“I’m going to turn sixteen next month,” Blythe said. “My siblings and I are all gonna officially join the Darkness together.” She ran her fingers through Jori’s hair, separating out three pieces. “So I don’t know if I can come back next year. Ceinwen and Eirian and I've been talking about traveling, I think they're gonna be okay waiting til fall though.”

“Please try?” Jori asked, trying to ignore the sinking feeling in her heart. Having Blythe here all summer, real and warm and laughing instead of just words on a page, had been incredible. The idea of going back to waiting anxiously for letters to arrive hurt deeper than she’d thought it would. “I'd miss you.”

“Of course I’ll try. Tilt your head down a little. Or maybe you could come visit Amane sometime? It’s south of here, so winters are warmer.”

“Oh.” Jori’s heart changed its mind, and decided to flutter hopefully instead. “I’ll see if Mam and Da will let me.”

“I hope so! There’s so much I want to show you– you could meet Amron and Jasmine, and there’s some nice places for running. Mam can teach you flute, too, she'll be a better teacher than me.”

Jori started to shake her head, then stopped at the tug on her hair. “I bet you'd be the best teacher.”

Blythe patted her cheek. “No, I wouldn't be. But thanks. I'll try my best, but I'm a lot better with strings or keys.”

“You're good with flute too,” Jori said firmly. 

“You're sweet.” Blythe tied the braid off. “Thanks, Jor.”

“No,” Da said. He crossed his arms. “And take that braid out of your hair, you look like a girl.”

“But–” Jori started, instinctively reaching up to tug the hairband free.

“I said no.” He sighed, and relented, “It’s too short notice, Jori, and you’re barely fourteen. Maybe when you’re older. Ask again when you’re eighteen, and we’ll consider it.”

“But Blythe came on her own and she’s fifteen!” Jori felt angry tears sting her eyes, curls brushing her neck again. “I thought you were friends with her Da!”

“Ask again when you’re eighteen,” Da repeated. “That won’t change. You’re nearly a grown man, Jori. Stop crying or go to your room.”

Jori growled through tears, threw the hairband at her father, and fled. 

Elowen found her later, curled up and sulking in wolf form. 

“Knock knock.”

<Go away.>

“But I’m your favorite sister.”

<I don’t wanna talk.>

“Kay.” Elowen’s presence disappeared from the doorway. Jori heard a few quiet words just outside the door, and then it opened again.

“Eighteen?” Blythe demanded, indignant. “That’s stupid.”

“Four years before we can visit you,” Elowen agreed. She flopped onto Jori’s bed dramatically. “Cruelty! Torture! Unreasonable punishment! I wanna see what winter looks like without snow!”

“Warmer,” Blythe said. “It’s definitely warmer.”

<Get out of my room,> Jori grumbled, not really wanting them to leave. <Go away.>

“But you’re sad.” Blythe’s hand dropped to Jori’s head. “Do you really want us to leave?”

Jori sighed and didn’t respond.

“We’re here for you.” Elowen hugged Jori, burying her hands in her fur. “We’ll wear down Mam and Da. Bother them until they let us both go spend a winter with Blythe.”

Jori sighed again and shifted, causing Elowen to yelp as she was suddenly displaced. “Okay. Thank you.”

“Blythe?” Jori asked, quietly, trying not to wake up Elowen. Not that it would be easy, Elowen slept like the dead, but still.

“Yeah?”

“What are the rules for joining the Darkness?”

“Well… You’d have to talk to Da, because he knows more, but you have to be at least sixteen. And they have to trust you– there has to be someone in the Darkness who can vouch for you, I think they have to know you for at least a year? You have to understand all it means, and you have to promise you’ll help.”

“What does it mean? To be part of the Darkness?”

“It means you don’t think the Emperor should rule, and the world would be just fine, maybe better, without being Illustria.”

The Emperor. The Lord of Light, who ruled the world and shared his light, so long as they all obeyed. And paid taxes on time.

But you can’t see stars when the sun is out.

“Maybe… maybe it would be better without him.” Jori yawned. “Maybe we could all be our own stars without the sun in the way.”

She didn’t register Blythe’s response.