As we ate together, a strange sensation startled to bubble beneath my chest: a sort of fizzing lightness like champagne bubbles. Here were the two people I cared about most in all the world, grinning at each other and me as we shared a meal: a tiny pocket of joy in the midst of a turbulent world. The feeling reached out of me like tendrils, encompassing the prospect of Riya, Kivali and Liran’s child; the friendship offered by Nairi and her soldiers; the growing bond between Markel and Ru Telitha. It almost felt familiar, but it wasn’t until Caethari dropped a little sun on Markel’s plate and
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