Chapter 17: Home and Not Home

The light between the pillars was no thicker than a hair.

Mai and Hinata stood before it in the cold blue dawn, still in yesterday's clothes, with Odile a pace behind.

"It will carry a voice," Odile said. "Only a voice, and only until the sun clears the roof."

Hinata stepped forward and put her mouth close to the silver thread.

"Father?"

For a long moment there was nothing.

Then the thread brightened, and a man's voice came out of it, thin and crackling.

"Hinata? Hinata, is that you?"

"It's me."

"Oh, thank the kami. Oh, my girl. I've been sleeping on the hill for six nights."

Hinata pressed her fist to her mouth.

"Mai's here," she said. "She's right here."

"Mai." It was a woman's voice now, higher and tight with tears. "Mai, are you eating?"

Mai nearly laughed.

"Mother. I'm fine."

"You always say fine."

"I'm fine, and I'm eating, and Hinata makes me sit down at noon."

"Good. That's good."

There was a rustle, and the sound of someone blowing their nose.

"We're so sorry," Mai's mother said. "We rushed. We shouldn't have rushed, any of it, and now you're both caught in the middle."

"We're not caught," Hinata said.

"Hinata..."

"We're not caught. Father, listen."

Hinata took Mai's hand.

She did it plainly, in front of the High Priestess and the voices, and her fingers were warm and steady.

"We're writing a new book here. Just us. We're going to be married in the Temple."

The thread of light hummed.

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