Nobody else said anything, not even River or Drift, as if the subject was too sensitive. Chime twitched restlessly, folded his arms. He said, “She should have died at home.”
Stone made a softly derisive sound. “If she hadn’t come with us, we wouldn’t have a home.”
In a dry rasp, still without opening her eyes, Flower added, “And don’t you forget it. Now, each of you come and talk to me.”
Everyone took turns to sit by Flower and speak to her one last time. When Stone prodded Moon to take his turn, he held her hand, the skin and bones as dry and delicate as old parchment. She said, “Don’t give up. Promise me you won’t give up on us.”
He wasn’t sure if she was having an augury, or if she had just noticed his uncertainty, or both. He said automatically, “I promise.”
It didn’t take long after that, as if she had only been holding on long enough to say goodbye. Vine left, to go back to guarding the first floor. Moon and the others stayed, as Flower’s breathing grew softer and slower and more shallow, until finally, it stopped altogether.
Moon turned away, went blindly through the common room, out into the corridor. He couldn’t watch the others’ grief; it felt private. They had known Flower all their lives, she had held them when they were fledglings. In Stone’s case, he must have watched her grow up. Moon’s feelings couldn’t compare to that.
When he walked into the exhibit hall, he saw Negal and Esom at the bottom of the stairs with three other groundlings from their crew. Esom looked bleary and half-awake, as if he had been dragged out to talk to the dangerous Raksura when he would rather be sleeping. He called, “Moon, what’s going on? Is there a plan yet for how we’re going to—”
“Flower died,” Moon said.
Taken aback, Esom stared. “Oh. I’m— I’m sorry. I didn’t realize she was injured.”
Moon shook his head; he couldn’t explain now. “Just give us a little time.” Without waiting for an answer, he shifted and leapt up to the gallery, ignoring the startled exclamations from the other groundlings.
He paced the hall there, past the decaying Tath and the other creatures, half-listening as Esom persuaded Negal and the others to go back upstairs to wait. It was hard to believe that it had really happened, that Flower was really gone. He had never seen anyone die from old age before. It had been so quiet.
Moon ended up standing in the cubby with the dead sea kingdom woman. He wondered what would happen to her when someone else took over the tower, what they would do with her body, if there were any other imprisoned spirits here like the waterling, or if Ardan’s death had released them. After a time he heard movement and looked up to see Jade, moving slowly down the hall, looking at Ardan’s collection. She was in her Arbora form, her spines flattened in dejection.
When she reached the cubby, he shifted back to groundling, and said, “Are you all right?”
“Yes, just…” Jade rubbed her temple and frowned down at the sealing’s body. “I have to get used to the idea that she’s gone.” She looked up at him, wincing apologetically. “Moon, I’m sorry. I never thought that you didn’t know.”
He shook his head. He didn’t want her to apologize to him for something that wasn’t anyone’s fault. “She didn’t tell me.” Moon had asked Flower if Raksura were born live or in eggs; she had to have realized he didn’t know how they died of old age, either.
“Maybe she wanted someone to talk to who didn’t know.” Jade touched a curl of the sealing’s hair, then drew her hand back, as if she had just realized it was a real body and not a very realistic statue. “When the change first happens to someone, it’s a shock. After a while, you get used to it. No one talks about it, but you don’t forget.”
No one had talked about it at Emerald Twilight, but they had seen Flower and surely realized she was dying. Moon wondered if that was why Ice had been inclined to let the mentors help them, for Flower’s sake. Ice, he thought suddenly. Her scales are nearly white. Queens lived longer than Arbora, but she must be nearing the end of her life. He wondered who would replace her, if it would be Tempest or someone else, if Shadow would retain his influence or be just another older consort. He would have to ask Jade and Stone. Their alliance with Emerald Twilight might be even more tenuous than it had seemed. Worry about that later, he told himself. We have to get back home first.
Moon suddenly didn’t want to stand here with the dead any more. He took Jade’s wrist, absently rubbed his thumb over the softer scales on the back of her hand. “We need to talk to Negal about their ship, how we can get to it.”
Jade took a deep breath. “You’re right. We’ll do that now.”
They went back to the servants’ common room. Balm, Chime, and Stone were still in the bedchamber with Flower, but the others sat around on the floor and the couches. Everyone looked weary and sad. Rift was back against the far wall, separated from the others, still wary. Floret made an effort to perk up, and said, “What are we doing now?”
“We’re going to get off this damn leviathan.” Jade settled on one of the cushioned benches and pulled Moon down next to her. She told Song, “Go find the groundlings. Ask them to come here.”
Song hurried away, and a short time later they heard the groundlings in the corridor. Drift shifted to Raksura. River hissed at him before Jade or Moon could, and Drift immediately shifted back. He said, “Sorry, I was startled.” He actually sounded sorry. Moon suspected the good behavior was only going to last until the shock over Flower’s death faded.
Song came in, followed by Esom, Karsis, Negal, and Orlis, then one of the men who had been imprisoned in the tower. He was about Negal’s size, but his brown skin was more lined around the eyes, his hair more sprinkled with gray. Orlis smelled of nervous fear, and the new man looked as grim as if he was already resigned to some kind of betrayal. His expression tightened even more when he saw Rift.
Karsis stepped forward, cleared her throat, and said, “I believe you don’t know our leader, Negal, our second assistant deviser Orlis, and Captain Damison. This is Jade, sister queen of the Indigo Cloud Court, and her consort Moon.”
Moon caught Song giving Karsis a slight nod of approval. Taking her diplomatic duties as a female warrior seriously, she must have quickly informed Karsis of the proper way to greet Jade.
Negal inclined his head politely. “I’m sorry to have to make your acquaintance under such unpleasant circumstances. And I wish to apologize to you for our part in the theft of your property. Our assistance to Magister Ardan was involuntary, but I know it has put your court in a dangerous position.”
It was the right thing to say. Moon could feel Jade’s tension uncoiling. She said, “I’m willing to believe that. Karsis and Esom have said that you want an alliance with us, that together we can use your flying ship to escape this place. Do they speak for you?”
Negal glanced at Esom and Karsis, and smiled slightly. “In this case, yes.” Song pushed a couple of stools forward and indicated that the groundlings should sit down. Negal and the others moved to take seats, but Captain Damison said, “What about him? Rift.”
Behind them, Rift stirred, started to stand. Moon turned his head enough to pin him with a look. Rift froze, and sunk back to the floor. Jade didn’t even bother to flick a spine in Rift’s direction. Her eyes on Damison, she said, “He isn’t your concern.”
“That problem appears to be sorted,” Esom said to Damison. He pushed a stool at him and said pointedly, “Now sit down.”
Damison hesitated, still watching Rift with deadly intensity. Then Stone came out of the back room. He stopped, glanced over the groundlings noncommittally, then came around to sit on the floor near Jade’s feet. He said, in Raksuran, “Chime is taking it hard.”