24

The following morning, Ruva followed the swarm of children down to the breakfast table, finding herself some toast and a place to sit. While she was eating, Libby asked if she could play with Ruva's hair. Ruva had been too distracted to fully comprehend the question, so she had just nodded.

Ruva glanced over to the other table, only to see Leo looking back at her. She held his gaze, despite the churning in her guts.

Knowing that he wouldn't hear her if she spoke, Ruva mentally sent, 'About last night… I was – I am' but she didn't get any further before Leo interrupted her.

'There's nothing to apologise for. You were tired, that's all.' Ruva heard the words from Leo, but his face told a different story. Looking into those eyes, she could see that he was sorry too. He was trying to apologise for pushing too far, and trying to forgive her for leaving.

Ruva didn't know what to say, so she held his gaze for a few moments before looking away. Concentrating on her toast, Ruva felt Libby's fingers intricately weave through her hair. Ruva could feel the grace of her fingers, which were doing a much better job than she or Arra had ever done. Soon after she had finished her breakfast, Libby finished whatever she was doing with Ruva's hair, and yelled, "Done!"

Ella pulled Ruva up the stairs to the bathroom, where Ruva admired the design in her hair.

Half of her golden-blond hair was left down, the silky cascade going almost to her knees. The top half had been weaved into what Ruva first thought was a plait, but it was much more than that. The intricate design was an interloping pattern, which weaved over and around and through itself. Ruva knew she would never be able to replicate what Libby had done, but she would definitely ask her how she did it.

However, Ruva didn't get the chance to ask before Libby dragged her into the girls' room, saying "We have to pick you some bathers!"

Bathers? thought Ruva, Does she mean we're going swimming?!

No, she couldn't. No no no no.

Ruva ran out of the bedroom before Libby even noticed.

She pummelled down the stairs, almost knocking over Lisa. Ruva was going too fast to slow down – or even apologise – as she flew past. If given the choice, Ruva knew that she would've ran out the door and all the way back to the palace, but before she got to the door a hand latched onto her arm. Ruva looked up, seeing Tia with her brown eyes, the same brown as Leo's.

But Ruva only calmed for a moment before panic assailed her once more. She tried to yank away from Tia's grip, but she was unyielding.

"Whoa! Calm down, Ruva! You're panicking and running off is not going to help it."

Ruva blinked, barely comprehending what Tia was saying. She was panting now, the rush of adrenaline she felt in the bedroom wearing off.

Tia must have been using her gift, because she immediately said "That's better. Now come into the Silent Room, you feel way too crowded out here."

Once they were in the empty Silent Room, Ruva breathed a sigh of relief. True to its name, the room was quiet, exactly what she needed.

Tia tried to question her, tried to find out what had happened that made her spiral out of control. But Ruva wouldn't – couldn't – answer her questions, she just fell back into silence, the familiar reflex to stressful events. Eventually Tia left the room, only to return with Leo, Mrs Wendyl and Libby.

"Ella, what happened when she was with you?" asked Mrs Wendyl.

Ella shrugged. "We were looking at her hair in the bathroom, and then we went into the Girls' Room. I told her that we were going to pick some bathers for her, but when I turned around she was gone."

What about you, Tia?"

"I found her sprinting for the door, and she knocked over Lisa without even noticing. I grabbed onto her arm, and I could feel she was spiralling into a panic attack. She looked overwhelmed, so I brought her in here. So far she hasn't spoken to me, but she isn't getting rushes of adrenaline now."

"Anything to add, Leo?"

Leo was silent for a moment, before saying, 'Ruva often becomes silent when under pressure, and I've seen her have moments like this before. I think what made her panic was when Libby mentioned the bathers, because Ruva has… has a fear of water.'

Ruva flinched at the words, and Leo noticed the reaction. He placed a hand on Ruva's shoulder, but it only made her feel worse, remembering what happened last night.

'The reason she panicked was because I hadn't told her that we're going to…' –Leo glanced at Ruva– 'To that place, today,' he finished.

Ruva frowned at his cryptic answer, but Mrs Wendyl seemed to understand.

