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“This way, please,” Saeaera said as soon as they arrived in Waldhafen. “We have prepared a stasis bud in a currently unused chamber.” She smiled at Kaliss. “I hope this works for you.”

“Thank you,” Kaliss said.

Saeaera led them down a flight of stairs into a chamber formed beneath one of the great trees of the city. The roots formed thick walls dimly lit by patches of moss. Where each root joined the mossy floor, there was large bud, but only one of them was currently open. Kaliss immediately ran over to it and started to step on to the pad. Savira tried to follow her but Darlryan jerked the chain, pulling her up short.

She turned and looked him. “Please let me talk to Kal,” she said. “I won’t try to escape or attack anyone, I swear.”

Darlryan looked at Sonia and Matthias questioningly.

“Let her,” Sonia said. “We can easily stop her if she tries anything and I think they need a moment.”

“Thank you!” Savira ran over to Kaliss and took her hands. For a long moment she said nothing, then she ducked her head and shuffled nervously. “I-I hope you’ll hate me less if this works.”

“What?” Kaliss stared at her for a long moment. “Oh, Sav, I don’t hate you.”

“But you left me.” Savira sounded completely lost. “I don’t understand.”

“I left because I couldn’t stomach what you were doing to those poor people!” Kaliss said. “I hoped my leaving would shock some sense into you. But I never hated you; I couldn’t hate you. I understood all too well.” She disentangled her hands from Savira’s and touched her cheek. “I really hope this works because then you’ll understand, I think.”

“I hope so too,” Savira said. She pulled Kaliss into a hug. “I’ll see you soon and we’ll talk then.”

“About sixteen years, you mean,” Faith said dryly.

“That’s soon when you’re my age, mother-to-be,” Savira said.

Faith stared at her then chuckled. “Yes, I suppose it would.”

“Will it be safe for me to see her while she’s in transition?” Kaliss said. “I know you generally try and avoid clues to your lives.”

“Oh, that doesn’t include our heart friends, Lady Kaliss,” Estara said. “As long as her family are fine with it and you can avoid telling her anything about who she is, it’ll be fine.”

“I can do that.” Kaliss turned to Faith. “Would you let me stay with you once Savira hatches? I think it would be good for her.”

Faith smiled at her. “I think it would too, and for you. We’ll need to work out how to disguise you as human but we’ll be happy to have you.”

“Thank you.” Kaliss hugged Savira again and stepped on to the pad of the stasis bud, which closed around her before filling with a clear fluid.

Saeara checked the bud nodded. “Okay, she’s successfully in stasis. You’ll let us know when she can come out?”

“We will,” Sonia said. “May I ask how Elidyr is?”

Saeaera shuddered. “He’s still in stasis and will be for several weeks at least. We’ve dealt with much of the worst damage but we still need to deal with the severe rust. I would love to have a long word with the red one over this. It… I… how could he do that to his own heart friend?”

“But he’ll be okay?” Sonia asked.

“He will,” she replied. “But it will take a while.”

“Thank goodness.” Sonia turned to Savira. “Okay, let’s get back to Earth and put you in transition.”

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