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She saw that Thiago was dancing with Chiro, and was staring right between Chiro’s sharp jackal ears at her She waited until the revolutions of the dance brought Akiva’s broad back between the I’ile fabric This was chosen for er but his hands reentle at her waist He said, "I can make you a shawl"

She cocked her head "You knit? Well That’s an unusual accomplishment in a soldier"

"I don’t knit," he said, and that’s when Madrigal felt the first feather-soft touch on her shoulder She didn’t mistake it for Akiva’s touch, because his hands were at her waist She looked down and saw that a gray-green hu overhead, drawn to the expansiveness of lantern light that must seem like a universe to theleaainst her skin It was followed shortly by another, this one pale pink, and another, also pink, with orange eyespots on its laceings More floated out of the air, and in a al’s chest and shoulders

"There you are,shawl"

She was aus"

"No It’s a trick, only"

"It’smoths"

"Not useful? You ic she knew through Brimstone had little whis were a dozen twilight colors, and as soft as lao had torn her dress, and Akiva had covered her

"They tickle" She laughed "Oh no Oh"

"What is it?"

"Oh, ues dart froar?"

The tickling o Please"

He tried to A few lifted away and made a circle around her horns, but most stayed where they were "I’m afraid they’re in love," he said, concerned "They don’t want to leave you" He lifted one hand froently brush a pair froainst her jaw Melancholy, he said, "I know just how they feel"

Her heart, like a fist clenching The tih her shoulders were still cloaked in rateful to see that Thiago was turned away Chiro, though, whoht Madrigal back down, and just before her feet touched ground they looked at each other, e went between theic, but ht and swirled away as if carried by a wind She was down again, her feetShe had lost track of the pattern, but she sensed that it was drawing to its conclusion and that, any second, she would coo

Akiva would have to hand her back into the general’s keeping

Her heart and body were in revolt She couldn’t do it Her liht, ready to flee Her heartbeat sped to a fast staccato, and the re shawl burst frons in herself, the readying, the outward cal that filled herto happen

Nitid, she thought, did you know all along?

"Madrigal?" asked Akiva Like the hue in her, her quickened breath, the one taut where his warm hands encircled her waist "What is it?"

"I want…" she said, knohat she wanted, feeling pulled toward it, arching toward it, but hardly knowing how to say it

"What? What do you want?" Akiva asked, gentle but urgent He wanted it, too He inclined his head so that hisa flare of sensation through her

The White Wolf was only wingspans away He would see If she tried to flee, he would follow Akiva would be caught

Madrigal wanted to scream

And then, the fireworks

Later, she would recall what Akiva had said about everything lining up, as if it wereof inevitability and rightness, and the sense that the universe was conspiring in it It would be easy Starting with the fireworks

Light blossoreat and brilliant dahlia, a pinwheel, a star in nova The sound was a cannonade Dru in the air The Emberlin broke apart as dancers shucked al moved She took Akiva’s hand and ducked into the moil of the crowd She kept low and e of bodies, and they followed it, and it carried them away

55

CHILDREN OF REGRET

Once upon a time, before chimaera and seraphim, there was the sun and the ht sister, but it was de behind her bold sister, who stirred his lust He contrived to coled, but he was the sun, and he thought he should have what he wanted Ellai stabbed him and escaped, and the blood of the sun flew like sparks to earth, where it becaotten children of fire And like their father, they believed it their due to want, and take, and have

As for Ellai, she told her sister what had passed, and Nitid wept, and her tears fell to earth and becaain to the sisters, neither would have hih the sun, still bleeding sparks, knew Ellai was not as defenseless as she seeive him but she refused, and to this day he follows the sisters across the sky, wanting and wanting and never having, and that will be his punishoddess of tears and life, hunts and war, and her temples are too many to count It is she who fills woainst the seraphiht is like a small sun; she chases away shadows