Shadows grew long, the sun sank lower, though it still lit the ocean shore with bright rays, in which nestled Natall Ganstair’s tiny estate, "The Shark’s Nest," with its gate flung open in welcome. The smuggler grinned under his mustache as he dismounted and led his horse into the yard. He no longer heard or saw anything—he was home. The wind blew, tossing his hair; the grass swayed faintly underfoot, and there was silence, broken only by the unfamiliar whisper of waves. Kairu thought, gazing at the blue ripples, that he would never forget this sight, even if fate did not allow him to return to the sea again.

  "Electra! Guess who’s here!"

  "To this day, I’m amazed he ever allowed himself to marry," muttered Petros. "And honestly, I don’t envy Lady Electra Ganstair. But it seems that’s the fate of this sea wolf—and the heavy anchor that holds him on land longer than anywhere else."

  The door opened. On the threshold stood a woman with light curly hair, dressed in a white shirt with the sleeves rolled to her elbows, canvas sailor’s trousers, and boots with golden buckles. Her brows lifted above her large blue eyes.

  "I didn’t expect you so soon," she remarked in a husky voice. "Natall, as always, you manage to show up precisely on time—when Demetra and I are doing laundry, and Viggo hasn’t even thought about supper…"

  "He’s already thinking!" a shout came from behind her. "Remiz, thunder and lightning! They’re here! Hear that, you black jellyfish? Kairu and Rita are back!"

  And before the laughing Kairu even managed to dismount, he was seized in Viggo’s arms, who had burst out from the porch, nearly knocking Lady Ganstair off her feet. As always, the Kald’s strong arms squeezed him until his ribs cracked, and Viggo would not let him go for a long time, muttering into his thick beard, seemingly unable to believe that Kairu was here—alive. On the porch appeared Yuffilis Lainter and Norton, who also rushed to greet the travelers, and behind them came Demetra with Rodrigo Antan and the unflappable Remiz. Yuf embraced Rita, and as Kairu tore himself free of Viggo’s arms, he glanced sideways at them—but Lainter only patted her on the back, immediately letting go, and met Kairu’s gaze.

  Yuf’s eyes seemed to answer his unspoken thought: "See? I told you it would be better for you two to go together. Everything has fallen into place."

  Kairu embraced his brother and stepped toward Lainter. They didn’t quite dare to hug like old friends, but for some reason, Kairu felt that in this hesitant silence, there was far more warmth than in all their previous conversations.

  "I knew you… you both would make it," Yuf said quietly.

  Kairu gave a faint smile.

  "Where’s Ashley?" he asked instead.

  "It’s hard for her to walk. She barely survived that night at the outpost."

  "Petros owes her explanations, too. I think he’ll have a lot to tell today…"

  "You know him," Lainter smiled. "He never says anything to the end. So if I were you, I wouldn’t count on it. Better relax and rest. Let’s go inside—Electra and Natall will take care of the horses."

  And together they climbed onto the porch, passed the veranda, and entered through the open door into a room with a low log ceiling.

  Everything seemed like a dream—the spring already about to turn into summer, the sea, the thought that wars and journeys were postponed indefinitely, and this little house by the shore with real tables, chairs, and soft beds. Kairu could hardly remember the last time he hadn’t slept on snow, in a cart, on the ground, leaning against a tree trunk deep in the forest, or on a straw mattress in some cheap roadside tavern. For some reason, he recalled the temple of Tornir, filled with eternal calm, and he remembered Konrad. Not the one who lay with lifeless eyes under the cold starry sky in the ruins of Ardrai, but the other, who had first told them about Octarus, sitting in a temple cell. And then he remembered another man, inseparably linked in his mind with something he had long lost—the warmth of a home hearth.

  His father, buried in the ashes of their village…

  His heart clenched again at the thought that they had changed nothing. Even that death, so small on the scale of history, had been predetermined? Was it part of Petros’s plan? Kairu felt nauseous… No, he couldn’t think about that now. Too few happy minutes remained to darken them with thoughts of what might have been, but never came to pass.

  "Has the cargo arrived yet?" Natall asked, bursting into the room behind Electra. His wife turned away, critically surveying the empty table in the center of the living room. Viggo had already disappeared into the kitchen, from which the smell of roasting meat wafted.

  "A week ago," Electra replied after a pause.

  "Then bring it out and get it ready for the table. For dessert. A little reward for the trip to the other end of Derelz."

  "There’s time," Electra answered evenly. "Dinner will be ready in an hour; once you finish the first and second courses, you’ll get dessert. Actually, it would’ve been better to sell it. It would fetch a fine price now… Pity Marco isn’t here. He’d have helped sort out the business faster."

  "And where is he?"

