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Love pulsed from Ivet, soft but strong enough to stun Verve into silence. Never in her time with Danya had anyone acknowledged her suffering, let alone wanted to help her through it. And in return, Ivet wanted nothing more than her happiness.
Verve skimmed her fingers over the tail, trying to work out a response that Ivet deserved. All she managed was, “That works for me.”
“Alem also said your injuries were fatal,” Ivet added quietly. “He said Legion left you for dead.”
“Sure felt like it.”
Ivet didn’t so much as blink. “Will your patron be missing you, then?”
In other words, how dangerous was it for Verve to remain in Lotis? She was free; she ought to leave this place and never look back, as much for their benefit as for hers. But she could only shrug.
Ivet’s soft touch at her hand coaxed her into meeting Ivet’s eyes. “Verve, I want you to know there’s a home for you in Lotis, if you want one. And if trouble comes for you, well,” she smiled, “it’s a good thing we’re all nice and fortified, isn’t it?”
Something swelled in Verve’s chest again. She couldn’t speak for longing, so she only nodded.
Ivet patted Verve’s knee. “You take such good care of us all, Verve. You carry all our weights on your shoulders, like the possum mothers do with their kits. Or are they cubs? I can never remember.” She paused. “Will you join us at the celebration? You don’t have to wear the get-up.”
Verve stared at the other woman, her heart too full to reply immediately. Instead, she slid the ear-headband on. “I’d be honored.”
Ivet’s joy lit the world. “We’re so glad to have you.”
* * *
A bath, a change of clothes, and a good meal worked their own kind of magic, and by that evening, Verve deemed herself presentable enough for the equinox celebration. The children had helped collect firewood, so Klaret and Kyon had set up a huge pyre in the heart of Lotis. Hadiya had dragged out tables and chairs from the Willow; Ivet, Owen, and Berel were busily laying out platters piled high with food. To Verve’s new meridian senses, the air in Lotis shone with anticipation, happiness, relief; like sunlight glinting off of spring leaves.
But Verve couldn’t bring herself to join the celebration just yet, so as the final preparations unfolded, she finished a puffer in the shadow of Hadiya’s barn. Danya thought she was dead, which meant she was free — for now. But what that would mean in the future, Verve could not say, anymore than what being a meridian would mean.
Well, right now, it meant the others’ emotions danced through Lotis like fireflies. They beckoned her, but she held back, her feet held fast by the tumbling nerves in her stomach. When was the last time she’d been to a celebration of any kind? The people of Lotis had welcomed her with open arms, but nothing good lasted. They were happy now, but the only constant was change. Surely any moment they would realize she wasn’t worth their kindness and cast her out on her own.
“How about here?” It was Alem, guiding Lio and Kinneret in placing bundles of flowers. They’d already decorated the tables of food and had moved on to Hadiya’s home.
Kinneret, who did indeed look adorable in mouse ears and a tail, held up a garland of red, purple, and yellow wildflowers. “Here?”
“Perfect,” Alem replied as he wrapped twine around the porch railing to hold the garland in place. To Verve’s amusement, he wore a racoon tail and a pair of pointed, furry ears, and someone had drawn a black nose and whiskers on his face. “Lio, where should we put those daffodils?”
Lio, wearing feathers and a felt beak, squinted through the fading light. “Verve! Come help us!”
Alem glanced up at her, and she tensed, wanting him to call her over, but not yet ready to venture out. But he only gave her a warm smile and said to Lio, “Verve will help if she wants. Lio, how about you add the daffodils to the ones Kinny just put up?”
But Lio ignored Alem and darted away from him, making a beeline for Verve. The kid had to tilt his head pretty far back to look up at her, so she knelt and tried to make her face friendly. “Are those real marsh robin feathers?” she asked.
He beamed. “Yes! Owen found them for me, see?” He twirled, flapping his arms, delight and contentment rolling off of him in waves.
Kinneret, not to be left out, hurried over. “I’m a mouse! I wanted to be a lion, but Ivet said we have enough of those around here.”
Their eagerness danced like sugar on the tip of her tongue, and she chuckled. “I agree. And besides, who needs lions when we have mice and marsh robins? You both look wonderful.”
“You’re a possum,” Lio said sagely. “They sleep all day and come out at night.”
A little too accurate, lately. Verve laughed again. “Sometimes.”
“Sorry,” Alem said as he came up. “You turn around for one second, and they’re gone.”
She couldn’t help herself. “Nice tail.”
He blushed, which was more than a little gratifying. “You too,” he replied, grinning.
Then it was her turn to blush, so she reached for one of the garlands he carried. “Pretty flowers,” she said, trying not to sound too awkward. “Did you grow them all?”
