“Bathing.” Husni ordered. Her face wrinkled in a smile. “Now, show us yourselves.”
Some rituals, Aryl grumbled to herself, she’d have gladly left behind. But they looked so expectant…she stood, dropping the blanket as Seru did the same.
Nods. More giggles. Smiles of approval. Weth squinted but managed a smile, too.
“He’ll be happy.” This from Naryn.
Aryl’s hair picked that moment to express its own opinion, lifting into the air, sliding over her shoulders, generally misbehaving. She would, she vowed as she tried in vain to hold it back, be using a metal net.
Still, her hands lingered on it. There was something about the stuff. No longer hair, really. From pale brown, it had lightened to a red gold. Thicker, longer.
A tendril wrapped around her wrist.
Annoying.
“Get on with it, Husni,” Haxel said. “Or those lovesick oafs will break their way out of the meeting hall.” There was an unusually broad smile on her face. The others, even Oran, laughed.
Aryl picked up the wristband she’d taken off before going to sleep. Before becoming what she was and would be. She slipped it over her wrist and ran her fingers over its smooth lovely design. Enris…
Here. Always.
She smiled to herself. There’s to be a bath…
Not entirely mock dismay. How long will that take?
It doesn’t matter, Chosen of my heart, she sent, with all the love and excitement and joy she felt. We have the rest of our lives.
With a roar of laughter, the Om’ray of Sona soaked washcloths in cups of melted snow and rushed forward to scrub their newest Chosen.
I could help with that…
Soon.
Chapter 20
ARYL PRESSED HER HANDS against the door. “I don’t know about this.”
Enris squinted through a dirty window. “Ziba dreamed it.”
“That’s not to say she’s right. The Adepts already tried, you know.”
She felt his encouragement, along with the nip of dare you that hadn’t been affected one bit by their Joining.
The Cloisters was the last piece of Sona’s puzzle. Water flowed down the river, if so far a mere trickle easily jumped. Spring might bring more. They’d learned how to open the mound doors and rebuilt snug homes for every family, including the Tuana.
The nightmares came less often.
It helped that the Oud collapsed their tunnel without fuss. In fact, it might never have been there at all. They might be alone…
Marcus knocked on the metal. “What kind of lock?”
…Or not. She glanced at their friend, persistently curious. So far, he’d kept his kind away. They’d been, he said, disturbed by what had happened at Tuana. They’d wanted to remove him from the Oud. He’d refused.
“If we knew, it wouldn’t be a problem.”
Though Enris was right. Ziba had given them a clue of sorts. She’d dreamed only those of Sona could work the door mechanism.
Aryl caressed the round firmness below her breasts. Little one, it’s up to you.
She leaned against the door, and applied the twist of thought Naryn had taught her.
And with no more fuss than that, the great doors of the Cloisters turned open in welcome.
And Sona was once more a Clan.
Epilogue
THE ONLY LIGHT SHONE above a beige desk. There were other beige desks, rows upon rows of desks, but only this one was in use tonight.
On this desk, on all the desks, were stacks of glittering cubes and disks. Records from hundreds of worlds, data from thousands of research teams. Expectations, ramifications, explanations, excuses, pleas.
Centered under the only light, on this desk, lay something else.
A solitary sheet of plas, covered in handwriting, entitled: “Hoveny Concentrix Prospect 893ZE28L (Cersi: Site Four) Upgrade Request.”
Hands entered the light, thin, scaled, delicate of finger and touch. They bent the sheet exactly in half, creased the fold neatly, then in half again, creased. One last time.
Then turned out the light.
The Om’ray of Cersi
(Note: Names shown as first encountered in the story.)