"Come on, Tia and Libby," she said, "Let's give these two a bit of peace and quiet."

Ruva silently begged them not to leave, but they all walked out, the door closing with a resolute click. Once again she was alone with Leo, and the silence between them was long enough to be awkward.

'I guess I should have told you where we are going today, then you wouldn't have panicked with Libby,' he said. Ruva didn't respond, just continued looking at her hands. 'I want to show you what we normally do during the summer, so I wanted to take you to – to our beach.'

Ruva stiffened at the words. Leo wanted to take her to the beach – to the water– despite knowing her fear of it.

Why?

Ruva wasn't sure if she had projected the question, or if Leo answered on his own accord. 'I guess… I guess I just wanted to see you being happy, and the beach is a place that makes me feel that way.'

Ruva was touched by what Leo said, he wanted to see her happy, wanted to make her happy.

But that scared Ruva, too.

Because the ribbon between them was growing darker, something that she knew would influence her entire life, yet… she had no idea what it would do.

What use were her ribbons when they didn't tell her what would happen in the future? They only helped her see things as they are, not as they will be.

Any ribbon could sever, at any time. Ruva knew – she knew – that a severed ribbon was the same as a broken heart. Her parent's death had snapped her, changed her in more ways than she would ever realise.

She was afraid of change.

Ruva was drawn from her thoughts by Leo squeezing her shoulder. 'You don't have to come if you don't want to, but I want you to. You don't even need to go into the water, you can just stay on the sand.' Leo looked straight into Ruva's eyes, snaring her gaze. 'Will you come? Please, for me?'

Ruva knew it was best to stay here. She would get to do something relaxing, with most of Leo's siblings out of the house, she wouldn't anywhere near the water, maybe get to play with baby Milly.

But… Looking into Leo's eyes, at how he begged her to come, there was only one answer she could say.

"Yes."

Ruva was standing on the balcony, wearing a pair of running shoes she had borrowed from the giant wardrobe in the Girls' Room. Everyone else was on the balcony too, which made things more than a little crowded.

She carried her backpack, which had everything she had brought. Once they were finished at the beach, Ruva would bubble to the palace, so bringing her bag with her was the best option.

Under her shorts and shirt, Ruva was wearing a soft orange one-piece swimsuit, despite the fact that she had no plan of going anywhere near the water. Everyone seemed eager, and Ruva again wondered why they had gathered on the balcony, when a bubbler vial could be activated anywhere. She also wondered why Tia had made her put on the running shoes, when sandals or slip-on shoes would be more suitable for the sand.

Tia was wearing a large backpack that was mostly empty, which Ruva found odd. Greg and Rob were also wearing empty backpacks, but Ruva could see theirs had two large holes cut in the bottom, making it ineffective to hold anything.

Finally, Mrs Wendyl walked out with the young twins, Matt and Lisa. "Don't be overconfident," said Mrs Wendyl while looking at Greg, "Take the easier route, and make sure you see how Ruva copes."

Cope with what? Thought Ruva. Is she just talking about the water?

Greg nodded, before dragging a chair over to the wall, next to the roof. He turned to Matt and Lisa, saying, "Who is going with me this time?" Both kids jumped about, shouting "pick me pick me!"

Greg eventually picked Lisa, telling the disappointed Matt that he went with him last time. Matt walked off, but Ruva could see he wasn't grumbling as he saw the fairness of it.

Greg kneeled down, his backpack brushing the chair against the wall. Lisa seemed to know exactly what she was doing, because she unzipped the empty backpack, and jumped inside it. Her legs went through the holes at the bottom, and Ruva realised that the backpack was a child carrier, to make it easier for Lisa to go with all her siblings.

Looking across the balcony, Ruva could see that Matt had done the same thing in Rob's backpack.

Greg stood up on the chair. "Is everyone ready to go?"

Every single person on the balcony yelled their agreement, but Ruva only wrapped her arms around herself. Something didn't feel right, and Ruva doubted that they were bubbling to the beach.

