Examining his features, I knew that nothing I said would deter him, and if he made this a path in his life, I would stand by his side. From here on out, we were as one.
A twinge in my chest distracted me as I pressed a hand there, delving into the bond.
"Mera is in some discomfort," I said in a rush. "We should head back to the library."
He didn’t argue, wrapping his sands around us again so we could head to an area for an easy doorway. “Is the baby coming now?” he asked as we lifted.
Probing the bond again, I shook my head. “Not yet, but it’s close.”
Which reminded me of our own child. “Any guesses on the gestation period of our Silver one?” There was no precedent for a Desertlandian god and transcendent hybrid. It could be weeks, months, or years, and in the end… it really didn’t matter.
We were eternal, so this child was free to come when it was ready. But I’d be a liar if I didn’t admit to a twinge of impatience over wanting to meet them.
"If the growing strength of their energy is any indication," Reece said with a soft smile, "it's not going to be too long. The library might have two children destroying it very soon."
My laughter was freer than it had been in centuries, just like my heart. "Even with all of us, we’re going to be in over our heads."
Mera and Shadow's child would be powerful, born of two Nexus gods, and now Reece’s and mine, conceived in the silver sands.
New powers coming into the world.
New futures for all of us.
56
We’d returned to find that Mera’s discomfort was due to planning Alistair’s farewell, a ceremony I was happy we hadn’t missed, even if it hurt to finally grieve and let him go. Karn was a world I'd been to only a couple of times in my life, and now that we were here, floating above the vibrant green waters with the bright red sun high in the sky, sending down warmth and healing energy, I wished that I’d come more often. With Alistair.
He’d have tamed so many waters in this world, but now, I’d never know about them.
Mera, silently sobbing at my side, clutched onto Shadow, her stomach—larger than ever—out in front and covered by her stretchy blue dress. All of us were dressed in the greens and blues that Alistair loved so much.
We were silent while the sprites, wings fluttering around us, started to sing their songs of the dead, which, interestingly, were also their songs of life since they believed it was a never-ending circle. Alistair’s vessel floated peacefully between the large gathering of Karns, which included more than the sprites. Some of his warrior race of brethren swam forward, adding their voices to the song, and when his youngest sibling rose up, I had to briefly close my eyes because he looked so much like our fallen friend.
Reece's face was hard, his hand gripping mine as the blue of his eyes swirled. Shadow was the same, the flames in his irises a consistent glow. Len and Lucien were off to the side where I couldn't see them, but I knew they would be mourning just the same. Galleli was above, where he felt most comfortable.
The sprites began to circle faster in the water forming a whirlpool. "This is the representation of their belief," I heard Shadow whisper to Mera. "There’s no beginning or end of their life, but a circular path that will bring Alistair back into our lives again at some point."
Mera, with her views still strongly cemented in shifter and human beliefs, didn't appear to be bolstered by this notion. She was too deep in mourning, sensing that whether he returned to us or not, it wouldn’t be the same Alistair we knew and loved.
The whirlpool grew in intensity as the sprites swirled, their translucent bodies and multiple limbs moving through the water with a grace that most beings would never have. The water was their world, and they were stunning in their beauty. Alistair's body began to swirl, then, too, caught in the current until he slipped below to join his warrior people.
His vessel would rest in the garden of their dead, and as he vanished from our view, Mera let out a loud sob. Turning, she buried her face in Shadow's side, and he held her as tight as he dared, keeping her together. Reece released my hand and wrapped an arm around me, and I was surprised by how much I needed that support. Both of us did.
As the last lilt of the Karn song faded, we all remained silently staring into the perfect sky above, our energies holding us above the water, even as our friend sank below. Eventually Mera reminded us that we still had to have our own celebrations for Alistair’s life. Shadow opened the doorway, and we stepped through silently.
A flutter in my tummy reminded me that I hadn’t told them about our news yet because the time since we’d returned from the deserts had been about Alistair. He deserved our total focus, so I would keep it to myself a little longer.
When we returned to the library, there was already a gathering; Gaster had taken Mera very seriously when she’d asked if he could find all of those who’d been touched by Alistair's presence.
The room was filled with his friends, and unlike on Karn, this was a more lighthearted affair, all of us sharing a drink in his honor.
Shadow was the first to stand and speak. "Alistair has been my brother for more years than I care to remember,” he rumbled, sadness pulling at his lips as Mera stared at him, tears streaming down her cheeks. “His bravery was renowned, but it was his lightheartedness, his humor, that pulled me back from the darkness many times."
There was a lot of truth in that, and as others stepped up to speak, we were regaled with tales of Alistair’s youth and love of pranks. Eventually, his friends and acquaintances left the library until all that remained was our group and a few goblins cleaning up the mess. Shadow stepped in to assist them with his energy, and as the library obeyed his command, order was returned in no time.
This was always the point that the true loss kicked in. Once that farewell and the celebration of life were done, it was time to move on. Without them.
"You need to eat and rest," Reece said when he found me standing before some Karn shelves, looking at the many texts and tomes I'd read, wishing I’d done more to connect with Alistair.