YENA CLAN:
Adrius sud Parth (Member of Yena Council)
Ael sud Sarc (Chosen of Myris)
Alejo Parth (Seru’s brother)
Andace Vendan
Aryl Sarc
Barit sud Teerac (Bern’s father, Chosen of Evra)
Cader Sarc
Cetto sud Teerac (Member of Yena Council, Chosen of Husni, Bern’s great-grandfather)
Chaun sud Teerac (Chosen of Weth)
Costa sud Teerac (Aryl’s brother, Chosen of Leri)
Dalris sud Sarc (Taisal’s grandfather, Unnel’s father, Chosen of Nela)
Ele Sarc (Nela’s great-grandmother)
Evra Teerac (Bern’s mother)
Ferna Parth (Seru’s mother)
Fon Kessa’at (Son of Veca)
Ghoch sud Sarc (Chosen of Oryl)
Gijs sud Vendan (Chosen of Juo)
Haxel Vendan (First Scout)
Husni Teerac (Bern’s great-grandmother)
Joyn Uruus (Son of Rimis)
Juo Vendan
Kayd Uruus (Son of Taen)
Kiric Mendolar
Lendin sud Kessa’at (Chosen of Morla)
Leri Teerac
Mele sud Sarc (Aryl’s father, Chosen of Taisal)
Morla Kessa’at (Council Member, Veca’s grandmother)
Myris Sarc (Taisal’s sister)
Nela Sarc (Taisal’s grandmother)
Oryl Sarc
Pio di Kessa’at (Adept)
Rimis Uruus (Joyn’s mother)
Rorn sud Vendan (Chosen of Haxel)
Seru Parth (Aryl’s cousin)
Sian d’sud Vendan (Adept, Member of Yena Council)
Syb sud Uruus (Kayd and Ziba’s father, Chosen of Taen)
Taen Uruus (Kayd and Ziba’s mother)
Taisal di Sarc (Aryl’s mother, Adept, Speaker for Yena)
Tikva di Uruus (Adept, Member of Yena Council)
Tilip sud Kessa’at (Fon’s father, Chosen of Veca, née Sarc)
Till sud Parth (Seru’s father, Scout, Chosen of Ferna)
Troa sud Uruus (Joyn’s father, Chosen of Rimis)
Unnel Sarc (Taisal’s mother)
Veca Kessa’at (Fon’s mother)
Weth Teerac
Yorl sud Sarc (Taisal’s great-uncle, Member of Yena Council)
Ziba Uruus (Daughter of Taen)
TUANA CLAN:
Beko Serona
Caynen S’udlaat
Cien Serona (Ezgi’s mother, Runner)
Clor sud Mendolar (Ridersel’s uncle, once of Amna, née Prendolat)
Dama Mendolar (Ridersel’s mother, Member of Tuana Council)
Deran Edut
Enris Mendolar
Eran Serona
Eryel S’udlaat
Ezgi Serona (Runner)
Galen sud Serona (Chosen of Cien, Runner, Jorg’s brother)
Gelle Licor
Geter Licor
Irm Lorimar (Mauro’s brother)
Jorg sud Mendolar (Enris’ father, Chosen of Ridersel)
Josel Licor (Netta’s sister, Runner)
Kor sud Lorimar (Chosen of Menasel, née Edut)
Lymin Annk (Runner)
Mauro Lorimar (Irm’s brother)
Menasel Lorimar (Mauro’s cousin)
Mirs sud S’udlaat (Chosen of Eryel)
Naryn S’udlaat
Netta Licor (Josel’s sister, Runner)
Olalla Mendolar (Enris’ cousin)
Ral Serona (Enris’ cousin)
Ridersel Mendolar (Enris’ mother)
Sive sud Lorimar
Sole sud Serona (Speaker for Tuana)
Stryn Licor (Josel and Netta’s mother, Runner)
Suen sud Annk (Chosen of Lymin, née S’udlaat, Runner)
Tai sud Licor (Chosen of Stryn, Runner, once of Amna)
Traud Licor
Tyko Uruus
Worin Mendolar (Enris’ brother)
Yuhas sud S’udlaat (Chosen of Caynen, née Parth)
GRONA CLAN: