Page 46 of Grounded (Convergence #1)

Thennis was only about an hour's flight from Dubar.

Of course, they had to travel a slower route by trav because Thax's mental state wasn't up to erial travel.

So, it took them three times as long to get to the coast. Liria had held Thaxvarien the entire way while he stared blankly out the window.

He didn't even blink when they arrived in the picturesque town.

Liria used to vacation there with her family as a child, and she had fond memories of the place.

Long ago, something had shaped the world, be it frost or eruption.

Whatever it was that Para had done to itself, it had carved a peninsula of great size on the eastern shoreline of South Dox.

And that was where Thennis lay. Sprawling over the coastal rock and coral, the city rose and fell, going from sea level in the center of the bay, up to a lofty perch at the tip of the peninsula.

When Liria was little, her family stayed in simple cottages in the main part of town, down by the water.

But she had always dreamed of living inside the big house at the point.

A palace, really, the estate occupied the entire tip of the peninsula and even had a private cove.

It had seemed an elusive dream to her back then.

Even to get a glimpse inside the estate would have been astonishing. Now, she owned it.

Glancing over her shoulder, through the open door into the dining room, Liria grimaced at the activity inside her new home.

She and Thax were out on the terrace that overlooked the cove.

If that was even the proper word for the massive extension that flowed out from the base of the palace.

Sheesh. The outdoor space was ten times the size of her room back at the fortress and had multiple seating options—the chairs near the low stone railing where they currently sat, a couch and low chairs closer to the house, and a dining set over to her right.

Oh, and let’s not forget about the circular area that extended off the terrace, sort of like the terrace had a baby.

In that smaller curved space that hung over a sheer drop, a circular soaking pool bubbled, steam spiraling up from its surface.

You know, just in case you didn't want to take the stairs down to the cove.

Or maybe you preferred your water heated and salt-free.

And that was just one of the outdoor spaces.

The home was even more spectacular than Liria had dreamed, with three towers—one with its lower, outer wall open to show off the spectacular view, a three-story inner courtyard behind the main staircase, an observatory/ballroom, a two-story main bedroom, several guest suites, even more guest bedrooms, a library, and armory, balconies galore, three gardens (not including the kitchen garden), an orchard, and a gatehouse.

Inside, its stone walls were adorned with carved moldings and other decorative stuff she didn't know the name of.

Architectural details—that's what Thax's mother had called all the pretty faces that protruded from the corners of rooms like spirits coming out of the stone.

Should have been creepy, but they weren't. Everything was beautiful inside the home.

No, not a home. She looked at Thax. Not with him like that.

If only Liria could enjoy the beauty more.

There was a part of her that reeled in amazement, hardly able to believe that Thax's parents had given them this house as a bonding gift.

Since it was a vacation spot, the Council of Thennis had petitioned Paradefense for the sky rights and were granted them.

This meant that no Aethari city could inhabit the space above, nor could any flight convergences fly overhead.

They wanted a peaceful atmosphere in Thennis.

And that's what the Speaker wanted for his son as well.

So, he had bought the estate and sent the deed to Liria mere days after she suggested it. Just like that.

Thax's parents and Liria hoped that without the sky cities hanging over his head, Thaxvarien would recover faster. Either way, he didn't need a reminder of what he'd lost. He needed a tranquil view of the Junsari Sea. Clear air and sunshine. Most of all, he needed his destra.

Liria hoped.

It had been less than a week since Thax had lost his wings, so Liria shouldn't have been feeling so despondent about his lack of progress.

But with the way the Source of Magic had responded to her down below—how it had guided her to Thax and helped them escape—Liria assumed it would also ease him into this new phase of life.

It hadn't. Instead, it seemed to abandon him to his melancholy, and Thax retreated into himself.

He barely spoke. Hardly ate. Only stared blankly ahead.

Once Thax was settled on the terrace, there wasn't much Liria could do for him.

She tried to oversee the unpacking, but Thax's mother had shooed her outside.

