Page 221 of Blood of the Stars

“I have Larkos and Thallahan here.” His eyes clouded over. “Breeve is here too, but he—he didn’t make it.”

Gaeren’s joy deflated. The fourth-generation sailor hadn't lived to bring about a fifth generation. Images of the younger man’s apron-clad mother and laughing siblings rushed through his mind. He never should have let Breeve come.

“He took after his father,” Riveran said, his voice cracking. “He’s a war hero, and his mama’s going to hear exactly how brave he was.”

Gaeren nodded. “And she’ll be getting a nice lump sum from the treasury—” He cut off, realizing that was no longer a promise he could make.

“Maybe your family will take you back,” Riveran said. “They’ll have to see that Mayvus was wrong, that they were wrong to ally with her.”

Gaeren shook his head. “Enla would have already seen this outcome. Even if it was one of many, she couldn’t have ignored Mayvus’ depravity in it. She knew. I still can’t go home.” He didn’t bother mentioning the blood magic he’d done. He’d tell Riveran eventually, but not here and not now.

“Well, we’ll find a way to take care of Breeve’s mother,” Riveran said.

Gaeren nodded.

“Orra and some of the others were down there too,” Riveran said. “She did something, something that saved us all. But she’s weak.”

The concern in his voice made Gaeren work faster at the rubble until finally Riveran could get through. When Gaeren’s old friend pulled him in for a hug, all the fears he’d had pent up for the last few weeks came out in a death grip punctuated by a shuddering dry sob.

“I forgot what saps you two are.” Larkos gazed at them from the stairway, his arms resting on the half wall that still remained. “Now get over here. I’m a lot fatter than Riveran, and I’m not gonna fit through this tiny hole.”

Despite his complaining, Larkos let Thallahan go through first, probably on account of the younger sailor’s left eye being matted closed with blood. More blood oozed from the wound as he crossed the threshold, and Gaeren suspected the eye was lost. Hopefully his bride would consider an eye patch roguishly handsome.

Next Larkos passed Breeve’s body through, and Gaeren carefully carried it out to the balcony. Cyrus still kneeled by Jasperus, hands raised to the Stars. Gaeren didn’t understand Cyrus’ faith, but he couldn’t deny that it was the Stars who would come and burn up Jasperus’ body, returning his starlock to the heavens. Calling on them for aid at this time wasn’t a terrible idea.

“I know Breeve isn’t a progeny,” Gaeren said as he laid Breeve next to Jasperus, “but I think he would have liked knowing he had a progeny’s funeral pyre.”

Cyrus’ lips lifted in a sad smile. “Hundreds will be gathered up by the Stars tonight. Maybe not their bodies, like the progenies, but in spirit. It’s an honor either way.”

Gaeren nodded. “Do you mind praying for him as well?”

“I’ll pray, but he doesn’t really need our prayers anymore. He’s with the Stars.” He inclined his head toward Gaeren. “Or the Sun. Either way, when I pray over the dead, it’s for all the lives they’ve touched, all the people left behind.”

The lump returned in Gaeren’s throat as he thought of Breeve’s family. “Even better.”

When Gaeren returned to the hall, they’d gotten Larkos out along with Kendalyhn, and they were in the process of passing Orra’s unconscious form through. Gaeren took her to the settee in Mayvus’ main room, where Daisy immediately fussed over her.

Seeing Orra reminded Gaeren of their secondary objective.

“Did anyone find the golden arrow?” he asked.

Daisy remained bent over Orra, her hands assessing for wounds to heal, but she shook her head. “I don’t think anyone’s had the time to look.”

By the time Gaeren made it back to the hall, Holm and Marnok had made it through, informing everyone that the only things left on the stairs were corpses and the fading howls of the winex, who would hopefully give up scratching at the door with the Sun’s morn.

“So much for a truce with the winex,” Kendalyhn muttered as they all gathered in Mayvus’ main room.

“We can’t expect a complete turnaround in one generation,” Daisy said. “At least not in one of their generations. Maybe within ours.”

Velden and Holm began exchanging stories of what had happened on the balcony and the staircase while others gave in to their need for sleep, curling up on the floor or simply sitting against a wall and leaning on each other. Cyrus finally joined them, shutting the door on the balcony and the horrors they would have to face in the morning.

Gaeren knew he should sleep, but first he made a quick search of the room, only pausing in surprise to catch Holm’s retelling of Orra’s significant use of magic. He eyed the woman still lying unconscious on the settee, her pale face looking close to death. In spite of all her secrets, he felt confident she was the only one who was meant to find the starbridges. A wave of curiosity rushed through him, but it wasn’t the same level of desire he’d once had. The starbridges didn’t hold the same appeal, but he would still seek them out for her.

“Try the loose stone behind the bed,” Sylmar said, his eyes barely open as he watched from the corner.

Gaeren hesitated, but Sylmar wasn’t one to joke around. It took three of them to move the bed with Emeris and Iris on it, but once they did, the stone Sylmar spoke of became obvious. Gaeren worked his fingers into the gap, sliding the stone out until it revealed a barrel-sized gap behind the stone. At first it seemed empty, but when Gaeren reached down, his fingers brushed warm metal that hummed.

Behind him, Orra murmured, stirring on the settee.

---