  "He went to Harkon. From what I gather, he already has the money to repair Andromeda… Viggo, I can already smell a fire starting in the kitchen. Let me handle it myself, then the guests won’t have to wait as long for dinner. Ashley! Stop fiddling with the laundry—Demetra can manage! Come here!"

  "I hear you!" came a weak voice from another room. But quite some time passed before Ashley finally appeared on the threshold. Kairu looked at her—and froze, something breaking inside him at once from fear and unbearable sorrow. Memory returned. It struck when he least expected it.

  Ashley stood on crutches, resting only her right foot on the floor. It seemed as if she had aged a good ten years over those months. Kairu remembered how vigorous and energetic the sorceress had been when they had left Onklag the previous summer, and he shuddered at the sight of this pale, helpless old woman who could barely walk. He suddenly thought of Roger, to whom they had promised to return his wife safe and sound, and sorrow pressed even more heavily on his heart.

  "Ashley!" Rita gasped, running up to her. She hugged the sorceress gently, and Ashley staggered. "Aktos! What have they done to you!.."

  "You did well," Ashley smiled. The smile came out weak and pained, no matter how hard the sorceress tried to make it look natural. "You see, I was less fortunate than the others… though luckier than some…"

  "Ashley, I…" Kairu began, but the sorceress interrupted him:

  "I already told you about all this once, when we spent the night in the mountains above Derelzfjord. You mustn’t blame yourself for anything. I’ll repeat it again—you did well. The rest doesn’t matter; you succeeded."

  "Ashley, it does matter to me," Kairu answered quietly. "I’m sorry, I don’t want to talk about it now, and there’s no point in talking at all anymore, but you know…"

  Ashley put a finger to her lips.

  "Later," she said. "Right now you’ll have dinner."

  "If only," Natall grumbled, appearing from the kitchen. "They only just started cooking. We’ll be waiting an hour at least… But I’ve got a better idea—for those who aren’t completely faint with hunger."

  "For example?" Lainter asked with a smile, having already sunk into an armchair in the corner.

  "A swim. The water’s icy, not for land rats, but if you’re not afraid, then, thunder and reefs…"

  "Thunder and reefs, let’s go!" Yuf leapt up and turned; Demetra entered the room and, without saying a word, walked over to him. Rodrigo Antan sighed heavily and also rose, straightening his kimono.

  "Well, then…" Natall smirked, looking them over. "Kairu, Rita, strip off that pile of iron and all the other junk you’re carrying. In my estate, it’s not the custom to clank your weapons around—or wear clothes you probably haven’t washed or changed in months, judging by the smell. We’ll swim in the ocean now, and tomorrow I’ll heat the bathhouse, and you’ll be as good as new. Well? Off with it—follow me."

  Without his chainmail, sword, outer clothing, and Octarus—wrapped in cloth and tucked into the bottom of his pack—wearing only a shirt and trousers, having even kicked off his boots, Kairu stepped barefoot onto the grass by the porch and felt such lightness in his whole body it seemed he was ready to fly. He drew in the salty air again, followed Natall down to the sandy beach below, and set his bare feet onto the damp, cold sand where the waves washed in. At that moment, he didn’t want to think about anything. His clothes flew onto the sand, and he ran into the water in nothing but his underwear, leaping about in the shallows and yelling with the others from the cold, then threw himself forward and swam, stroking wide and inhaling the scent of the sea. Water rushed into his nose, he coughed and spat, flipped onto his back, and floated, gazing at the distant sky, marveling at how the ocean seemed to hold him up on its mighty hands.

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  Here, there was silence, broken only by the splash of waves and the cries of gulls. The sun shone warmly as it sank toward the horizon. Here, one could think about anything, save for the war raging somewhere in the south, save Petros and his plans and ideas, save Saelin and the time machine. And Kairu felt that he wanted to stay here forever.

  …They swam for a long time, splashing each other, diving, and reluctant to leave the water for the shore where the fresh wind made their teeth chatter instantly. Rodrigo Antan stood on the beach, arms crossed in silence, watching only his ward, while Demetra frolicked like the rest, her former shyness and reserve nowhere to be seen. Then, up above, a door slammed, and Electra shouted that dinner was finally ready. The sun was already red, the horizon golden; twilight was approaching. No sooner had Kairu stepped onto the sand than a chill ran through him, and he rubbed himself down frantically with a towel until his skin glowed. He and Yuf rushed through the open doors of the house almost at a run. Natall, following last and chuckling at them, seemed not to feel the cold at all.

  Petros and Ashley were sitting opposite each other in armchairs in the corner. Kairu noticed that their return had interrupted some very important conversation. Electra was setting the table, Remiz, Viggo, and Norton helping her. In the center of the table stood a squat barrel of wine, and even after everyone sat down and eagerly grabbed knives and forks, Natall would not allow anyone to touch the fried potatoes, the fish fresh from the nets into the pan, or the pickles. He pulled the cork from the barrel and poured the dark-red drink into mugs.