Liria hadn't brought much with her, but Lady Elanianvia had brought all of his belongings from Icara along with additional furnishings and necessities she had purchased for the entire house.

Necessities that Liria hadn't known were necessary.

Why did they need a dining table that sat twenty-six people? Or a telescope in the observatory?

The observatory doubled as a ballroom and took up the largest room on the ground floor—a triangular-shaped space at the end of the house, built to mimic the peninsula's shape and stretch the building as close to the edge as possible.

With floor-to-ceiling windows taking up most of the pointed end and an elevation of over two hundred feet above sea level, it was indeed the best place to observe the ocean and the sky at night.

The main bedroom was located directly above it, taking up the second and third floors of that pointed end.

But getting Thaxvarien out of bed and down the corridor to the terrace was hard enough.

Liria couldn't wrangle him down two flights of stairs every day.

Lady Elanianvia suggested they turn the observatory into a temporary bedroom, but Liria didn't like that idea either.

The space was too massive for them and didn't have a bathroom.

So, Liria picked out one of the guest suites down the hallway from the observatory.

It was still large, had a beautiful bay window, a private bathroom, and the dining room was directly across the corridor.

So it was nearly a straight shot from their bedroom to the terrace, and Liria thought the fresh air and ocean view might soothe him.

Another glance at Thax. He wasn't looking at the view.

She went back to thinking about the house.

After a long conversation with her parents, they had sent a few things as well—housewarming presents.

Their gifts were a coffee brewer and a crisper for their kitchen—things Liria and Thax would actually use.

Her parents and sister wanted to visit, and she wanted that too.

After Thax recovered. This was not the time for him to meet her family.

It was hard enough for him to be around his own family.

Liria glanced inside again, this time through the kitchen window on her left.

The kitchen branched off from the dining room, creating an L-shape that the terrace tucked into.

It didn't have direct access to the terrace, but it opened onto the dining room, so it wasn't far.

This made the terrace a perfect spot to lounge all day.

Not that Liria had to cook. Lady Elanianvia had hired a staff for the house, including a cook, a team of gardeners, a steward, and his team of housekeepers.

Yeah, the place was too big for one person to look after.

Still, Liria itched for something to do.

It felt weird to be sitting there while other people unpacked and decorated her house.

Plus, it was fucking boring to sit there doing nothing all day. She didn't even have a book to read.

All Liria could do was think. And wait. And watch Thax, wondering when the Source of Magic was going to do its job and remind him that he was still alive.

She had tried over and over to get through to him, but he just grew more withdrawn with every conversation, his answers diminishing to one word and then to silence.

But Liria couldn't give up. She had to keep pushing him.

She glanced at Thax. Touching him sometimes helped.

Liria reached over and took Thaxvarien's hand. He flinched. Fuck, what was this? Was he going to start withdrawing from her physically too? Damn, that hurt. But she refused to show it.

Instead, she looked past the low wall and toward the water below as she said, “My family and I used to come here every year when I was a little girl. I used to love to swim.” Liria glanced at him again. “Maybe we could go swimming later today.”

Thax turned to look at her.

Holy shit!

Her head swiveled immediately to meet his stare. Was this the moment? Would Thax come back to her now? “Hey, baby. There you are. Would you like that? Do you want to go swimming?”

With a voice as hollow as his eyes, Thax said, “Aethari don't swim.”

“Oh,” Liria whispered. She wasn't about to point out that Thax didn't have wings to hinder him anymore. He knew it better than she did. “All right. Well, maybe we could just soak in the pool right over there.” She waved at the steamy, sunken tub.

He looked away.

She pretended not to notice. “I always wanted to know what it was like up here. Honestly, I suggested this place on a whim. I never thought your father would actually buy it for us.”

“He's good at buying things. It's easier to hand over a gift than to actually form an emotional connection with someone.”

As harsh as Thax's words were, it was the most he'd spoken in days. So, Liria pushed for more. She didn't care what he said, as long as he kept talking.