Page 187 of A Sea of Fate and Starfire

Maren reached through the open windows of the hearse, laying her palm against the ivory box inside. “I love you,” she whispered, the words crackling like breaking ice.

Diara blinked bright water from her eyes. “Goodbye.”

Pheolix said nothing, the friendly sparkle in his gray clouds now dim. He stared blindly at the box with a heavy stillness, like his body had forgotten it was living, fading to stone under the shining rain.

“You’ll look after him?” Hadrian asked Kazimir under his breath.

The Rivean had been kind and patient with Pheolix, sitting with him when he remembered, indulging him when he didn’t, joining him for walks around the palace grounds when the drone found his feet needing to move. I hadn’t harbored any doubt he’d look after Pheolix, but I let Kazimir see me turn my head, wanting to hear his answer as well.

The Rivean glanced at us both, a rare tenderness in his gaze. “He’s safe with me,” Kazimir said.

We backed away as he stepped toward the driver’s seat of the head coach.

Maren tilted forward, wrapping her arms around Pheolix. “Kazimir holds an office at the embassy now. He said I could send you letters there. Promised to read them for you.”

Pheolix let her embrace him, his fingers stroking her tousled hair. He smiled sadly at her as she pulled away. “Ah,” he said, recognizing her scent. “Little cockroach.”

Maren laughed softly, nodding. I reached for his hand, folding it inside mine, waiting for overcast eyes to swerve toward me. “Take care, Pheolix.”

My arm wrapped around Maren’s shoulder as we watched him step in beside Kazimir, a soft shadow between his brows. The rain had begun to slice through the sunshine again, and he held up a hand, catching drops in his palm.

“I’ve always loved the rain,” he said to Kazimir. “I can’t remember why.”

Kazimir gazed at him patiently. The Rivean’s throat worked, and he stepped into the driver’s seat, stretching his hand out to guide Pheolix up the bench alongside him. “Maybe you’ll remember later.”

The guards escorting the cortege moved into position as Kazimir clicked his tongue for his horses to move. Wheels groaned, metal voices squealing against cement and stone. The wisteria bloom Maren had fixed flopped down again.

The rain thickened, and we all remained standing there, watching the procession begin to wind away.

“Wait!”

Heavy thuds fell behind our backs, splashing in puddles. A blur in the shape of a running woman fell over my shoulder, then past me. The carriages slowed to a stop, and Cebrinne skidded to a halt alongside her twin’s coffin, chest heaving as she gulped down the rain-slicked air. She took a moment to pant, hands shaking. Then tucked something inside the carriage’s open window. A book, I thought, though I wasn’t sure. Cebrinne kissed her fingers, pressing them to the varnished box.

Her mouth moved, though I couldn’t hear her words. Whatever they were, Maren knew them. She watched with tears in her eyes, mouth moving as well. Cebrinne stepped away to straighten her dress, weaving to the front carriage.

“Get down here and hug me goodbye,” I thought I heard. My attention severed as Ano, breathing hard, slid in beside his daughter.

“She changed her mind,” he said, his voice raspy and warm.

Cebrinne appeared again, her mouth tight but a smile in her eyes. She wove her way to Ano’s side, and we all stood in silence, watching the carriages begin to shrink their way down the northern road, until they wound their way from sight. The hustle of the city descended around us like birds staking out the best branches of a tree. A new carriage veered into Kazimir’s place, men leaping out to unload the barrels inside, the hum and buzz of voices blending near and far like insects to my ear.

“I must leave as well,” Xiane said, pulling our attention from the dusty road. “But I will see you in the coming months?”

“Yes.” Maren turned to her. “We will visit.”

“I look forward to it.” Xiane’s gaze trickled across the human faces gathered, slowing as she found Cebrinne. She reached for Cebrinne’s shoulder, offering her a small squeeze.

“Is she taking the road?” Diara asked, leaning in to stifle her voice.

I leaned into her. “There’s a small canal east of here to manage flooding. She’ll take that back to the ocean.”

“Anyone hungry?” Hadrian asked. “I know where we can find a few turkey legs.”

“Yeah, there’s supposed to be some kind of celebration today.” Aren shrugged, grinning at the King. “No idea what for.”

Diara’s hand struck for Maren’s arm. “Sun and moon. I forgot.”

“What?” asked Maren, worried.