In the library, with everyone yawning and fighting drowsiness but insistent on knowing what had happened, Kendrick said, “When Laurent pulled down the curtains, I looked up and I saw the sun. I thought that was the end, and I lifted my hand to feel the warmth. But I couldn’t see my hand. I was invisible.”
“I don’t know how I did that,” Genevieve said wonderingly. “I thought I had lost my talent. I was never able to use it on someone else before. I just…wanted so badly to save you.” Her hand tightened around his.
“And it worked,” Kendrick said with a smile.
“But you lived! You didn’t burst into flame in daylight!” Elspeth gasped.
Kendrick shook his head. “I was standing in the middle of the sunbeam, but I wasn’t burning. I can’t explain that.”
“It’s just not possible,” Robbie said.
“I can explain,” Salem said suddenly from his position by the shelves. “It’s because light is a form of electro-magnetic radiation.”
“What?” Kendrick said.
“Etienne sent me James Clerk Maxwell’sA Treatise on Electricity and Magnetismwhile I was, er, rusticating. Basically, light is a type of wave.” Salem moved his hand in the air. “In the eye, you have a lens, which captures the light that reflects into it. In order to see something, a light wave has to—to bounce off an object and hit the lens of your eye.”
They all stared at him in varying degrees of understanding.
“Never mind,” Salem said, waving that away. “What I mean is—Genevieve’s talent must control these light waves. Somehow, shebentthe light away from you, Kendrick. So we couldn’t see you, and you were not burned. Genevieve made you untouchable to daylight.”
“As long as someone is invisible,” Elspeth said.
Genevieve looked up at Kendrick. “Do you think that’s true?”
He grinned. “Do you want to test it?”
“No!” she exclaimed. “I’d rather think it a miracle than chance you catching fire again. Itwasa miracle.”
“It was. It was a miracle you were able to react so fast, and a miracle you could use your talent on someone else. Knowing why doesn’t make it less wondrous.” He wrapped his arms around her.
She buried her face in his evening jacket. “I can barely keep my eyes open.”
“Good point. Let’s go to bed. Everyone, good morning. We will see you tonight.” Kendrick swept Genevieve up into his arms and carried her up the main staircase to their room.
Around them, the city was waking. A new day had broken. A new year lay ahead of them.
Genevieve half-opened her eyes as Kendrick divested her of her evening gown and put her in bed, climbing in after her. She was so tired after a wonderful night and a frightening daybreak, but Kendrick’s eyes were still wide open as he lay back against the pillows and stared at the ceiling. No, he wasn’t staring at the ceiling—he was staring at the far window, shuttered against the light.
“What did you see?” she whispered.
He turned to her and ran his hand through her hair. “Heaven’s candle set in a clear, blue sky.” He closed his eyes and admitted, “I thought my doom had come. Judgment, at long last. But there was no judgment. Only light.”
“What do you mean?”
“I mean, you are my fate. Had you not left me chiding notes, I would not be here. Perhaps Laurent might have succeeded. Perhaps someone might have achieved his ends earlier with a knife in the dark. But we would not be here.”
“Without you, I would not have read my father’s last words,” Genevieve whispered. “I would never have loved again.”
“The path set out by the Giver of Life remains a mystery and is ever passing away, but He saw fit that our paths should intertwine. And that we should relearn hope.” He set his forehead against hers.
Genevieve bit her lip against the burn of tears. “What are we going to do now?”
“Do? What we’ve always planned to. Teach our people to hope. Read good books, love good things. Show the children how to handle a sword.”
“Children?” Genevieve murmured.
“You don’t think we’ll raise just Fletcher, do you? This is a large house. And, if the High King of the World wills it, the years will continue on. And then the end will come.”
