I purse my lips.
“Yes, Miki. Go and make friends.”
He gives me a lopsided smile, and then stands, still twirling his blade before he walks over to join them.
I watch him with a heart two sizes too big. For a second, I can’t help but marvel over the life the stones have sung for me.
We escaped death, and though I feared the worst, we both survived. Teo gave up some of what he was before to get us back, and I worry about how that will play out in the years to come.
Liana had once told me in our training that a wise woman’s burden was the ability to see the future, and yet still be bound by the fears of the present. It’s an imprecise magic, to be sure, but there’s something about knowing that Teo and I have a future that is enough for the moment.
I pull the giant babe out of his basket and sit back, bouncing him on my leg. He nestles into me, and I look around the room. It surprises me just how many pairings there are, and the room is filled with laughter, kisses, drinking, and dancing.
Niht twirls one of the elves around the room, and I am pleased that they have stayed. It only takes a few to change the course of a relationship between two peoples.
The mood is ambient and joyful, and I let the crystals amplify the peacefulness that is harbored inside of me.
It isn’t until a loud crash sounds through the room that I bolt upright.
There’s a flurry in the crowd, and a few hurry off, leaving a clear view of the altercation.
In the middle of the room is Vann, shaking his hand.
On the ground in front of him is Joso.
Teo moves to the side of me, standing up and charging over to see exactly what had happened. I scan behind the two men to see Arlet with her hands pressed to her face.
“What the hell is wrong with you?” Vann roars.
Something wasn’t right.
Joso was gentle and kind. He wouldn’t have done something on purpose.
Just as I stand up to inspect what was happening, the sound of heavy footfalls crowds behind me.
I turn to the forms emerging from the tunnel to the outside. My breath catches, and I fear a horde of red eyes.
Except… they aren’t the vaimpír.
It’s Melisa holding Ra’Sa’s arm while he carries twin girls.
Though they head the group, dozens continue to swarm inside behind them, clad in brown and grey slave rags. My hand flies to my mouth as I start moving.
We hadn’t heard anything from them since their speaking stones had run out. A team was going after them, but I just hadn’t expected that they’d show up like this. How had neither Liana or I seen this?
It’s amiracle.
Teo is next to me in a second as they try to come across the cavern. When we meet at the bridge, I look over to still see hundreds pouring in. Old, young, men, and women. I let out the longest breath, and then, embrace Melisa the best I can manage with a baby still in my arms.
“My friend. You made it home,” I say, grinning.
“We escaped,” she says breathless. Her face is haggard, and her hair is a mess. I can’t resist reaching up and tucking a lock behind her ear. She offers a weak smile. “We took as many as could walk. There are more on the road. We were just the fastest.”
“How long were you walking for?” I ask. It took us four days to get to the mines, and we’ve been back at least four more.
“For over a week,” she says.
Teo inquires, “How many all together?¨
