beginning of Light? What is Light but the end of Fear? And what am I, but Light given form? What am I, but the beginning of Eternity?”
With West’s arm around her, Iolanthe wept.
Escorted by Dalbert, West returned to England the next morning. The Kashkari brothers took their leave of Iolanthe in the afternoon. They’d been moving about openly in Delamer, under the guise of rebels freshly arrived to discuss the situation with the Master of the Domain. But now it was time for them to head back.
She embraced both the brothers. “Look after yourselves.”
“You too, Fairfax,” said Kashkari. “And before we go, this is for you.”
She accepted the handsome mahogany box. “For me?”
Kashkari nodded. For the first time in a very long time, there seemed to be a hint of mirth in his eyes.
She opened the box and burst out laughing. At the end of Summer Half, to thank Kashkari for the help he had given the prince and herself on the night of the Fourth of June, they had bought him a very fine monogrammed shaving set.
And now Kashkari had returned the favor and Iolanthe held in her hands a monogrammed shaving set with ivory handles and gold accents that would have made Archer Fairfax levitate with manly pride.
They were still laughing as they embraced each other again.
After the brothers were gone, Iolanthe looked at the shaving set for a long time, lifting each individual item and feeling its weight and shape, rubbing her fingers against the embossed initials on the top of the shaving brush.
And wished fiercely for the well-being and happiness of these remarkable young men.
When Titus returned to the villa that night, Fairfax was stretched out on a long sofa in the solarium, her eyes closed. As he approached her, he saw his mother’s diary lying open on a side table, an entry plainly visible.
His chest tightened. What did he need to know now?
On top of the diary entry was a note from Fairfax. Found this. Thought you would like to see it. For once, it’s good news.
26 April, YD 1021
The day his mother died.
For years I have prayed for a vision that I actually want to see. It happened today, a brief, intense minute. In that vision, I saw my son embraced by his father, both moved beyond words.
My face is wet with tears. I have no time to write down greater details, for Father has already arrived in the castle, and the appointed hour of my death is only minutes away.
At least now I can tell my son, not all will be lost.
Not all will be lost.
He read the entry a few more times, wiping away the tears at the corners of his eyes. After he closed the diary, he saw that he had read only half of Fairfax’s note. The other half said, I am in the Queen of Seasons’ summer villa.
The season inside the Crucible reflected that outside, except when the story itself overrode external weather conditions. At the Queen of Seasons’ summer villa, it was always summer, always airy and lovely.
Lanterns hung from the trees. Fireflies twinkled among leafy branches. She sat on the stone balustrade overlooking the lake, gazing up at the stars. He climbed onto the balustrade and sat down next to her. She placed her arm around him and kissed him on his temple. “Happy?”
“Yes.”
Her hand grazed his arm. “I’m about to make you happier yet.”
His pulse accelerated. “I do not see how that is possible.”
She placed something in his palm, something light and incredibly soft. A rose petal. “Look around.”
He must have been blind—or only had eyes for her. Now he noticed that there were rose petals everywhere, along the path, on the smoothly clipped lawn, to either side of them on the balustrade, and even floating on the lake below.
He laughed. “When you change your mind, you change it hard.”
“Wait until you see the tonnage of petals inside. You’ll be filled with awe.”
He leaped off the balustrade and set her on the ground too. “Awe is my default position when it comes to you, lightning-wielder. Now let us see if I am man enough to stay put when faced with an avalanche of rose petals.”
She laughed too. Hand in hand they walked into the villa, kissing as they closed the door.
EPILOGUE
THE SCENT OF BUTTER AND vanilla enveloped Iolanthe the moment she entered Mrs. Hinderstone’s sweets shop. The bright, trim establishment was one of Iolanthe’s favorite places in Delamer. It served intriguing ices in summer, a very