Aria headed to the little lounge that housed Pan.

Ever since they met up with the good ship Spiti, Pan was not allowed to have a private room. The captain of the Spiti didn’t want Pan in her own cozy room for fear she would do something untoward. He didn’t want Pan on the Spiti. He left her on the Ischyros, but he wanted Pan to be watched by camera. Alban won the fight against the brig. The two men settled on an Ischyros lounge.

A man fell into step beside Aria.

She glanced over and saw an aura of yellow and purple. She double took. “Gavain?”

“Hi.”

She couldn’t help but smile. “I’m so surprised to see you. I know I wasn’t supposed to do anything that…”

Gavain didn’t smile. He looked rather neutral, and his aura subdued.

“Did something happen?” Aria felt her smile evaporate.

Gavain’s aura came to life, warm and yellow, green and reassuring, with his touch of purple. “No. Everything’s fine.” Gavain glanced at Irini.

Irini stood very close to the both of them. She watched with intent, and her aura reached. The only thing missing from Irini’s scene was some snack to munch on during the entertainment.

Aria smiled. “Oh, Irini. I didn’t see you there.”

Irini sidled up between Gavain and Aria.

Sotir arrived into the hall. He called, “Irini. Come over here. We can go ahead and visit Pan.”

“Oh. Okay.” Irini hurried after Sotir as he led them forward.

Aria took a moment to note Irini’s embarrassed aura, and Sotir’s river of yellow and blue.

Then, with a sigh, Aria turned back to Gavain. “Just a year left…if you still want me.”

“Oh, I do. And, I’m glad you did this for Pan, even if it was a risk.” Gavain, no longer watched by Irini, showed a more normal aura. It flowed towards Aria and wrapped her in its familiar colors.

“She is my first friend, and I will always try to do right by her.”

Gavain smiled. “That’s a noble thing.” His aura turned a dull blue, and his smile faded. “What is this I hear about Visitors?”

Aria bowed her head. “We found one. The Soffigen found one in an underground chamber on Prossim. Volanter would probably be a better term. That’s what they called themselves. You know…they made all of us. The circles, our love of trees. We’re nothing if not Volanter.”

Gavain put a finger to Aria’s lips. “Don’t worry about it. We can’t change Scaldigir, and honestly, I don’t want to. I love arcane circles, Dipinta trees, and our arcanes. If that’s all Volanter, they couldn’t be all bad.”

Aria considered the thought. She’d seen the Volanter’s aura, but it faded so fast. She didn’t think her read was good. And, the woman had tried to kill Pan. Aria was automatically against that.

“I’ve memorized it already.” Gavain stood tall. “I’m waiting for opportunities to quote it.”

“What?” Aria felt her face go warm. He means the letter.

“I am always going to cherish that little masterpiece you sent me.” Gavain’s aura phased into lavender.

Aria bumped Gavain’s shoulder. “It’s not a masterpiece. It was a mistake. I didn’t get a chance to review it.”

“I know. It was all over the place. So unlike you. That made it feel more real.” Gavain smiled.

“I’m always real,” Aria objected.

“You’re always careful, but alright.”

Aria and Gavain resumed their walk to the lounge where Pan rested.

“Oh, by the way, I think I’d like to take up a hobby. Would that be alright with you?”

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Gavain’s aura startled and phased yellow. “Of course. Why would I be against you having a hobby? What are you thinking of?”

“I might buy a fiddle.”

“Can you play a fiddle?”

Aria knit her brow. “I used to. My second idea is making cake.”

Gavain laughed. “I like that one, but our waistlines won’t. Better go for the fiddle.”

Aria nodded. “You know. Pan said that there are other people the Volanters experimented on or with – whichever fits better. I wonder if we could find them.”

“Might be worth the try. I wonder if they’re looking for us. I don’t think it’ll be a great hobby though.”

Aria perked up. “No, of course not.”

At least, it wouldn’t be a good hobby for her. It might fill Sotir’s time. And, if the other Children of the Volanters searched for them, it might be easy enough for Sotir to accomplish. Wouldn’t that be interesting?

Irini and Sotir found Pan seated in the lounge. She sat forward. She rested her elbows on her knees and her chin in her hands.

Irini ran up to Pan. “Congratulations on not dying.”

Pan’s eyes finally flicked to Irini. “Congratulations on ending the whole fight.”

Irini stammered. “Oh, I’m not the hero. I just brought you the sword. I couldn’t even use it.” Irini looked down. She’d only gone on a scavenger hunt orchestrated by Aria and then Sotir.

“You’re too young to use swords,” Pan said. “I wouldn’t consider failure to stab someone a real failure. Good job. Really good job.”

