Page 242 of Interion

I stepped down from where I stood as Hiro, who was ahead of me, took his first steps holding his grandmother’s delicate hands. I threw myself into Serguei’s arms. I didn’t know whether to laugh or cry. I breathed in his scent—like the rain that fills the air before a storm. When I pulled away, he touched my forehead and ran his fingers down to the tip of my nose. It was a ritual blessing.

“I give you my blessing, Kyller. You have my blessing tonight and forever.” Serguei kissed my forehead, and when he pulled away, his eyes were shining. “Go up there and show the world you're unshakeable. Offer the Gods the light of your heart. I'll be right there in front, watching you.”

I kissed his forehead too, wanting to say something as beautiful as what he'd said to me. I felt the urge to tell him that my heart held only good feelings for him, that he had become part of my happiness, but I didn't know enough about feelings to classify them or put them into words, and even if I could, I couldn't find my voice.

“I know, girl, I know,” he whispered in my mind, putting the matter to rest. I returned to the line, watching Serguei walk away toward a better vantage point. Zion watched me quietly, rubbing my back while wiping away the tears that covered my face. Hiro descended from the blood circle, and the violin resumed its sentimental song.

“Ready?” he asked, squeezing my hands between his. They were strong, steady, and sure.

“No.” I squeezed his hand back. “But I'll survive.”

We took the first step onto the walkway. As we walked, I felt Zion's shadows settling into my hair and trailing down my back. The murmuring faded, and instead of applause and whistles, only silence greeted us. I kept my gaze forward, refusing to look around. I focused on the sensation of Zion's hands intertwined with mine, on the warmth of his body soothing my cold, on the shadows clinging around me as if to shield me from malicious stares. I felt the silent judgment of everyone around and ignored it. Instead, I looked at the man beside me, and he gazed back with nothing less than pure adoration. Zion walked confidently, upright and proud like a prince, guiding me down the silent walkway. The violin music was sweet and piercing, cradling my emotions in a safe, pleasant place.

When I reached the blood circle, I heard a single clap—loud and out of place among the crowd. I looked toward the sound and found Serguei applauding as if it were the most important thing in his life. I smiled at him. Soon, four more pairs of hands joined in. I knew three belonged to Breno, Hiro, and Aish, but I couldn't identify the last. Serguei raised his wine glass to me, high and proud. The king of shadows. Then I remembered the pretend king, and when I looked at him, he remained seated, his glass resting on the arm of his throne. He frowned in my direction, his face strained with discomfort. Only then did I notice something scratching at my mental barrier. It was weak, like a cat's claws scratching at a door—nothing compared to Serguei's power. I couldn't contain the smile that spread across my lips as Elitium realized I knew what he was doing. His expression turned angry as he withdrew his claws from my mind and leaned back on the throne, pretending nothing had happened. I kept smiling, pleased with my little victory. The only things that mattered to me in that moment were Zion and Serguei. I had a family and true friends. I was complete—only that mattered.

We stopped in front of the white bowl and bowed five times—one for each God. I asked Nuadros for power, Seijhe for intelligence and wisdom, Amarwen for the ability to love and be loved, Anabel for spiritual protection, and finally, Calistra for strength and determination. May the Goddess of War help me overcome every obstacle with determination and without faltering.

I straightened up as Zion handed me a dagger with a red handle. I pressed the tip into my palm and twisted the blade, letting drops of blood fall. The shadows leaped onto my shoulders, racing down my arm and drinking away the pain. When it was over, they wove themselves into my hair, and Zion smiled at me as he guided me to the side staircase. He looked like the proudest man in the world.

Δ

Zion left the shadows to keep me company while he escorted the king, Serguei, and the entire royal circle away. The psychic had drunk heavily, claiming this was his first day off in decades and he intended to enjoy every last second. Now he was stumbling as Zion led him out.

I leaned against a tree near the lake, its low branches hung with lanterns that cast a warm glow around me. Alone, I let my heart settle back to its normal rhythm. The shadows danced happily through my hair and tickled my neck, as if trying to calm me. For a while, I reflected on everything Serguei had told me about my mother and about Zion.

That kind of conversation left a heavy feeling, making me question what I could do for Serguei. That night I had felt his loneliness and remembered a slave abandoned to her fate in a cellar. The feeling was somehow the same: the weight of abandonment, of surviving when everyone we loved was gone, and even while shattered, continuing to move forward against all odds. I wiped away a tear that escaped, and in that moment, I promised myself I would never let him feel so lonely again.

I kept making plans for the future—how I would persuade him to come to events with me and Zion after the physical test. But I didn't get far in my scheming, because in less than twenty minutes I felt the shadows' vibrant presence being pulled to a point behind me, and then Zion appeared at my side.

“Why are you here alone? Weren't we going to dance the presentation waltz?” He took my hands in his.

“I think my socializing quota is used up for tonight,” I grumbled, burying my face in his chest. He hugged me, wrapping me completely in his arms.

“All right, but at least let's stay to see the aurora borealis arrive. I want you to watch it with me.”

“Yes, I'm looking forward to it.”

He transported us to the edge of the lake, and soon the first chime of the bell announced that the Lúmiran was seconds away. Some children ran past us with glass cups in their hands, searching for puddles near the lake.

“Does this tradition still exist?” I asked, watching the little ones’ excitement and curiosity.

“Yes, and it always will, as long as the yonsais make their passage.”

Yonsais, or water spirits, were magical beings that migrated through Jupiter’s waters. During Lúmiran, they emerged right in the center of Canoa Lake and followed their course along the Emir River, passing through all of Jupiter and returning the following winter. Legend had it that some less fortunate yonsais lost their way at birth and ended up stranded in puddles or any nearby body of water. If someone managed to bring them to the lake before they died, that person could make a wish to the spirits, and at some point in their life, it would come true. But it was just a legend, and children loved searching for them most of all.

“If you found a yonsai, what would you wish for?” I asked curiously.

“I already have everything I need right here,” he said, his gaze sweeping over me. The bell tolled a second time; on the third, Lúmiran would begin. “What would you wish for?”

“I don’t know,” I replied thoughtfully, then smiled at him. “Maybe a kiss from you?”

He flashed me a crooked smile. On the other side of the lake, a bell tolled a third time, its chime filling the air around us. I looked up in time to see a flash of blue-green light cutting across the sky—just a streak at first, then it began to spread and take shape. Soon the entire sky bloomed in shades of green, blue, and pink. I watched in wonder, holding his warm hands. It was beautiful, even more stunning than what I could see from home.

I stared at Zion, and he looked back at me—intense, warm, and tender.

That was when I saw a snowflake land on his nose, and soon they began falling from the sky all around us. He pulled me to his chest, pressing our bodies together.

“There’s a legend about the snow,” Zion said, wrapping his arms around my waist, a smile on his face. I wanted to freeze time right there. “It says that when you watch the first snow of winter fall with someone, that’s usually the person you’ll spend the rest of your life with.”