Page 190 of Salt in the Seas
Orra and Cyrus exchanged a look.
“What does that have to do with Emeris?” Cyrus asked.
“I thought she might have an idea for a wedding gift.” He shrugged. “Enla is sending money on behalf of the family, but Thallahan gave up his eye along with their original wedding date for me. I feel like I should have something… more.”
Orra snorted. “I suspect Fay will be happy as long as you don’t take him on any more of your adventures.”
Gaeren grimaced. “Maybe. She also said she expected a princely gift.”
“Give him the thing you would most want,” Orra said, shifting to rise.
Gaeren stepped closer and held out a hand to pull her to a standing position.
“I heard about the deliberation yesterday.” Orra studied Gaeren’sreaction. “I’m sorry it was a difficult meeting. Hopefully your father will see reason before you meet again tomorrow.”
“Yeah, thanks. It could get messy.” He winced. “But first I have to get through this wedding.” He shoved his hands in his pockets.
A shudder ran through Orra as his fingertips likely brushed the golden arrow within. He still carried it and guarded it well, just like Velden held on to the silver fish. They were halfway there.
“You sense me touching it, don’t you?” He bent down to look her in the eyes. “Do you still sense Mayvus using the onyx stone to build her army?”
Orra shook her head. “I sense very little these days. I fear it will impair our ability to find them all.”
“What happens when you find them all and reunite them? Will the barriers finally be broken down? Or will you destroy the only way for everyone to cross them?”
“Neither,” she whispered, and Gaeren frowned.
“Then what will happen? What am I helping you do?”
The braid on her wrist hummed in anticipation as Gaeren tightened his grip on the golden arrow.
“I’m not even sure I know exactly what will happen,” Orra admitted. “I know it will bring back Bryton. I know the Sun prophesied it would happen, and that’s enough.”
“Who’s Bryton again?” Gaeren asked.
“A Star,” Cyrus murmured. “That’s one of the other things Lady Merinnia showed me.”
Orra stiffened in surprise.
“Before the bundle of light could take human form,” he said, “it was divided into four parts, one for each corner of the earth. A way to reach the people torn apart.”
It had been a long time since Orra had cried in front of people, but the tightening of her throat risked exposing the way her past haunted her.
“Are you saying…” Gaeren’s gaze volleyed between Orra and Cyrus. “Are the starbridges pieces of…a Star?”
She blinked the tears back as best she could as she nodded.
Gaeren’s gaze swung to the braid on her wrist. “Your other half.”
Her lips trembled as she smiled, and one of the tears fell. “It’s the only way for me to right my wrongs.”
Unwilling to let them see more of her pain, she swept past Gaeren and out the door, ignoring the soldiers as they trailed her back to her room.
CHAPTER 73
Aeliana satat the dressing table in her room, still surprised that Kendalyhn was fussing over her hair with the same focus she used when sifting souls. Even Iris had perked up a bit to get Aeliana ready for Thallahan and Fay’s wedding while Enla serenely watched on from her place at Aeliana’s tea table.
“I thought Vendarans preferred trousers,” Aeliana said, picking at some lint on the silk gown Enla had lent her.
