My knees were what finally called time-out on the kiss, because they started to tremble and Mik thought I was shivering, but I totally wasn’t, and the way we looked at each other after the kiss was breathless and a little bit startled – oh hi – and unself-consciously happy, and dazzled, and thoroughly, deeply, mutually ensorcelled.
So, you know, that was nice.
My phone again, just as I’m drifting off to sleep. A text. It’s Karou: Have to know. If ghost peacock was 2nd-to-last scuppy, what did you do with the LAST?
And my hand goes to it – no longer hidden in a coat pocket but hanging from a long silver chain around my neck: a singular red bead. I didn’t need it. Well, I didn’t need any of them, but I’m glad I had them, because they inspired me to create this night – right up to the point when the night took over, with Mik’s help, and started to create itself. Which is what one always hopes will happen: for life to take over and be bigger and more marvelous than what we can dream up on our own.
Life doesn’t need magic to be magical.
It’s nice knowing I have this one last scuppy if I ever need to whip up some peacock footprints – literal or figurative – but maybe I’ll just end up keeping it as a souvenir. Who knows? Saving it for a rainy day, I text back to Karou, and I cup the bead in my hand and smile as I drift toward sleep, wondering what my rainy days are going to look like now. As good as my snowy ones, I think.
I’m going to need a bigger umbrella.
Don’t miss the epic Daughter of Smoke & Bone trilogy
Daughter of Smoke & Bone
Days of Blood & Starlight
In this stunning sequel, Karou finally has the answers she has always sought. But she must now decide how far she’ll go to avenge her people, and repair a shocking betrayal.
Dreams of Gods & Monsters
In the midst of a war that spans worlds, Karou and Akiva struggle to forge a new way forward for their people – and perhaps for themselves – in this epic conclusion to the Daughter of Smoke & Bone trilogy.