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Epilogue
The sparkling blue skipping rope twirled up to the sky. Junelight held on, confused. This wasn’t how these worked. Something up high wanted it, but it was hers. She held on with one hand as Uliyah tugged at her sleeve.
“Mommy, I want to play!”
“Hold on sweetie, hold on,” she said.
The red sky tugged harder. The rope was wrapped around the clouds. She couldn’t see this, but knew it to be true. It jerked hard, and she leaned back, concern knitting across her brow.
“Mommy!”
“Uli, just…” she looked down from the rope, and saw that he had run aways down the field. He was just a small figure in the distance, standing at the edge.
“Uliyah, come back!” The rope yanked hard, wrenching her shoulder. She grabbed it with both hands, no longer amused with these damn clouds. She put her weight into it, and the sky darkened as she got a good hold.
“Mom-meeeeeee.” Whining now.
“Dear! Mommy’s busy.” His voice was right there beside her, but he was even farther up the field now, probably chasing firelight moths or something else. She held onto the rope, and kept it firm. She was strong, stronger than the clouds, and the sky was darkening fast. She was winning.
Nighttime. The rope was still caught, still under stress, but she was in control. The area around her was a spotlight of wavy azure, just her and the bright column.
“We can play now Uli, I’ve got it!”
There was no answer.
The horizon was black, the sky invisible. There was only the rope, her and the little circle of light.
“Uli?”
He had been right there.
“Uliyah!”
Panic set in. He shouldn’t be out at night. The rope tugged and jittered, as if a cloud fish was snared on the other end. It tugged and wiggled like it was laughing at her plight.
“Oh drown me in Culdur, where is he? Uliyah!” She screamed his name, not caring if she sounded scared. Maybe if he heard her fright, he’d come back. She shouted it over and over.
The rope jerked her shoulders with every shout. Mocking, mocking.
“Junelight!” it said.
She hadn’t realized her eyes were closed. Cold air pressed in all around and the rope became something else. The probe. The stone. The—
She opened her eyes. Little Zoey-Lee Vetteris had her by both shoulders. The blackened beams of pyre replaced the sky.
“Zoey-Lee?” croaked June.
“You was yelling,” said the girl.
June sat up, grabbing at her leg. Her thin, wavy clothing was split and stained deep brown, shredded where the strange blade had cut through her upper thigh. The scar was ugly and huge, but it was scabbed over and closed.
Her chest thrummed, and glittering blue light surrounded her. The probes were still intact. They were lacey and strung out, encapsulating the shuddering mindtether like a clumsy spiderweb, but they were there. June spent a few seconds reorganizing them, tugging here and there to stabilize her grip.
Over Zoey’s shoulder, a familiar face floated into view. Bettine of All regarded her with a smug smile, arms clasped behind her back. “Sorry to disturb your nap,” she said, “but congratulations are in order. You should thank the young witch, she patched you up proper. Found her tending to you when we took the temple and figured it was best to leave her brain un-bashed, for the time being. Incredible power wrapped up you witchfolk. These floating stones are a wonder.”
Junelight blinked and met Zoey-Lee’s eyes. The girl blushed and sat back. “You was leakin’ an’ bleeding everywhere,” she said.
It all rolled back into her at once. She remembered the metal tearing out of Vik. Smelled the mix of blood and char, remembered its fresh tang, now smudged with sweat and spent nerves. There was yelling from outside. The Falsesparker chieftess stood in this sacred Roythan room, victorious. And here was this little girl, whose town had just been stolen. She was about the same age as…
June tried to say something to Bettine, but when her mouth opened, it stayed that way.
Bettine held up a hand. “You relax. Keep the stone stable until we’re situated. Twenty one minutes!”
Zoey looked between them both, brow furrowed.
“Twenty one minutes!” Bettine said again, swinging her hands together in one massive clap. It echoed around the chamber. “From first horn to surrender. Well, it sounds like there’s still some commotion in the north, but I’m calling twenty one anyway. I’ve already got messengers on their way to the other major triads with that little tidbit. It’s going to be a regular circus here, I tell you. I tell you!”
June made to stand, and plopped back down when she put weight on the injured leg. Zoey-Lee tried to help but she waved her off.
She remembered how to talk.
“Bettine, when I was out,” said June, “I don’t know how tight I kept the blinds. It’s fine now but some messages could have gotten out. I can check, but—”
“Ah, it’s fine,” said Bettine. “No matter. Let their little mewls and cries for help filter out. In fact, we might do well to encourage them. Can you mewl, little witchling?”
Zoey tried a tiny cat noise, and Bettine cackled and applauded.
“I thought we wanted to do this quietly.” June cast a guilty glance at the tiny girl, who seemed pleased by the Head of Spark’s mirth. June noticed others in the room as well. Falsesparkers, ringing the room at intervals. Her own two bodyguards stood off at a distance, watching her. All the bodies were gone.
“Twenty one minutes, Junelight!” said Bettine. “Without a stone on our side! With just the vanguard! The main group is still arriving and they are going to be livid with envy. No no, slow and sneaky was before I tested the mettle of these witches. Twenty. One. Minutes. We accelerate.”
“What about Plasivé? What about that plan?”
“Re-evaluate it.”
June stopped herself, pressing a thumb into her scar so the pain broke through. The urge to reverse the probes and freeze smarmy little bitch’s lungs went away, with notable reluctance. In control now, June fed a few extra cycles into her leg, letting it soothe and repair the flesh.
“I’ll have some recommendations ready by nightfall, Head of Spark,” said June.
“Oh, we’ll wait until next sun for that. Tonight we feast, dance foot and dance seed. This is historic, Madame witch.” She came closer and held out her hand.
Junelight grabbed it and Bettine hauled her up. She tottered a bit, balancing on the good leg. Bettine held her steady.
She put her lips to June’s ear. “Surest way to snare your prey is to overwhelm it into submission. You saw that today. Our fugitive will learn that soon as well.”
June allowed a nod, and said, “And what’re you doing with your caught prey? Those who survived, that is.”
“They’re being detained, with civility. I was hoping you could help me to convince them to behave so that… disciplinary measures… might be kept at a minimum.”
A board above creaked and snapped, sending down a small shower of ash and snow. June shivered, and said, “Yes, we’re aligned there. These may only be…” she lowered her voice. “These may only be backwater Roythans, but civil detention is preferred if we want to stay under the radar of the Wardensquads.”
“Mhm,” said Bettine. “I suppose I do want that. For now.”
She winked and snapped her fingers. Righty and Lefty the bodyguards trotted over.
“Find Madame witch a soft place to rest, and toss the squirt here in with the rest,” said Bettine.
“If it’s all the same to you, Head of Spark,” said June, “I’d like charge over Zoey-Lee for the time being. Her sister is my outlier.”
Bettine shrugged, “Do what you must! You’re an honoured guest in All-bit-tel’s first ever fortress. I’ve even come up with a name: Spark’s Stone. It’s the right colour, no? Do you like it?”
“Fitting,” said June, and reached for Zoey’s hand.
“Indeed, now off with you! I’ve a veritable queue of bashful marshals and formerly skeptical triadic heads to preen in front of, hey-ha!”
June let the bodyguards lead her toward the temple’s exit. As they approached, the scents of battle wafted in, rich with ozone and blood. Junelight gripped the small hand in hers, marveling at how it made her heart swell and her eyes spring full of tears.
Zoey-Lee tugged on her arm and said, “Do you know where ‘City is? We was supposed to meet somewhere but I forgot.”
“Sweetie,” she said, “finding your sister will be my number one priority. I promise.”
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