Bound to The Enemy of My Mate
Kael's hand found hers, his grip tight.
Pyre was already at the outflow, filling glass vials. He added reagents, shook them, held them to the light. He turned, a rare, unrestrained grin splitting his soot-streaked face. “Ninety-nine percent purity! Better than the capital's aqueduct! The filtration works!”
The celebration that erupted then was unrestrained. Music sprang up. People hugged, danced, splashed the clean water on their faces.
Kael pulled Elira aside, into the relative quiet of the stone operations shed. The sounds of joy were muffled here.