She ate her rice without tasting it, and climbed into bed before any of the other novices, making her breath come slow and even to give the illusion of sleep. The waiting was torture as she listened to the conversations fade out one by one, replaced by light snores and the shifting of blankets. Leela did not know how, exactly, but she sensed when the hour of the dark approached and sat up quietly. From across the room she saw Elorin rise. The two girls ever so cautiously crept out of the dormitory.

Elorin followed Leela to Faesa’s statue, where Leela stopped and touched the Moon Daughter’s stone hands. They were bitterly cold, and she was reminded of the ice pops she and Sera used to suck on when they were girls.

Open for me as you did before, Leela thought, and her heart spoke the words with confidence. She was not afraid.

Markings appeared down the length of Faesa’s robes, and the statue slid aside silently; the only sound in the quiet dark was Elorin’s hushed gasp. Leela put her finger to her lips. Elorin’s eyes were big as saucers as she gazed down at the sunglass steps. The cold was fierce and Leela began to descend, keeping her hands on the walls to prevent herself from falling. Elorin’s footsteps were a faint patter behind her, and Leela drew courage from her presence.

Colored lights began to shine as they neared the end of the stairs, and Elorin made a little whimper when she saw them but said nothing. When they reached the bottom, Leela waited patiently as the girl drank it all in.

Glowing blue columns surrounded them, towering in icy splendor. Eerily lit green paths snaked around the crystal pools that dotted the floor, revealing clear glimpses of the planet below. It was utterly silent except for the faint hitching of Elorin’s breath.

I see you, Sera, Leela thought, staring down at the outlines of Kaolin and Pelago. I know you’re down there.

She met Elorin’s gaze and pointed toward the ceiling. Elorin looked up and let out a cry of shock that vanished in the cavernous space. The upside-down gardens or forest or whatever it was stretched out above them. Trees and bushes, wildflowers and ancient shrubs all grew toward them, as if Elorin and Leela were standing in the sky and looking down upon the earth.

“The gardens wither and die the further out you walk,” Leela said. “Come. I want to show you the tether.”

“What are those pools for?” Elorin asked.

“I don’t know,” Leela said. “But I don’t think we want to step through one.”