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He ran a fingertip along the edge of the gravestone. “I could not do what I set out to do. But I feel that I have achieved the impossible.”
“I am sorry about your family, Julian,” I said gently. “Truly.”
His dark eyes gleamed with unshed tears. “Thank you.”
“What will you do from here?” I asked.
He gazed down at the stone, his finger tracing over the carved names. “I think it is time for me to leave,” he said at last. “I’m not sure where I will go, just yet, but the memories here are too strong. I think perhaps it is time to make new ones.”
He reached into his pocket and pulled out the little carved chickens from his house. When he spoke again, his voice was thick. “I carved these for my children when they were babes, as my wife sang them to sleep in the firelight. I had thought to leave them here, so they might not forget about me. But…I think perhaps I will take them with me instead. So I might not forget.”
My heart twisted, and I stepped closer, resting a hand on his shoulder. “I am sure you will never forget. But perhaps they could serve as reminders of what you had, rather than what you lost.”
He blinked up at me, gratitude bright in his eyes. “I should return this, also,” he said, replacing the carved chickens in his pocket and retrieving another object. It was my ring, the diamonds catching the moonlight and glinting brightly against the inset rubies. He held it out.
“No,” I said, taking his hand and closing his fingers around the ring. “You keep it.”
He made to protest and I shook my head, slanting a soft look toward Abigor. “I have no need for protection from demons. And perhaps you will find a use for it someday. If nothing else, let it serve as a reminder of the good you have done here.”
He hesitated, then nodded, slipping it back into his pocket. “Thank you. Truly.” His gaze took in both of us. “Thank you.”
Abigor reached out and clasped Julian’s hand as I squeezed his shoulder.
“Farewell, Julian,” I said, and then he turned, squaring his shoulders resolutely, and began to make his way down the path. He didn’t look back, but he had one hand in his pocket, and I had no doubt that he had those chickens clutched tight. Abigor and I watched him until he crested a hill and disappeared from sight.
Abigor tugged my hand, and I followed as he led me toward the forest’s edge. The cemetery was quiet, the silence only broken by the muted buzzing of insects, and the moon cast a warm glow over the stones and grass.
I leaned into his shoulder, enjoying the comfort of his presence, the quiet awareness that hummed between us. We could have flown, or twisted through the shadows, but instead we walked, enjoying the easy pleasure of each other’s company.
We had reached the edge of the forest when Abigor finally spoke. “So, what next? Back to the City with you?” He said it in a joking tone, but I could hear the undercurrent of fear in his voice.
“I don’t know,” I said. “I find I’m growing rather fond of this mortal realm. Perhaps there is more to see here than this one small village.”
His relief was palpable. He stopped, turning to face me and taking both my hands in his. “You’ll stay with me?”
I tilted my head, letting him press a soft kiss to my lips. “Forever,” I murmured.
When I pulled back, I found his gaze fixed over my shoulder. Beyond the ruined cemetery chapel, the earth was still charred, and splintered wood was still scattered over the lawn.
“It won’t last,” he said, his brow creased and his red eyes troubled. “They’ll come for us eventually. The mandate…”
“Yes.” I lifted one hand and traced a finger over his brow, smoothing the creases away. “They will. And we will fight them. We will show them what we’ve learned, what they never had the chance to learn. We’ll make them understand. Together.”
His eyes softened, and he pulled me back into his arms. “Together.”
I tipped my face up, and he dipped his down until our lips met. And in the second before my eyes drifted closed, I caught sight of the swirls of color and light, spiraling out from between us to light the night sky with a tapestry of shifting energy.
I threaded my fingers into his hair as his arms tightened around me, clutching me to his chest, and I whispered the word once more against his lips.
“Together.”
