The Violet Thread (Part One: Portal Rods)

Epilogue

Katia blinked slowly and purposefully as her eyes adjusted to the blue globe light hovering above her. She felt the familiar sensation of healing running through her.

She heard Sawyer's voice before she saw his face.

"She's awake, Vi."

Through a fog she saw Violet's bright green eyes and beaming smile leaning over her. She tried to sit up, but her body felt tense. She felt Sawyer's hands slide underneath her back and help guide her into a seated position. He put pillows behind her to hold her up.

She blinked again and took in the room. Sheer blue and green clothes were draped around her bed.The light colored, wooden floors were thickly lacquered. Braided white ropes hung from a central point at the ceiling and connected to the corners of the floor in large gold rings. Thick blue curtains were drawn at each corner with ropes. There were no walls. The room was open to the magnificent surroundings. They were high in a canopy of trees. She could see a shimmering lake not too far in the distance. The light glinted off it like crystal. Large, billowy clouds hung in a bright blue sky.

She tried to shift in her hips, they were aching and stiff, but they could not move. She could feel them, but had trouble controlling the movement of the bottom half of her body.

"Let me help you, Mama," Sawyer said, taking her side. "What do you need?"

They spent the better part of an hour explaining the events that had unfolded the week before. How her body had been turned to stone, but that the process was well underway to undo the effects of the poison. It would take time, but the healers were optimistic. She would have to stay under the globe for at least a few more days. It was probing her wounds with healing magic. She grew withdrawn when as they explained how Gavin had used her. She tried to remember, but could recall nothing past returning to the cottage. By the time they reached the point in the story where Wyeth had stayed behind, Katia was openly weeping.

"I am so sorry for my part in this. I am so sorry I tore ya three apart," Katia whispered.

"We're not entirely apart," Violet replied, arching her eyebrow and pulling the box from her bag at the foot of the bed. Katia's eyes widened. "I received a note this morning. He sends his love...to both of you," she said, pulling a note from her pocket, unfolding it, and smiling at the scribbled handwriting.

Katia sighed deeply and smiled. Sawyer wiped away her tears when he saw the difficulty she was having in raising her hand to her cheek.

"It is so good to see yer sweet faces," she said, looking deep into their eyes. "But we're missing one. Arach?" Katia asked. "Where is he? How is he adjusting?"

"He is doing well," Violet said. "As excited as I've ever seen him actually."

"He even smiled," Sawyer added with a wink.

"He went with a guide to a drakond lair a few days flight from here. He went to meet his people. He's never seen a drakond outside of his family before and he hasn't seen them in a very long time. He wanted to wait for you to awake, but we didn't know how long that would be. I told him we'd send word."

Katia nodded. "I'm glad for him. He needed to find a little peace. Hopefully, this helps," Katia said, looking out past the room.

Sawyer and Violet followed her eyes to the glimmering building breaking the horizon and towering into the sky. Even from this distance, the Calesty citadel was a magnificent sight. Violet still felt a sense of awe whenever she looked at it, especially since she had returned home.

"There's still a lot to fill me in on, I suppose," Katia said, her eyes searching the world outside.

"There certainly is," Violet replied, looking back to her.