Page 69 of Dark Destiny: The Turning Of The Loom

The bag her mother had packed for her was on the counter, and as Yaaf put his clothes back on, Sullha unzipped it and pulled out the soft gray pants that were comfortable enough to wear around the house but also nice enough to go to the market, and the blue shirt with the loose neckline. Underwear, and her new flip-flops that actually fit and looked nice on her feet.

"Julian says the test is done in bed," she said, pulling the shirt over her head. "That's the tradition."

"Because most of the transitioned Dormants are too weak for anything else," Yaaf said. "You are one of the lucky ones."

"I am." She lifted onto her toes and kissed his cheek. "I've got you."

Back in the room, she sat on the edge of the bed, and Yaaf sat beside her.

"Your mother is discovering that she is not helpless."

"She is?"

"She got over her fear of the phone and called everyone to invite them to your ceremony. The enclosure women, the harem ladies, Anita and Petrov, Mattie and Dimitri, and Margaret and Bowen." He paused. "Kian and Syssi are also coming."

Sullha's eyes widened. "My mother called Kian?"

He laughed. "Let's not get carried away. Julian told me they were coming. Merlin too."

"How many people is that?"

"More than can fit in this room or even the waiting area. My teammates will stay outside the clinic. Since they will see what I see and feel what I feel, they don't need to be inside."

"I'm okay with them sharing that," she said.

"I thought you wouldn't have a problem with sharing, especially since Bardov is getting you the pastries and coffee without me having to call him and ask."

She smiled. "Sometimes your team is very convenient."

When the time came for the ceremony, the croissants Bardov had smuggled in were a crumb-covered memory, and Sullha brushed her hair one last time before Yaaf opened the door, letting in the noise of the waiting room.

Julian came in with a steel tray covered with a cloth, and behind him came Merlin.

He'd swapped his robe for a purple jacket, and the pants he wore were orange and baggy. He came straight to the side of the bed and took her hand in both of his.

"My dear girl." He beamed at her. "Look at you. I said you would transition in no time, didn't I? I said it to Julian. I said this one is going to turn, and she is going to turn fast. All you needed to do was stop stressing. And here you are, relaxed and immortal."

"Nearly immortal," Julian said. "We haven't done the test yet."

"A formality," Merlin waved a hand. "I call dibs on the stopwatch."

"Of course you do," Julian said.

Leehy came in with Tomek holding her hand.

Her mother had put on a nice dress and fixed her hair. She was also not crying.

In the enclosure, Sullha hadn't seen her mother cry even once and wouldn't have thought the woman capable of so much emotion, but something had broken free when she saw her daughter unconscious, and there was no turning back.

Tomek was in clean clothes and shoes, but he kicked off his shoes to climb on her bed. The bandages on his feet had been replaced by Band-Aids. He sat cross-legged and looked at the covered tray.

"What's under there?"

"Doctor things," Gertrude said as she came in.

He pursed his lips. "I'm not a baby. I know there's a knife under there. Julian is going to cut Mama's hand."

"A very small cut."