Spin the Dawn

Seize the wind," I whispered. "Don't become the kite that never flies.

You are my oath now, Maia Tamarin. And you'll never be free of me.

Above, the stars faded behind the misty sky, and the sun fanned its light upon us. We melted into each other until the dawn slid into dusk, and the sun paled into the moon, and the stars, once lost, became found again.

I'd battled ghosts and touched the stars. I'd climbed a mountain to the moon and conquered the fury of the sun.

All legends have a spark of truth. Sometimes more than a spark.

I knew then that we were like two pieces of cloth, sewn together for life. Our stitches couldn't be undone. I wouldn't let them.

It was a tale of a boy, too. A boy who could fly but not swim. A boy with the powers of the gods but the shackles of a slave. A boy who loved me. It was a tale still being written.

Sometimes finding the way is tricky, but you always do. As long as you don't give up.

I want you to know that some journeys have ends, but not this one. This one will change you. Irrevocably." "Don't all journeys change you?" "It isn't the same." He leaned forward. "I, too, once journeyed beyond the stars." "What did you find?" His voice turned lethally soft. "That it's just the beginning.

But I would give up the sun and moon and stars if it meant saving him.

You're used to being underestimated, so you want to prove yourself. Don't let that be your crutch. Accept help when you need it.

What keeps you up at night?" I asked. "You're never in your tent." A cloud passed over his face. "Demons and ghosts." With a faint smile, he added, "And not having enough books to read.

A sketchbook for a cloak? Hardly seems like a fair trade." "It's a magic sketchbook," Edan said, reaching for it. I rolled my eyes. "Really." "See, when you turn it upside down, sand falls out." Edan smiled widely as he caught the desert's golden grains in his palm. "Sand, sand, and more sand." "Oh, you!

You will hold the seams of our family together, Maia. No other tailor in the world can do that.

I whirled around, but Edan was gone. I let out an exasperated sigh. Never had I met anyone so insufferably pleased with himself.

People will see what they want to see.

You'll learn that certain things aren't worth the trouble.

The more you worry about it, the less you'll be able to concentrate.

The sun was a brutal god. Brutal and merciless, he blinded those foolish enough to look at him.

It was the tale of a boy, too. A boy who could fly but not swim. A boy with the powers of the gods but the shackles of a slave. A boy who loved me.

She gave off a little neigh when I reached to touch her cheek. I fell in love with her immediately. "You like her more than me," Edan pouted. "That's not hard to do." I petted her mane again; then offered Edan a small smile. "But thank you.

I dread reaching the end of my story, for it is full of knots that I haven't had the courage to cut free.

But I did worry about him. Now I understood the fatigue written on his brow, the hiding and evasive answers.

War comes at a great cost, and from that sacrifice comes peace. Sometimes we must let go of what we value for the future of our country.

Is Maia your birth name?" "It is." "I'm not sure it suits you." I twisted my lips slightly. "It means obedient." He set down the cup. "Which is why I said I'm not sure it suits you," he said.

It is wishful thinking to hope the gods might listen to you.

We don't think of being bound to the oath as a sacrifice, but as an honor. It is an honor to use our powers to better this world.

Will you be able to find your way back? His grin widened, and I realized I'd shown him a sign that I still cared. To you, always.