him no heed as she continued her explanation, earning yet another snide look from Nikolai. "These streams move all throughout the palace to help regulate the temperature indoors. Many Seenanite homes implement them."

    "Where are they sourced from?" Yuri asked. He and Mischa glanced between Nikolai and Danitza, obviously wary of the rising tension. Mischa cleared his throat and Nikolai pried his gaze from the Mage while she answered Yuri's question.

    "Many come from wells or underground streams. Others are sourced from natural lakes or pre-existing rivers. The only place you will not find them is also the only place in Seena where you will not find water." Nikolai's skin prickled as Danitza's piercing gaze met his. "And I believe that is where the next challenge will take place."