  "To the fact that we’re all alive, and finally gathered together," he said solemnly, waiting for silence. He paused for a second, as if about to say something more, then shook his head and raised his hand. Glass clinked, wine splashed, and then slid down parched throats. Kairu took a few sips and set his mug back down, for the last thing he wanted right now was to get drunk.

  "And in memory of those who didn’t make it to the end," Rita said quietly, rising from her seat beside him.

  "And that’s enough," Natall added after everyone drank a second time. "Wine has gotten expensive these days, we need to save it. And don’t gorge yourselves on food either, because for today I’ve prepared a dessert that you’ll enjoy far more than drink."

  Viggo, who doubted that very much, filled his mug again, and Norton supported him, while the rest fell upon the food with gusto. Despite all warnings, Kairu soon finished his portion and looked around the table hungrily. The living room was filling with conversation—Viggo booming as he told Norton and the unflappable Remiz some story, Natall regaling Petros and Ashley with sea tales, Lainter chuckling softly, and Demetra, sitting close to him, smiling. Electra, realizing the guests had reached the right mood, quietly rose and left for the cellar. She returned holding a small wooden chest.

  "Natall!"

  "And then, thunder and reefs, I pulled on the rope, and… What?" the captain glanced over, jumped up, and took the chest from his wife’s hands. "You could have told me, I’d have served dessert properly… Clear the barrel away." He set the chest in the center of the table where space had been cleared, cast a gleaming look around the guests, and proclaimed:

  "Ladies and gentlemen! I swear none of you have ever seen this in your lives. This chest," he patted the lid lovingly, "I bought for a fortune, and the smuggler who sold it brought the contents straight from the Southern Province. From right under the Talaskians’ noses!"

  He tore the lid off the chest and flung it aside, and the guests all at once leapt to their feet and leaned forward to see the thick clusters of tight crimson berries on thin green vines…

  "What is that?" Demetra asked in amazement.

  "I know!" Petros said excitedly. He thrust his hand into the chest, tore off a berry, and popped it into his mouth. "Mmm! Once I visited a distillery in Surrell… They make those excellent drinks from this, the ones sold all over the world that people drink without knowing what the raw material is. This is grapes!"

  "They make wine from this?" Norton asked, astonished. "And you can eat them just like that?"

  "Easily." Petros tore off a handful of berries, threw them into his mouth, and spat the tiny seeds into his palm. Kairu hesitantly reached out, took one bead, and bit into it. The taut skin burst, juice spurted, and sweet pulp filled his mouth… He didn’t even notice how he devoured almost an entire bunch, reaching greedily for the chest again, as did the others, who had first tried the grapes timidly, and then fell upon them like starving wolves.

  Satiation came much faster this time. Soon, Kairu couldn’t even bring himself to reach for the chest, which was barely half-empty. Natall chuckled. As slowly as he was eating, it was clear he had devoured more than one such chest in his time, and grapes to him were nothing out of the ordinary. Rita leaned back against her chair, holding a bunch in her hand, tilting her head and biting the berries one by one, savoring the pleasure.

  "I’ve never tasted anything more delicious in my life," she admitted.

  "Me neither," Kairu agreed lazily. "A pity they didn’t feed us grapes in besieged Mainor or at the druids’ outpost. I could have died with a clear conscience."

  "Don’t say such nonsense." Rita fell silent for a moment, chewing berries, then sighed—obviously, the mention of Mainor had reminded her of something. "Do you remember our Twelfth Regiment? Yuffilis said after the defeat at Boreain, it was disbanded… Dalid is in the Mountain Fortress now, Jeremy and Folle were supposed to be in Asternia…"

  Kairu smirked.

  "When this all began, I never would’ve thought where the story would eventually take me. You see, the volunteer company and the battles for Aktida are behind us—and at that moment, I was sure I would serve in the army until the end of the war. All I thought about then was killing Cassander and avenging my father… If I hadn’t changed my mind after the battle for Mainor—who knows how it all would have ended? And would it have been better, or worse?"

  "Stop torturing yourself with these thoughts." Rita looked at him. He adored that look, slightly mocking yet warm, full of understanding. "We already tried once. And if I learned anything from that attempt, it’s that sometimes the past isn’t worth trying to change. You have to let it go, and make sure you’ve learned its lessons."

  "Even if the end of the world is looming?" Kairu smiled faintly.

  "What’s the end of the world? You’ve seen Elysium. The end of the world is nothing but rebirth. A hundred years from now, none of this will matter anymore. All these wars, deaths, impossible choices—they only matter to us, here and now."

  "So you think it’s for the best that Petros didn’t listen to us, and nothing was changed?"

