Page 127 of Midnightsong
“I will alert the President of our decisions here today, and request he withdraw our troops from the coastlines.” Admiral Zhang added.
Kaden’s heartbeat settled. Their battles were over. Done. Still, guilt ate at him for what he had ordered for Saeryn and Celia, even if his mind insisted this was the right decision, the only way to bring peace back to the queendom. “It’s settled then. Angie, if you will stay with me? I will have sentinels escort the rest of you to the surface. And Aunt Cassia, Calora, how will you get back?”
“We’ll take them back and release them to the seas, after the queen makes her public declarations,” Admiral Zhang replied.
Cassia didn’t dispute them. Kaden motioned to Celia, still in Angie’s arms. “Would you like us to bury her?”
Angie shook her head. “I’m going to have them take her back. I’ll ask her friends and family how they want to remember her.”
“I’ll take her to the hospital and will have her family contacted,” Governor Taylor replied.
Angie swam up to Kaden, and they watched as the mer, and humans dispersed from the throne room.
Once the two of them were alone, Angie let her head fall against Kaden’s chest. His stomach was a boulder, but he wrapped his arms around her and dropped a kiss to her forehead. Neither of them needed to say a word, but he was content for this moment of quietude so he could hold her close, after much too long.
Fifty-Four
Angie
Three days came and went afterthe humans and mer declared their truce in the Northern Queendom’s palace.
Angie stood at the docks with a small group of Celia’s friends, colleagues, and family for her scattering ceremony. Mia, Bàba, Stefan and Ken stood beside her as they awaited Celia’s aunt to bring her ashes. The clouds blanketed the skies, releasing snow that sat on the gangway and melted into the churning seas, the picture of an arctic paradise. Snow flurries danced and whirled around them like ribbons that appeared and disappeared as Celia’s aunt arrived. She reverently carried her niece’s urn in mitten-clad hands, her eyes puffy and red.
Angie followed the group to surround Celia’s aunt as she walked to the edge of the gangway and turned around to face the attendees.
“My dear Celia. I hope you find peace in the afterlife with your mother. I miss you both so very much.” She wiped a stream of tears away, and hot tears prickled behind Angie’s eyelids. Beside her, Mia was sniffling, and scattered sobs came from behind Angie. “Before I return you to the sea, this poem will forever remind me of you, called Alone I Will Not Be.” She cleared her throat.
“My comfort will come from the sea.
The stillness of calm waves will gently drift by.
I will be as one with the sea.
When the sun sets on the ocean blue, remember me as I will always remember you.
As the sun rises...go live life as full as can be.
Apart...you and me...but at peace for I am free.”
A hush fell over the crowd as her aunt opened the urn, and Angie stepped away to allow Celia’s friends and families through, to take turns scattering her ashes into the calm waves.
Be at peace, Celia.
Angie spoke the wish in her mind. She tucked her hands into her puffer jacket’s pockets as she turned to leave.
Fifty-Five
Kaden
Kaden left the palace and movedthrough a grand school of yu, denizens of the now partly decimated coral trees at the courtyard’s center. The little critters separated, giving him space to pass through. A strong pump of his tail sent him upward, over the entrance and into the hollowed-out obelisks at the top.
Rebuilding of the palace had begun, but it would take some tidesweeks or tidesmonths before they would fully restore it, the barrier, and the destroyed courtyard and villages.
A smattering of bones lay beneath his tailfins, the corpses picked clean and other bones swept away with the currents. The humans and merfolk who could be recovered were set to be buried in the cemeteries.
The sight of the beautiful, shattered queendom tugged at his heartstrings. His next stop was to visit Cyrus.
On the way, he stopped to grab a bag full of food in the palace’s staff quarters and feed the yu at the sanctuaries. Instinctively, he looked around for dujiaojings, but there were none. He scattered them about and left the rest of the food on the ocean floor, watching the animals congregate on it and snap at each other for first dibs. Two longxia ambled by, their hard carapaces brushing the tips of his dorsal fin as they passed him.
