Page 94 of Circle of Shadows
“What if he does not like Celestae?”
“He will,” the god of night promised. “But if he ever wishes to leave, I will not stop him. That, I can promise you.”
With that, the god gently took their boy from his mother. As they faded away, returning to the realm of the divine, Tomi felt a heavy sadness in her heart. And yet she did not cry.
When the sun set that evening, she did as she was told. She walked out into the chilly air and looked up toward Celestae.
Where there had been nothing before, now there was a constellation, a lion, bright against the night. The stars glimmered, as if her son were winking at her, and a small smile graced Tomi’s face.
And from then on, all of the god of night’s children appeared in the night sky, a parade of constellations bidding “good eve” to their mothers and assuring the mortal world that all was well in the universe.
At the end of the story, Sora’s ryuu particles faded away, like a constellation at dawn.
Hana clapped softly. “It’s just like I remember it. Afterwe’d left Kichona, I used to tell the story to myself when I couldn’t sleep, but I never got it right. It’s because the fable was missing you.”
Sora’s eyes prickled with tears, thinking of little Hana, shivering and scared after the Blood Rift, clinging to the one story that had been theirs.
“I’m here now,” Sora said.
Hana nodded. “I know.”
Impulsively, she leaned over and kissed Hana on the tip of her nose like she used to do when they were little.
Hana drew away, face contorted in horror. She quickly looked around, as if worried someone had seen.
“I’m sorry,” Sora said. “I’m not sure what came over me. I just... I’m happy to have you back in my life.”
Hana still looked horrified. But then her expression mellowed into a conflicted mixture of pleasure and disdain, as if her two halves—the little sister half and Virtuoso half—couldn’t decide who was in charge. “I’m... happy to have you back too,” she said. “But don’t kiss me like that again. At least, um, when others can see.”
“Okay, stinkbug.”
Hana laughed despite herself. “Stinkbug. I haven’t heard that nickname in a very long time.”
They lay quietly in the moss for a little while. But the ryuu were going to march to the Imperial City at sunrise, and Sora had to leave tonight to beat them back to the Citadel. If she was going to take Hana with her, she’d have to test the waters now.
The temperature seemed to drop several degrees. Sora shivered. But it was time. “That story made me think about the gods,” she said slowly. “They’re all-powerful.They can make women fall in love with them, give up their children. What’s to stop them from making humans their playthings?”
Hana frowned. “You mean, they’d toy with us like dolls?”
“Something like that.”
“That’s a horrible thought.”
“Why?” Sora asked.
“Because what if I didn’t want to do what the god wanted? If we were toys, he could make us do anything. Kiss someone you find revolting. Smack yourself in the face. Jump off a cliff.”
“You’re right,” Sora said.
“I’d fight back if they did that,” Hana said.
“And if you couldn’t? What if you couldn’t fight back against the gods?”
“Then...” Hana thought about it. “Then I’d rather not live. What would be the point of having a life, if I didn’t have free will? At least a doll doesn’t actually have a mind of its own.”
Sora let it sink in for a moment.
Hana turned to her, the moss pressed like a pillow against her face. “Is something wrong?”
