A bond unbroken, the dawn will rise,
To heal the earth, beneath shared skies.
I didn’t know there was more to the song. His deep voice gives the words weight and meaning. My heart feels so full, and slowly, I lower my face, my eyes closed.
He nuzzles my nose.
“They all could have been happy.”
39
THE NIGHT OF ONE FINAL FAREWELL
“Do you see the stars, little ones? That’s where your parents play now. They chase the wind across the sky and laugh in the moonlight. And when the fireflies gather around your nests at night, that’s them kissing your cheeks good night.”
—Elder Aïna, to the growlings during their first winter without their parents
Theron
“Our mothers were brutally murdered. Human arrows pierced their crystals, and they perished as one with their bonded mates. Their bodies were burned in fires of hatred and fear, leaving only ashes. This wasn’t accidental, it was planned. A plan to break us and cage us, to ensure the remaining pups would fade into time.
“But tonight, we mark the day we learned the truth. We pray to the goddesses and thank Elder Aïna for raising us all. We honor our females and remember one extraordinary woman who brought us the truth and our Lidéren.”
I stand tall before our people, my mate by my side. Together, we oversee the gathered crowd at Ávera’s sea. The waves behind us are quiet, the animals of the forest, silent.
“That house is proof,” Noël says, her voice strong and commanding, “of a woman who gave up everything to save this land. She sacrificed herself so we could have a bright future. Eyleen Ársa will be remembered as a hero, a great woman who fell so we may walk with pride. We will restore the balance, and the world will know a new order. The order of life.”
She brings her hand to her heart, and I follow. Across the crowd, every vólkin mirrors the gesture—males, females, growlings, and younglings alike—all of us bow our heads in unity with respect and honor for the fallen.
“We will begin the farewell,” I announce. I turn to the nýmphá standing to my side. She bows and hands me the wooden base of the svytyn prócha, the ceremonial vessel my mate and I crafted together.
We did this before, centuries ago, when Elder Aïna told us their souls had left us. Back then, we were too young to truly understand. But tonight, we know. We understand what happened. As pups we named these waters the Sea of Fire in memory of the fire-covered ocean, and the souls who will never return. That night, Kaël caught a few fireflies and kept them close.
The cool breeze carries the scent of the ocean as my Noël and I crouch near the water. The others follow our lead. For the farewell, we chose blue roses to adorn our svytyn prócha. My mate said it would honor our bond and symbolize the strength of our parents’ sacrifices. I agreed. My parents would love the beauty of the blue roses, and their symbolism feels fitting.
My mate reaches into her pocket, pulls out small, colorful stones, and carefully arranges them on the wooden base.
She’s so thoughtful. They are for my mother.
“Thank you,” I murmur as she places the final stone between the roses.
“This one is from my mother, father, and me.” She reaches for her pendant and places it atop the roses and stones, and my brow furrows.
“But—”
“I want them all to look over us together,” she says, looking into my eyes. “Ánya, Eyleen, Vládan, and Ándor.”
My sweet, sweet mate.
I reach for the back of her head and pull her close. My forehead rests against hers, and I nuzzle her face, breathing her in.
Focusing inward, I lead the energy within me into my paws. Slowly, two glowing energy balls form, one in each paw. Their warmth radiates over my fur as I rub them together. The friction creates a spark that crackles in the night air.
My mate crouches, then raises the wax beneath the spark, and the flame comes flickering to life between us. Together, we light the svytyn prócha, and its glow brightens the blue roses and stones placed within.
Gently, we send the svytyn prócha onto the water to drift down the stream. Soft ripples carry it farther. Around us, the others do the same, releasing their own vessels to honor their families and loved ones. A sea of flames dancing in the dark stretches across the water, a breathtaking mosaic of color and remembrance. A Sea of Fire.
Rising, I extend a paw to my mate and help her to her feet. Side by side, paw in hand, we stand at the edge of the bank, gazing over the colorful waters.
