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Her Match was remarkable. …And he was right beside her.

A younger, kind of exasperated version of him, anyway. He stood in front of a mossy-colored pond, but she could tell that most of his attention was focused on the group of girls sneaking up behind him.

At least, she thought they were sneaking up. It was hard to be sure, since they were making so much noise.

“Shhh!” One of them hissed, as they stomped through the underbrush.

Several others giggled. Loudly.

Randa moved to peer through the foliage and spotted seven young women. They were having a wonderful time, judging by their gleeful smiles. One of them was Mara, of the Magnet House. The other six all had golden hair, with black streaks at their temples, marking them as Light Phases.

Kahn’s sisters. Obviously. They were pretty and happy and intent on playing a trick on their big brother. Randa’s mouth curved, as she watched them fall all over each other in a doomed attempt to stay hidden. A peal of laughter sounded, and there was no way in the world Kahn didn’t hear it.

Randa looked his way, but he was still gazing at the pond like it was the most fascinating thing he’d ever seen.

“Be quiet or you’ll ruin the whole prank, Syllia.” The girl who’d already tried to shush her sisters stage-whispered. Loudly.

“It was Aggie!” Syllia defended, swaying from foot to foot like she couldn’t keep still. (They were speaking the Light House dialect, but Randa could understand it, because Kahn had understood it.) “She told Roma a joke and…”

“No, I didn’t! It was Prinny.” The one who must be Aggie said. Loudly.

“Tattler!” Prinny gave her a shove, which sent Aggie into Mara and Mara into a breathtakingly beautiful girl.

“Sorry, Livvy!” Mara apologized, but now all the sisters were bickering with each other about who was being the loudest.

(It was a seven-way tie.)

Randa glanced at Kahn again and saw him roll his eyes.

“All of you shut up!” The leader of the group commanded and then quickly lowered her voice again. By process of elimination, she had to be Tonia. “Now, we’re going to do this on three, right?”

The girls refocused. “Right!” Six voices chorused. Loudly.

“One… Two… Three!” Kahn’s sisters burst out of the brush and rushed towards him, cackling with excitement. Their hands were extended, intending to push him into the pond.

Without even bothering to turn around, Kahn casually stepped to the left.

Momentum sent Tonia and Aggie stumbling right past him and into the water. Mara slipped in the mud along the bank and landed right beside them. Roma gasped and tried to fish them all out. Unfortunately, she started with Aggie, who was laughing so hard she ended up pulling Roma in instead. Syllia was athletic enough to avoid falling, but then Kahn grabbed her under one arm and Prinny under the other, tossing them both into join their sisters. They gave outraged squawks, dramatically splashing around.

Randa smiled at their antics.

“I can’t believe any of you thought you could sneak up on me.” Kahn stood on the edge of the shore, hands on his hips, looking smug and dry. “I am used to all your craziness. There is no way you’d catch me off guard…”

Livinia shoved him from behind.

Randa burst out laughing as Kahn tumbled into the water. He was so confident, most of the time. It was hilarious to see his little sisters make his life into an unruly mess.

Kahn landed in the midst of the lily pads and chaos. Livvy threw up her hands in victory. Her sisters cheered and swarmed Kahn, as he surfaced from the depths of the pond. He was grinning and trying to fend them off, which resulted in a waterlogged free-for-all.

Playful scenes shifted before her, one after another. Kahn caring for his little sisters. The girls driving him crazy. All the noise and energy of a large, loving family.

Then, suddenly, there was silence.

The funny, exuberant girls were gone. It was just Kahn, alone in the forest. Digging seven identical holes.

Randa gasped. Kahn was digging graves for his sisters, because they’d all died in the Fall. Even Mara had been presumed dead. Only Kahn had been left.

A sound of grief slipped past Randa’s lips, and she hurried over to stand beside him. He didn’t know she was there, of course. But she had to do something. He seemed so alone.