Irini raised her eyes.

Pan looked at her hands. “I feel it running out through my fingers, like I’m leaking water. It’s almost done.”

Irini winced. “That part sucks.”

“For now. Later, maybe not so much.”

“I’ll just…” Irini started to wander away. She could tell that Pan didn’t want company.

“You’re going to be the best…threader? Maybe, someone will come up with a better term for you soon,” Pan said.

Irini turned back. “You really think so?”

Sotir smiled. “It’s a wonderful power, and the right person for the job got it.”

Irini grinned. “I am really going to do my best.” She spotted Aria and Gavain. She glanced at Sotir and Pan and thought maybe she should bug Aria and Gavain now. “I’ll be back later.” Irini trotted away.

“I have the book. The mentors will let you have it, as long as it gets copied.” Sotir held it under his arm.

Pan reached for it, but Sotir stepped away. He looked to the door. Pan followed his eyes.

In the doorway, Pan saw Alban. She expected more official looking people to trail in behind him, but he came alone. Maybe, she needed to be brought somewhere more official to be turned over. Pan wondered if Alban had an ankle cuff somewhere on his person. People wouldn’t buy the story of Pan’s powers and their demise, not for a while.

Alban approached. He raised a hand. “Stay seated. This won’t be long. I’ve given my briefing, and it looks like it has had a positive impact. They’re all a little wary of you, but that can’t be helped.”

Pan nodded. She lifted her skirt and presented her ankle to Alban.

“What’s this?” Alban gestured at her foot. He didn’t smile, but he seemed close.

Pan glared. “I’m making it easier for you to give me my jewelry.”

Alban straightened. “Why? You don’t need a cuff. You’re not arcane. And, even if you were, I wouldn’t cuff you. You’ve been on my ship, and in my presence, without harming a single Scaldin.” Alban smiled. “For those reasons, I have requested stewardship of you. If all goes according to plan, you won’t have to go to Scaldigir or a new ship. The Ischyros will get repaired, and you can stay aboard.”

Pan felt her mouth drift open. She regarded Alban and put a hand on her chest. “As long as I like?”

“Yes. And, if I can get the assignment, you can help me search for other children of the Volanters, along with Sotir. You’ll have him for company.”

Pan smiled a little. She could work on Alban’s ship. He’d already proven that he could be comfortable around her without the ankle cuff, and she’d proven that she wouldn’t kill him the minute she had free reign of her powers – powers she didn’t have any more. She could hide on Ischyros and re-expose herself to the Scaldin, little by little. In the meantime, she could have days filled with Sotir.

Pan’s smile of gratitude twisted into one of mischief. “Let me ask you. How heroic do they think you are? How brave have you painted yourself for working with a reaper?”

Alban waved his hand and denied it. “I haven’t painted myself as brave. No, not at all. They did that. After running with it so long…” Alban shrugged. “How could I correct them?”

Pan looked up and found Aria. She had her friend’s attention. “He’s made out pretty good, hasn’t he?” She nodded at Alban.

“It looks like it from here,” Aria agreed. “He’ll get lots of interesting things to do if he has you and Sotir.”

Pan turned back to Alban. “By the way, I don’t do spacesuits or the vacuum of space.”

“We’ll see.”

“We won’t actually.”

“If you were on another ship, you’d definitely find yourself in a spacesuit, and they wouldn’t be nice about it,” Alban said.

“Nice is when you don’t pester me.” Pan frowned. “He’s not serious about spacesuits, is he?”

“He’s a bit serious.” Aria shrugged.

“You need time to learn. There won’t be a spacesuit that soon in your future,” Sotir promised. He tapped the book. “This won’t be easy.”

“No, it won’t.” Pan reached for the book.

“Sotir, can I borrow you for a minute.” Alban curled his finger and took Sotir away.

Sotir nodded once at Pan. He brought the book with him, but Pan knew he would return with it and begin to help her sort through all its contents.

Pan found herself alone with Aria.

“Things worked out better than I could have hoped. You won’t be near, but you’ll be within in reach,” Aria said.

Pan nodded. “You too.”

“So, Brynn is all gone?” Aria asked.

Pan nodded again. “Yeah. She’s gone. She’s totally gone. She went from sticky to free in an instant. Well, not an instant. It took two years I guess.” She suddenly met Aria’s eyes. “I was watching it happen, and I didn’t see it.” Slowly, Pan smiled.

Aria smiled back. “I can empathize. What did she look like? When she left?”

Pan remembered her view on the beach. She stared into space, seeing the memory more than her surroundings. “She was so bright. And, so gold.”