Redtail Rise red

Watching the life drain out of their mother was the hardest thing Masquerade had ever done. They wanted to run away from the scene or, at the very least, close their eyes against the horror. Instead, they held Avicus’s gaze until it dimmed. They felt the last few shudders and twitches, the final sigh.

Something brushed their shoulder. Masque hunched, covering the Wealda’s face with theirs as they clutched her. They sensed movement, saw flickers of it, but they did not move. They cradled the Wealda until she grew cold in their grasp, began to stiffen.

Finally, they looked up to whoever remained and said, We need to bury her.

The next few hours were a blur. Masquerade would not remember much about them in the days to come. But the queen was laid to rest. The Caru even got one last glimpse of her face—the one thing they would remember—before she was covered in earth and became nothing more than a beloved memory.