Yarrow climbed down from the ship as soon as it docked, eager to be on solid ground again. Ellora and Redge Lolling stepped forward to shake his hand. “Welcome back,” Redge said.
He had been cousin to Bray’s mother, so they shared a resemblance. Their hair was the same shade of coppery red. Ellora, as sister to Quade Asher, also had a recognizable look. Yarrow experienced, again, a sense of cognitive dissonance to see a face so similar to Quade’s, but to find it kind and unassuming.
Tenny and Bray hugged, and all around they swapped greetings. Redge told them where to store their supplies. In addition to their own meager possessions, they traveled with stacks of mats and wasters for their training lessons.
They ambled along the dock, towards the network of bungalows that made up the Lolling’s art school. The sea was a clear turquoise, almost too perfect to be real.
Redge produced a newspaper and unfurled it for Bray. “Have you seen this?”
Bray took the headline and stared at it for a moment, her brows raising. “Good for her,” she said, handing the paper to Yarrow.
He read the headline aloud, mostly for Ko-Jin’s benefit. “‘Queen Chae-Na Bellra to officially step down. First election to be held next fall.’”
Ko-Jin whipped the paper from his hand, his eyes scanning the story with interest. At the end, he merely shrugged. “Well, no one can say she hasn’t done enough. She’s earned her early retirement.”
“Does it say anything about Arlow?” Yarrow asked.
“‘Mae Bearnall has expressed no intention of abdicating in the near future,’” Ko-Jin read, then chuckled. “Would probably break his heart to give up his crown.” He returned the paper to Redge, who had listened to this exchange with a bemused expression. “Thank you. Where should I put this?” Ko-Jin asked, indicating the bag slung across his shoulders.
“This way,” Ellora said.
She showed them to their rooms, but quickly excused herself to teach a class. Darl ran off with the other children, his face alight with joy at being amongst boys nearer his own age.
“Be careful,” Bray called after his fleeing back. “Don’t jump off anything or wander too far. There are tigers in these jungles.”
He wheeled around at that, shaking his head. “That’s a fib, Ma.”
“No, it isn’t. You ask your Uncle Peer. He nearly got eaten here once.”
Darl looked concerned by this for about three seconds, then shouted, “I’ll be fine,” and continued sprinting along the docks.
Ko-Jin cleared his throat. “Naeve and I are going to the hot springs. I recommend you don’t join us.”
He winked and hustled after his bevolder, who was already running towards the tree line. For a man with a deformed foot, he moved with impressive speed.
“Huh,” Bray said. “I thought it would take a little more maneuvering to get you alone.”
Yarrow smiled and took her hand. “Let’s walk along the beach.”
“Walk?” she mimicked, her tone a complaint. “Might want to skip to the good part. No saying how much time we’ve got.”
“We’ve got forever.”
“Yes, not nearly long enough,” she said, but she followed him towards the shore. They took off their shoes and rolled up their trousers.
The sand was white and powder-soft beneath their feet. Bray laced her fingers through his, and they waded out into the sea. The water was so clear he could see all the pearlescent shells on the ocean floor.
Yarrow felt Bray unwind as they stood there, the waves lapping around their legs. Something about this place spoke to her, allowing her to let go. He was glad they had come.
They were, all of them, still struggling.
Bray had nightmares. Ko-Jin sometimes looked so haunted by the past that he might lose himself to the voices in his head. And Yarrow carried on his shoulders, always, the weight of his decisions.
“I love you, you know,” Yarrow said, off-handedly.
“I know,” Bray said.
They survived because they had each other. When any one of them toed an edge, the others pulled them back to safe ground. They countered lingering guilt by living with passion and purpose.
They collected moments like these—simple, beautiful bits of life—stringing them together like pearls on a thread.
And, more often than not, they were content.
Not ready to say goodbye?
If you haven’t read them yet, there are still the side novellas: A Ko-Jin Story, A Bray Story, The Collection.
You can get the Ko-Jin Story free by joining my fan list. Click here to learn more.
Afterword
Whew. We did it, guys. We got to the end. Writing this series was quite the journey for me, and I hope that you found it a satisfying read. Thanks for taking a chance on me and my characters.
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Acknowledgments
Writing may sound like an independent venture, accomplished solo and in isolation, but for me it never is. I would get nowhere without my team.
Thanks again and always to Dan and Dad, who read my work early and often, and help me cross the finish line in so many ways. And to Ally, my editor, who fearlessly forges into the em-dash riddled forest of my mind, catching my many mistakes.
To the many people who’ve beta-read for me over the years—Kelly, Cheer, Troy, Lisa, and Greg—thanks once again.
About the Author
March McCarron is the author of The Marked Series. She writes character driven fantasy and science fiction stories. She grew up outside of Philadelphia, but has relocated several times, including a three year stint as an English teacher in South Korea. In addition to writing, March is an avid traveler, a student of Brazilian Jiu Jitsu, and a sore loser at Scrabble. She believes strongly in the continued value of the Oxford comma. Her other interests include photography, talking about herself in the third person, and coffee as black as her villain’s soul.
Get in touch:
www.marchmccarron.com
[email protected]
The Complete Marked Series Box Set Page 150
