Outside, Kai sensed the arrival of others. “The elders are here, Lucca. I am sure many will wish to see this place, Alenga’s Agora, and proof that my mother lives.”
“Let them wait.” Lucca knelt next to his daughter and Ryker. “Come sit with your mother.”
The words of Alenga weighed on Kai’s heart. He did not want to leave his mother, not after he just brought her home. He let his hand rest on her hand, and he watched her steady breath raise and lower her chest. Thoughts of his father Iver crossed his mind. “I wish I could bring Iver here to see my mother.”
Ryker glanced at Kai. “You know that can never happen. Mariana is lost to her old life. But you have another parent who needs you. Iver needs you.”
Lucca leaned into Kai’s ear. “Keegan will return, and you must be ready. Gather your Katori friends before your return to Diu. They, too, will need time to prepare for the future.”
Somehow, Kai knew Lucca and Ryker were right. He had to return to Diu; he had promised to be there for the winter festival. Iver was unwell, and Kai needed to know if Riome had returned after being lost at sea. He knelt, and he held his mother’s hand. Rayna leaned into his side. For one brief moment, they could all be together, before their world turned upside down again.
The End
