Shiloh nodded, her eyes red-rimmed with tears. ‘I just can’t believe how different she is now, how bereft she is.’
‘It’ll take a hell of a lot of patience, understanding, and perhaps a small measure of self-control not to raze down this entire flotilla and tear apart Tewa and Sylvana,’ Saba snarled.
‘The thought of her being disoriented in her mind, unable to remember who we are, burns my soul,’ Shiloh sobbed.
‘Mine too,’ Saba said through gritted teeth.
Shiloh and Saba hugged, hearts aching as they realized that their family unit had once again been decimated, and now all they had was each other.
They stood at that spot for a long time, seeking comfort in their shared bond as the courtyard fountain’s water shimmered around them and fell like diamonds in the sunlight.
Still, the birds continued to sing their sweet song, oblivious to the sisters’ agony.
After many minutes, they left the terrace and walked to the reception.
Saba paused at the entrance, where a small sign with a digitized code stated where donations could be sent.
Shiloh nodded as Saba swiped her device and transferred a generous amount of money to the convent.
She, too, pulled out her wrist comm and did the same.
They exchanged glances, and Shiloh’s hand found Saba’s again, her fingers intertwining in a tight clasp.
‘Let’s go,’ Shiloh said, her voice trembling with emotion.
The doors of the heritage building closed with a slow thud.
Shiloh and Saba took deep breaths, wrapped their arms around each other, and stared at the beautiful scene that belied the tragedy behind the cloistered gates.
The image stayed with them as they returned home.
They kept their hands clasped together in the back of the flyer.
Joined by grief for a life lost, a mind fissured, and a soul sacrificed to delirium.
Chapter 38
SABA
That night, Mak, Saba, her sister, and Zolan sat in the living room of their lodge after dinner.
Saba’s feet were on her husband’s lap as he massaged her calves with his free hand.
Shiloh, curled up on a loveseat, was next to Zolan, holding a mug of hot chocolate.
Saba pulled her shawl close as she gazed out at the passing stars and moon above the faux lake.
Mak cleared his throat. ‘So Kaal and I had a fruitful discussion with your Uncle Tewa in his concrete isolation cell.’
They all smirked at his words.
‘Exile, you mean?’ Saba murmured.
Mak gave her a wry smile. ‘It’s the retirement he never knew he needed. Turns out he did order thesachemattacks on us. He also had Suri locked away, for her good.’
‘What audacity!’ Saba exclaimed.
‘Indeed. His ego and arrogance have been at the root of a lot of our collective misery,’ Mak muttered.
