Maya found her at nine.
Everyone else had either gone back to the main room or dispersed to their own spaces. Eve had ended up in the small sitting room alone—not on purpose, just the natural settling of things when celebration energy started winding down.
Maya appeared in the doorway with two cups of tea and the look of soone who’d located their target and wasn’t taking no for an answer.
She sat. Handed Eve a cup. Tucked her feet under herself the way she always did on sofas.
"So," Maya said.
"So," Eve said.
"You won."
"I confird standing," Eve said. "It’s the beginning of...."
"Eve."
"What?"
"But you won Eve just admit it," Maya said.
Eve looked at her.
"Okay yes," she said. "Yes. I won."
Maya nodded with the satisfaction of soone who’d been waiting for that specific acknowledgnt. "Good. That’s all I needed."
They drank their tea.
"I want to go ho," Maya said. "Imdiatrly we get back to the estate, i want to go to my apartnt, not forever. I know your life is where ever your mates are now, or partly here, or whatever it is. I just need to go ho for a while. Sleep in my own bed. Eat food I actually chose." A pause. "Finish that book i started reading but was unable to complete."
"I know," Eve said.
"I’ll co back with you," Maya said. "When you need . Whatever that looks like."
"I know that too," Eve said.
Maya looked at her over her cup.
"Are you okay?" she asked.
Eve thought about it honestly.
"Not yet," she said. "But I think I’m going to be."
Maya nodded slowly. "That’s a better answer than ’fine.’"
"I learned from soone," Eve said.
Maya almost smiled. Set down her cup. Leaned across and put her arms around Eve briefly.
Then she pulled back and stood up.
"Go be with your mates," she said. "I’m going to sleep for approximately fourteen hours."
She left after that.
Eve sat where Maya left for like twenty more minutes, then she stood up and walked outside the room.
She ended up outside.
Not far from the house, a small courtyard off Seraphine’s estate, accessible through a side door she’d found three days ago when she needed air. Stone walls. A single bench. The sky above dark and clear with too much light pollution to show many stars.
She sat on the bench, hands in her lap, and looked up.
The hearing was done.
Her claim was confird.
Maya was going ho safe with her.
Raphael had said what he needed to say
Now she can go ho and be with her mates, She looked to her side and saw the conclave building standing tall that it actually is from where she was standing.
Her parents had stood in that Court and started sothing and had been stopped.
She’d stood in this Court and confird the claim.
Not finished yet but at least it is the beginning of the next thing.
She sat with the weight of that thought, Let herself feel it settle on her shoulders, The significance of it. The size of it. What it ant for everything that ca next.
It was enormous.
She didn’t look away from the conclave building and how enormous and intimidating it looked.
Then she reached for the bond.
Found Silas again. It has beco a normal habit of hers these day, she always reached for the bond she shared with him whenever she is alone.
She found it Imdiately as always, it was steady and warm on the other end like he’d been waiting for her to reach out to him whenever she needed him.
She pushed her emotions through.
Not words.
Just sothing to tell him she missed him and that she will be coming ho soon.
She Felt it imdiately he receive her ssage.
Then she felt what he sent through the bond as response.
It wasn’t words either. Just warmth. Just an acknowledgnt that he receive her ssage and that he couldn’t wait for her to co back ho.
Eve sat in the courtyard for a little bit longer than she had intended to.
The Court around her, ancient and indifferent and now formally, officially, on record acknowledging what she was.
Her parents’ daughter.
The continuation.
The thing that had survived and was just getting started.
She breathed in once.
Let it out.
Then she stood up.
And went to find her mates to tell them it was ti to go ho.
***
She found them exactly where she expected.
Damian and Damon were in the main sitting room, Damian at the table with what looked like conclave docunts, Damon horizontal on the sofa staring at the ceiling.
They both looked up when she ca in.
She didn’t say anything for a mont.
Just looked at them.
These two n who’d stood outside buildings and held her together throughout this journey, who’d held her through things she didn’t know she would ever survive.
"It’s ti to go ho," she said.
Damian set down his pen.
Damon sat up and moved to where she was standing, kissed her head and said " Yes it is ti to go ho"
***
Maya found her in the corridor, Bag over her shoulder....packed, sa as the night of the rescue.
She looked at Eve.
"We’re leaving," Eve said.
"I know," Maya said. "I’ve been ready for an hour."
Eve looked at the bag. Then at Maya’s face.
"You could’ve told ."
"You were busy," Maya said. " so I waited."
That was Maya entirely, always so supportive and so understanding. She always try not making herself a problem. Just present when needed.
Eve put her arm around her shoulders briefly.
Maya leaned in for exactly one second.
Then she straightened, adjusted her bag strap, and said, "Okay so how are we getting back because I have questions about the portal situation," and Eve actually laughed, the first real one in days...and steered her back toward the sitting room.
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