  "I don’t want to think about that. I want to move forward. I don’t know what you felt when you held the time machine, when the chance to change something yourself was literally in your hands, but, Kairu, I think—it’s time to stop seeing Octarus as nothing but an opportunity to make endless new mistakes. If you keep dwelling on what else you could have fixed, you’ll go mad."

  She’s thinking about Konrad too, Kairu suddenly realized. Yes, their fates were woven into an impossibly tangled knot, and death had already struck it so many times that soon the remaining threads would scatter in every direction. And his father?.. If he hadn’t left the village back then, none of this would have happened. Nubel would hardly have led an expedition without a Seer at his disposal.

  His father would have lived.

  And Kairu would never have met Rita.

  And what then?.. He looked at her, met her gaze, smiled against his will, and knew he agreed with her.

  "Let’s go outside," he said.

  The wind brushed their cheeks, a fiery sunset sank into the ocean, the sun already half submerged in restless waters, and the sky above was violet. Kairu sat on the cliff edge, legs dangling down. Rita slowly approached, sat beside him.

  "You’re thinking of them too," she said softly. "Of those who left and will never return. Like back then, in the Evergreen Gardens… Am I right?"

  The Evergreen Gardens… Aktos, how long ago that was…

  "You’re always right."

  "Perhaps it’s not for nothing you’ve saved me twice."

  "Do you remember what Petros said?" Kairu smiled faintly. "Truth and noble goals are many-sided… you never know what an action will lead to. And I… I couldn’t not save you. In the crypt, it was unconscious. And when we said goodbye in Petista, I didn’t think for a moment we’d meet again…"

  "And life arranged otherwise," she whispered and fell silent.

  Kairu was silent too, staring at the horizon, at the setting sun, at the waves with white crests running toward the beach. He was gathering his thoughts and, for the first time in his life, felt that the thousands of words swirling in his head refused to come together into clear, meaningful phrases. But something had to be said. He felt he was slowly going mad—as he always had over the past year, especially those few days in Ardrai, when she was constantly so close to him…

  "You know," he finally said, "back in Mainor… I think it was the first time in my life I truly felt how alone I was, how different from everyone else, like I didn’t belong in this world. And you were the only one there after it all—you were just as alone as me, maybe worse… but I had no idea then what it all could mean. I only understood later, in Tepei-Kuon, when I carried you out of the Citadel, I realized in one instant, when all I wanted in the world was for you to live…"

  He faltered, breath catching, feeling everything was about to collapse. But Rita didn’t let the silence fall. Words spilled out, too many of them.

  "I know," she said. "Kairu… I heard someone calling me then, at the moment you used the Rune, and from the heat I woke for just an instant—and I remembered that instant forever. I realized something too, something I’d probably known since Petista…"

  "Rita, I love you," Kairu said. Almost shouted. Almost whispered. Though he had known, the moment before, when he seized her hands, that all these preludes were useless, that it was already impossible to stop. It simply had to be this way, and it would have been stranger if it hadn’t. And when they kissed, breathless, desperate to be as close to each other as possible, Kairu thought of nothing but one thing: he would not let her go. Never again. Too hot were her breath urgent against him and her body in his arms, too sweet was the taste of grapes on her lips.

  ***

  The sun had sunk below the horizon, and where dark cumulus clouds did not drift toward the east and the night, tiny northern stars glittered like shards of crystal. Waves whispered softly as they rolled onto the sand. The gulls had fallen silent. Coolness settled along the shore, and in the house above the cliff, the windows went dark.

  In the room with windows opening directly onto the ocean, Petros and Ashley sat by the sill. Darkness hid their wrinkles, and the shadow of endless sorrow that years had imprinted forever on their faces. And now, when only silhouettes, smiles, and the gleam of eyes were visible, it seemed to them as though the years had turned backward, and they were twenty or thirty again.

  Out at sea, so far from the coast that neither cliff nor window could spot it with the naked eye, a boat rocked, its old oars creaking in their locks. And in the boat, forgetting everything, reliving that moment when many years ago they first fell in love, Natall and Electra Ganstair embraced.

  Along the beach, barefoot, ankle-deep in water, letting the cold, gentle waves wash over their feet, walked hand in hand Demetra and Yuffilis Lainter. Perhaps they were silent, because everything had already been said on one of those nights before—or perhaps they whispered something meant only for them. No one but them and the wind could have said for sure. And they weren’t in any hurry to share, though, truth be told, it didn’t matter to them at all… And it seemed to them that they were alone in this universe, and that the universe existed only for them. They didn’t yet know it, but nothing would disturb this night. And Rodrigo Antan, having climbed up to the shrubs above the cliff, far enough not to hear a word, yet close enough to see them, stood there in silence, guarding their peace.