MY CRUEL PROTECTOR
I looked at Leo, who was walking toward us, a small, sad smile on his face.
"The Shard is happy, Mama," Leo said. "It has a name now. It calls itself 'Julian.'"
The evening settled over Sicily with a peace that felt final.
The "Refugee of the Void," Elara, passed away as the sun touched the horizon. She died with a smile, her violet skin turning into a fine, golden dust that the wind carried into the olive trees. She had brought a warning, and she had witnessed the settlement of the blood-debt.