by Ziv Gray
Her fingertips tingling with a new cold, Emmy stood. She walked to Krodge’s bedside. She held out a hand. Something swirled inside her.
She knew what to do.
‘Mistress,’ she said. ‘Krodge. You kept me alive when you could have killed me. You may have done it with a closed fist, but you still did as you were told. You obeyed the goddess.’
‘For what?’ Krodge spat. ‘For nothing.’
Emmy smiled. She blinked. Her eyes were blue.
‘For this.’
Reaching up slowly, Emmy pressed the tips of her talons to Krodge’s temples. The old female’s expression crumpled with fear, but then grew smooth as ice, blooming with fractal cracks of brightness.
‘Go to your Light,’ Emmy whispered. ‘Go.’
Krodge’s eyes were filled with silver tears.
‘Emena…’ she whispered.
Then she was gone.
CHAPTER FORTY-ONE
Epilogue
Nunako’s three faces shone bright in the cloudless sky. Dato, Rafa, and Akata had parted ways, not due to greet each other for hundreds of cycles.
Many eyes looked upward that night.
Emperor Bandim in his palace. His brother, Mantos, hiding in the dark. And their mother, Phen, her heart torn in two.
Bomsoi and Rel looked too, together at last after cycles apart.
Valentia, Queen of Althemer, also watched, sleepless and praying to her gods. Her son, Fonbir, looked too, waves of despair flowing from his white eyes.
And Emmy, Athoset, flanked by her closest friends. Charo and Zecha’s claws lingered close behind her back.
All their eyes looked to the moons and the stars beyond. All their hearts thought of what lay before them—of what was to come.