Ruva saw Greg climb up the chair and onto the roof, causing her to freeze. No! He's – we're not actually…

Ruva didn't get to complete the thought, because she was distracted by Leo, who had just come onto the balcony. 'There you are! I've been looking for you everywhere!'

She turned to watch Greg on the roof, with Lisa clinging around his neck. He started to run, right as Leo spoke.

'I've been trying to tell you!' he said, as Greg moved faster and faster. 'We're not bubbling to the beach,' –Greg came closer and closer to the edge, and Ruva's breathing seized up– 'We're going roof running!' he said, just as Greg jumped off the roof, soaring through the air…

…And landed perfectly on the roof next door.

All of the kids cheered, and they all stormed towards the chair and onto the roof. Tia was beside the chair, helping mitigate the flow of children.

Leo grabbed Ruva's hand, pulling her forwards. 'Come on! It's incredible, Ruva. I know you'll love it, you just have to take the first step.'

Ruva gulped, but let Leo help her up onto the roof, and to the far edge. 'Just run, if you overthink the jump it becomes impossible. You have to trust yourself, because I know you can make this jump.'

Ruva nodded, taking a deep breath. She started to run, her hand still in Leo's. He pulled her forward, their speed increasing more and more.

They reached the edge, pushing off as one.

Ruva was flying.

The ground was far below her, and she was as weightless as a feather.

The air rushed past her face, and she turned to Leo.

He was smiling, looking as relaxed as she'd ever seen.

They landed on the other side, Ruva gasping as the weightlessness disappeared.

Ruva smiled at Leo, unable to help herself. He smiled back, not breaking his gaze until Rob yelled from the other side for them to get out of the way.

Leo pulled her forward, giving her advice as they went. 'This is a metal roof, you have to walk along the lines of screws or you could dent it.' They travelled diagonally from the corner, rising up and running along the highest point. 'On a roof like this, the safest spot to be is at the very top, where it will support your weight best.'

Ruva admired Leo's confidence in what he was doing. He seemed so outgoing, fully in his element. As they ran, they were surrounded by delighted shrieks and laughter. Kids ran around them, cutting in front and chasing each other around. Whenever someone tripped, another would grab their hand until they were steady.

Ruva jumped between rooftops, her arms outstretched like she could fly. Overwhelmed by emotions, Ruva could only find one word to describe herself.

Free.

Leo ran alongside Ruva, her normal anxious look nowhere to be seen. Whenever she jumped, she spread her arms out as if she was a bird. Her long hair followed in a golden cascade, blowing in the wind with a life of its own.

He loved the way she moved. She weaved in and around things, almost seeming to glide. She would suddenly pivot on one foot, then launch into a cartwheel. It always seemed so spontaneous, but at the same time she seemed to plan her every move.

He felt his knees weaken when she looked at him, the biggest smile he had ever seen on her face. Leo would do anything to see that smile, anything.

On his first day at Akarnae, Leo had stayed at the back of the group. No one had made the effort to talk to him, and he found it too hard to initiate conversation. He had envied everyone, they talked with such ease, never appreciating the voice they had.

He had never heard the sound of his own voice.

But then Arra and Ruva had sat at his table, and Leo found he couldn't concentrate. Ruva was pretty, not the glamorous beauty found in fairy tales, but soft. Clean cut. He patiently answered Arra's questions, intrigued by the fact that Ruva hadn't once spoken.

He came to learn that Ruva spoke with her whole body, somehow knowing when words weren't enough. It was beautiful, the way she spoke without speaking.

On New Year's Eve, he learnt that Ruva hadn't lived the easiest life. Her parents were murdered in front of her, and somehow she absorbed her father's gift. She had always seemed so delicate and fragile, but she had a core of steel. That night when he put her in bed, he realised that he liked her. He hadn't been able to resist kissing her hand, especially after seeing how she didn't want him to leave.

And then… there was last night. He told her things that he wouldn't tell anyone else, watched her struggle with insecurity. They were standing so close, close enough that he could see the individual hairs falling across her face. She had smelt like peaches, like a summer's day.

It was overwhelming – she was overwhelming – he hadn't been able to resist leaning in, trying to kiss her.

