“This is wise,” Elena murmured before she queried, “Do you wish me to talk to them?”

“Would you?”

Elena smiled at her. “Of course.”

“You have my thanks,” Serena muttered.

Elena took hold of her, linking their arms and starting them down the hall that would lead them to Cassius’s study.

She did this inquiring, “Do I need to plan another wedding?”

Her mind filled with visions of Elena’s wedding.

“Oh goddess, please no,” Serena replied.

Elena chuckled through her promise of, “I will not use so much pink.”

Serena made a choking noise and Elena’s laughter grew.

“When that time comes, we will wed where he desires in his home. Firenze,” she informed her sister.

Elena’s arm in hers contracted.

“I will look forward to this with great relish,” she whispered.

Surprisingly, Serena felt the same.

They entered Cass’s study to have all eyes turn to them.

Serena’s gaze went direct to Chu, who was openly pleased to see the two sisters arriving in such a manner.

Thus, he shot her an audacious grin.

She purposefully ignored it and held her sister strong for a moment before she let her go and turned her attention to the large table that occupied the space opposite Cassius’s desk, at the same time she did a quick inventory of the room.

The players were all there.

Aramus and Ha-Lah. True and Farah. Mars and Silence. Cass. Melisse. Fern. Lena. The couples from across the Green Sea. Mac. Hera. Bram. Tint.

And of course, Chu.

Also, for some reason, her mother’s physician, Liam.

And last, an elderly man Serena had never seen before wearing Go’Doan robes and appearing struck with melancholy.

He stood at the table, beside Cass.

A table covered in, upon quick calculations, approximately fifteen large and small—but all old, and some dusty—tomes.

“Elena, Serena,” Liam called. “Greetings.”

“Liam,” Serena murmured as she moved to stand by Chu where he was close to the table, Elena offering her own greeting.

“This is G’Ry,” True introduced. “A Go’Nix of the Go’Doan.”

The elderly gentleman dipped his chin to the both of them.

Go’Nix were priests who recorded history.

And no doubt they were very busy as of late.

“Shall we start?” Mars inquired impatiently, his words a barely veiled order to do just that.

“Yes,” G’Ry said. He then cleared his throat. “Of course.” He moved to the table and put his hand atop a stack of books. “And I shall do so by stating I am honored to be here today, in service to you in this most troubling time.”

“We are most sorry, Ry, for the loss of your Marian,” Farah said gently.

“I am too, I am…we are…” Ry glanced at Liam.