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Reaching into the cradle, I touched Milo’s forehead to make sure he was still there Reassured by the rise and fall of his chest, I padded out of the rooht, the ceiling glowed brilliant blue, and the nificent sunset swirled underneath o One minute I stood in the hallway, and the next my feet carried me into the throne roo we’d all had, chances were slim anyone else would be awake, but it orth a shot

In the entranceway, I stopped cold The sky wasn’t blue here; instead the ceiling was dark as night, and the stars twinkled above us The thrones were gone, and in their place a glass coffin rested on a raised platforoith roses in her hair, lay Ava

Without thinking, I crossed the roolass Her lips were the color of cherries, and in the diht, I could almost see her smile

A lu--to apologize, to proain until the universe had no choice but to believe me--but I couldn’t force out the words She couldn’t hear them anyway, and I’d said it all in her last moments She already knew

"She isn’t really there"

I scowled "Leave me alone"

A rustle of fabric, soft footsteps, and Walter stood by ed as he had on the rooftop "It’s a reflection of sorts, but more realistic than a silass and shifted half a step away from him "Where’s her body?"

"Gone," he said "Back into the universe"

"Then why is this--this hologram here?" The empty throne, the empty bedroom, the empty hole in our lives where she’d once been--as if all of that wasn’t enough to reone

Walter inhaled deeply, and as he exhaled, faint thunder ru time, and her life touched oodbyes will have the opportunity to do so"

"Yet you aren’t doing the same for Calliope"

He winced "My wife chose her path She chose to separate herself from the council Ava did not"

"No, she didn’t," I said "You chose it for her You’re the reason she died"

Walter stared into the coffin "I have made many mistakes--"