But then she pulled away, walked off. But at the last moment, she had looked back, her eyes telling him everything words could not.

Leo wished Ruva hadn't pulled away, he wished that she had kissed him back. But, he wanted Ruva to be happy more than anything else. If being her friend, nothing more, made her smile, Leo would do it. Over and over, he would move mountains to see her smile.

But he couldn't deny what he felt for Ruva, even if… even if she would never return it.

They moved closer and closer to the water, Ruva could smell the salt in the air. Her hair was now very tangled from the run, but she was too relaxed to care.

The Wendyls stopped on top of the shop, Mrs Gribble's Cupcakes and Nibbles. They took turns nimbly climbing down the side, everyone trying to show off.

Nick and Matt slid down a drainpipe, Matt squealing with joy when they reached the bottom. Libby had jumped into the open air, landing on top of a metal-lidded dumpster.

It was Ruva's turn to jump next, and she gulped. Leo squeezed her hand. 'You don't have to do anything fancy. Just climb down, Ruva.'

Ruva nodded, and climbed down as quickly as she could.

Leo didn't show off like everyone else, he just jumped down, landing in a crouched position. He stood up, offering another beaming smile to Ruva.

But with Ruva's feet planted firmly on the ground, she remembered the ribbon between them, and everything she had walked away from last night.

So instead of returning the grin, Ruva's eyes dropped to her feet. She knew that he was disappointed, but not at her, just… for her. Ruva wished she knew what he was thinking, but seeing ribbons wasn't the same as reading thoughts.

Once they were all down on the ground, Tia led them through two more busy streets, and they arrived at the Tryllin docks. Ruva shuddered, the water was so dark, and deep enough for boats to dock. Deep enough for creatures bigger than fish, she thought.

She walked along the docks with the Wendyls, none of them stopping until they reached the end of the wooden section of the docks. The concrete section lay in front of them, housing larger and more industrial ships.

Instead of continuing like Ruva thought they would, they stopped in front of the small ladder, and Ruva's stomach dropped.

Ruva begged that they weren't doing what she thought they were doing, but her worst fears were confirmed. Rob tore off his shirt, pulled off his shoes and socks and threw them to Tia, who caught them and put them in her backpack. When Rob was in only his board shorts, he jumped in, the splash hard enough that Ruva cringed.

She took in a stuttered breath, drawing Leo's attention. 'It's okay,' he said. 'You don't have to go in the water, just follow what Tia does.'

At the moment Tia was collecting everyone's clothes and shoes before they jumped in, but Ruva doubted Leo meant that.

When they were the only three still out of the water, Tia cast a look at Leo, saying, "I'm guessing you just volunteered yourself to carry Greg and Rob's backpacks."

Leo nodded, but Ruva was surprised at Tia's bluntness. Tia and Leo started taking off their shoes and clothes until they were only standing in their swimwear. Ruva hurried to change too, putting her clothes in the backpack too. It was now full, and Ruva understood why Tia had brought it.

Looking at her own bathers, Ruva fought the urge to hide them, despite them being quite modest compared to the other swimwear she had tried on.

The one-piece was a soft orange, lined with pure white. Instead of seam lines underneath Ruva's arms, the suit was held together by a criss-cross of white, showing much more skin than Ruva was comfortable with. Her legs were bare, and Ruva could feel her hair brushing against them, almost at her knees.

Ruva turned around, noticing Leo staring at her. Heat crept up her cheeks, and Ruva resisted the urge to wrap her arms around herself.

Leo blinked, realising he was staring. He suddenly busied himself checking the straps on the backpack, and Ruva sighed in relief. His gaze on her was more than she could handle, especially in just her bathers.

"Come on," said Tia, "We're wasting time."

Tia walked to the ladder, Ruva following her. She could hear Leo behind her, but she didn't dare look back. Tia moved to the first rung on the ladder, and started to climb down. Ruva froze. She gripped onto the bar so hard her hand turned white.

