"He had already disobeyed a direct order to return, insisting instead that he wanted to swear his loyalty to a different queen. For most falcons, that would have been enough to merit death. No one would dare execute Araceli's only child, even for treason, but then he stole a crow's form," she explained. "It is one thing for a guard to acquire another form in the service of her Empress, as sometimes happens, but quite another to sully the royal house. It took them years to come searching for him because it took Araceli that long to convince the Empress that he should still be considered a falcon, and not put to death as a mongrel."

"I knew I could not go home," Rei continued, "and I was terrified that you would force me away if I told you what had happened." Finally he raised his eyes to Danica, his expression pleading. "I swore my life and my loyalty to you, to protect you no matter the cost, no matter the situation. I stayed as Andreios first because I was frightened not to be him, but later because he gave me an identity. I could not save him, but he could save me."

Danica brushed her fingertips across his cheek. "You are Rei. To me, you will always be Rei." She shook her head. "I understand. I forgive you."

"Thank you, Dani."

Danica smiled at the nickname, but then the expression faded as I asked, "What now?" Defiantly, Kel asserted, "They hold no claim to either of us now. Our magic is bound. Our falcon forms are bound. I have my sparrow and Rei has his crow, and we have the forms you see now, but that is all."

"Just mortals now," Rei whispered. He watched Kel as he explained, "The Empress had her Mercy take from Kel what she had learned that threatened the island." Kel briefly touched a mark on her left wrist, which I had not noticed since she had returned to her true form. I did not recognize the symbol. "The Mercy works in pairs; if one strays, her partner reprimands her. The Empress broke the bond, and she took the memories..." She paused, then finished, "to protect Ahnmik, and to protect... I don't know." She dropped her head, leaning it on her hands for a moment. "I don't know. 'Just mortals now.' "

Rei stood and wrapped his arms around her. "Thank the sky, just mortals now." Kel laughed a little, but it was bitter laughter. I suspected the memories behind it would only give me reason to shudder in the dark as I imagined what these two loyal souls had endured, together.

"A finer mortal I've never known," she replied. She turned to Danica and asked with a rhetorical, detached air, "I suppose my stint as leader of the Royal Flight was very shortlived?" Rei shook his head. "Take the position."

"Either way, I won't have it long," Kel replied. "I'd like to ask milady's permission to court an alistair."

Danica raised one brow, and I could not help smiling at Rei's shocked expression.

"That's not exactly the way it's usually done," Danica answered, though her tone was light enough to say she would not deny the request.

"Commonly, I believe an alistair courts a lady, but I'm tired of waiting for him to pick up on my hints," Kel said.

Rei still looked a little scandalized.

"Of course, Kel," Danica answered, squeezing my hand. "Though the Royal Flight will miss you and your alistair."

Kel immediately turned to Rei, teasing, "I believe I can only have a falcon for my alistair, and since you're the only falcon present  -  "

"No," Rei interrupted, shaking his head. "This isn't right at all. An alistair is sworn to defend his pair bond, to protect her with his life."

Are you willing to swear upon your own spirit and the sky above that you will protect Danica Shardae from all harm?

I recalled vividly the day Andreios had asked me that, in front of the avian court, as the first of the vows sworn by an alistair. Without hesitation I answered that question again in my mind: I swear it. I wondered now only why Rei would not, when it was obvious that these two souls were perfect for each other.

"Is that a problem?" Kel asked, her voice suddenly sounding a little more fragile than before.

"It is when you came after me. So long as we're altering tradition, I do believe I should be asking you, Kel, to be my alistair."

Kel paused for a moment. "Faultless logic. With milady and my lord's permission," she said, glancing at Danica and me to receive our nods of encouragement, "I accept." Kel leaned over to kiss her pair bond. I spun Danica to her feet, leading her in a few steps of the Namir-da before simply holding her close. Someone behind us in the nest cheered, and others picked up the cry  -  avian, serpiente, falcon, scaled or feathered, for tonight the differences didn't matter.

In the temple of Anhamirak, the steps were different each day and each eve, but each dance was still one. They danced the only dance, the one Anhamirak weaves. Hope, trust, love, life Sha Ahnleh: They danced with Fate.