“Tomorrow,” he declared, as if I hadn’t said anything at all.
“Didn’t you hear what I just said?”
“We’re preparing for anything, aren’t we? Then tomorrow’s training will teach you how to fight while injured!” What he was saying made sense, I realized with a tinge of disappointment. Why did he always have to be right?
Since it was impossible to say no to Michel, I found myself agreeing to spar with him, injuries and all.
A crack of thunder interrupted our conversation and we turned in unison toward the bathroom’s one window. Thick gray storm clouds cluttered the sky that had been clear only minutes ago, and the wind picked up, furiously.
Michel raised his eyebrows. “What are you grinning about, weirdo?”
“It’s raining.” Pushing open the window, I inhaled deeply and smiled.
It smelled like home.
Epilogue
One year later…
The castle was burning, but not nearly as brightly as the disc hanging around Emile Borde’s neck. A disc that was identical to the one I’d seen last year in the stained glass window inside the ruined church, moments before plunging into the hidden chamber with Katriane.
Ah, I thought, as the flames parted around Emile, catching hold of his leg but leaving the rest of his body alone. I knew that disc was special.
Special enough that someone had created a secret chamber under a church on the edge of a cliff, hiding it there for what they probably hoped was for all time. But now it hung on a cord around Emile’s neck, protecting him while still allowing the flames to do some harm to his body. Despite the suffocating heat in the room that threatened to kill us all, I shivered.
Maybe someone hadn’t placed the disc in that secret room to prevent others from stealing it.
Maybe the disc had been hidden there to protect us from it.
Author’s Note
If it wasn’t for a random conversation with my Texan friends about Saber, a female knight from the anime Fate/stay night and Fate/zero, Claudette never would have existed. I could not get the image of Saber out of my head, and I knew I had to write a story about a knight. Then came the challenge of trying to integrate a knight into the world of Dusk. There are no knights wandering my city; Leonid is a soldier, but he does carry a sword and knives, so the idea of a knight wasn’t as farfetched as I originally feared. But what if I put Claudette in a different city altogether? I’d been itching to explore the world outside of Dusk, and now I had a reason to. Slowly I began fitting the pieces together, researching French cities and falling in love with Mont Saint Michel along the way (I will get there someday!). Before I knew it, I had an entire story written, and it fit perfectly with the Smoke and Mirrors series. Not only that, but I finally had a clear idea of where I wanted the third book to go. But none of this would have happened if not for a trip I took back in September 2015. People are always taken aback when I say this story was inspired by Texas, but it really was.
Now go on your own adventure and come home with a lifetime of memories.
About the Author
Melissa Giorgio is a native New Yorker who graduated from Queens College with a degree in English. She's always dreamed of being a writer and has been creating stories (mostly in her head) since she was a little girl. Also an avid reader, Melissa loves to devour thick YA novels. When not reading or writing, she enjoys watching animated films, listening to music by her favorite Japanese boy band, or exploring Manhattan. She is also the author of the Silver Moon Saga.
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