Hearts in Zenith (Four Husbands and a Lover)

77. Lose a Pearl, See a Divine (2 of 2)

I stirred, then froze again, afraid to breathe, lest I ruin the unfolding miracle.

Parneres lifted our daughter into his arms. Where Xenophonta was a mirror of the Divine glory; where my lack of devotion and sinful past restricted me, Parneres busked in renewed hope. My dream had a different way of becoming.

"G-go," I said. "Go."

He straightened until his back was like an arrow, despite carrying Basilissa in his arms. He walked toward Gala's light. The soles of his feet barely touched the floor. In this one moment I perceived the burden that he must have borne. All my regrets added together were a fraction of his. Mine brought me to my knees, wouldn't let me rise... while he walked.

"Tell Them..." I wheezed before my throat collapsed.

His head turned slowly to give me a blast of warmth out of his eyes. "I know, Ismar."

He did, even though he had never asked me about what I had planned.

Parneres made a few more steps to disappear behind the beautiful, terrifying manifestation of the Divine. He always disappeared from me.

I crawled to the exit of the temple, cursing myself for not bringing a flask of water. My mouth felt drier than week-old bread. I stretched on the stone floor, on my stomach, turned my head to the side and stayed down, struggling for every breath.

Moments passed. The uneven pounding of my heart was the only sound. Blood coated my tongue from all the biting I did. The golden glow of the portal didn't diminish.

I waited. And waited. And waited...

Basilissa burst out of the glow.

I cried out.

I had never seen her run before. An unreal sense of elation lifted me to my feet. Thankfully, strength returned to my limbs, so I swayed but stood. I caught my daughter in my trembling arms, studying the face. It was no longer translucent. The fragility of her expression gave way to a vibrant smile. She looked nothing like Marezhka, but she had the same cocky, triumphant, irrepressible grin... Mine?

After I kissed Basilissa enough time, I returned to my senses. "Where... where is your father?"

The little weasel twisted out of my arms. And ran back to the extinguishing glow. The Divine's figure melted away revealing Parenres.

He was left standing in the middle of the temple, staring at me with an intractable, amused expression I had remembered so well, yet hadn't seen in years.

Xenophonta packed away the cup. "Well... well, that's something I must record for the Halls. I'm certain it's a singular occurrence..." she stammered. What a day! Basilissa ran and Xenophonta was lost for words.

"Please record it," I said softly, finding Parneres' hand. He squeezed it. This one gesture had more vigor, more hope, more everything than our marriage until this point.

I gasped, but Basilissa left us no choice. She ran and all three of us had to chase after her. It was as if the girl intended to catch up on all the years of running she had missed. She took off swiftly down the trail on unwavering legs. This wasn't just healing. This was a transformation.

Laughter and tears came upon me at the same time. I flew down the path, letting my feet pick their landings between stones and slippery slides in the mud, never letting go off of Parneres's hand. I didn't care if I fell down and covered myself in mud like a dimwit.

Once tears stopped veiling my sight, I saw why Basilissa was running so fast. Kozima waited for us by the bridge over the Enzara River. His lanky figure was turned sideways, unsure if he had come to the right place at the right time.