She watched Tia climb down the ladder, watched her stop at the final rung. Ruva gripped the bar harder, something she hadn't thought was possible. Tia moved to the other side of the ladder, and Ruva couldn't see her anymore.

Ruva's curiosity drove her forward. She needed to see if Tia was still on the ladder. She was so close – so close – to that dark water, and if she fell in, Ruva would never know.

Ruva got down on her knees, not daring to take her grip off the railing. She leaned forward, centimetre by centimetre, until she could see Tia once more. The other Wendyls were laughing in the water, but Ruva couldn't process the sound, she was watching Tia, desperate to know what she would do next.

Ruva felt a light touch on her shoulder, and she whipped around, adrenaline flooding through her. Ruva relaxed her stiff posture when she realised it was only Leo.

'It's okay,' he said. 'You'll be okay.'

Ruva wanted to believe him, but she couldn't. She turned away, glancing back down to Tia. Except…

Tia wasn't there anymore.

Ruva inhaled so quick she felt lightheaded. Where was she?

Squeezing the bar tighter than she had ever done before, Ruva leaned further forwards, so that her head was almost upside-down. She scanned the water, looking at the individual faces, trying to find Tia's abrupt face.

There! Tia was hanging from the rafters of the wharf, swinging from beam to beam. She continued swinging towards a small patch of sand, one that rose above the water and sat against the concrete sides.

Ruva pulled herself back up. Was she meant to do that too? Did they expect her to dangle above the water, nothing keeping her there except her own grip?

No. Just no. She couldn't do that.

Leo must have guessed what she was thinking, because he pulled Ruva up and made her face him. 'Look at me, Ruva,' he said. 'You can do this. I know you can.'

Ruva took in a shaky breath, and gave a small nod.

Leo smiled, saying, 'I'll climb down with you.' He went down the ladder, and stood on the side opposite to Ruva's. Ruva took another breath, then stepped onto the first rung. The cold metal bit at her bare foot, but Ruva put her second foot on.

She went down to the next rung, then the next, then the next.

She stopped when she was face to face with Leo. He held the ladder loosely, nothing like Ruva's death-grip.

'I'll do it first,' he said. He reached up to the support beams of the jetty, bringing his hands off the ladder. His feet lifted off, and he hung unsupported. 'Now it's your turn,' he said, holding out his hand and using the other to grip the wood.

Ruva couldn't move. Couldn't speak. Couldn't do anything.

The water slapped lightly against the ladder, and drops landed on Ruva's feet. They were so cold, and they spurred Ruva into action. She manoeuvred herself around the ladder, and moved up a rung so she was further from the water. Her breathing became faster, so fast that she started to feel lightheaded.

Leo took her hand from the ladder, and brought it up to the beams. Her hand clenched at the wood, more from reflex than thought.

'Bring up your other hand, Ruva.'

She could feel the coarse wood on one hand, and the cold, rusted ladder in the other. If she brought her hand off the ladder, nothing could stop her from falling in the water.

I can't I can't I can't I can't I can't

'Stop,' said Leo. 'You can, I know it.'

He pulled her second hand off the ladder, lifting her full weight up to the beam.

Ruva gripped onto the bar. She was doing it! She was hanging above the water! She gave a small smile to Leo, but, remembering the previous night, turned to gaze back at her hands.

Leo didn't notice, – or pretended not to notice – he simply said, 'come on, Tia's waiting for us.'

Leo swung forward, the two empty backpacks scraping against each other. He reached to the next beam, and swung across like he was on the monkey bars. Ruva gathered her strength and swung too, the action familiar as breathing.

Ruva's fear from before melted away. What she was doing, it was the same as climbing a tree. There was the chance that she would fall, but that was just part of the risk. The wood she gripped was sturdy, and Ruva felt comfortable with its strength. She continued to swing towards the beach, Leo following behind her.

She looked down from her hands to see Tia, tapping her foot impatiently on the sand. She was only a few swings away, but as she swung, her fingers fumbled for grip.

She panicked, swinging forward much too quickly. Her other hand missed its mark, and the brittle wood crumbled on her remaining grip. She took one last lunge at the beam, but her fingers slipped.

She fell.