Redhawk Caldera 8ths.

Alivia didn’t seem particularly perturbed, though Towhee planned to drop the subject. She was glad when the younger woman did it for her, more or less, her son’s name causing a small twinge in her chest. The mention of Mereo, of visiting the canyon, made Maxim’s presence stir around her. She started a little.

Absolutely, she said a bit quietly. Clearing her throat and raising her voice slightly, Towhee questioned, Do you remember much about it? Mereo? The canyon? The palazzo? Not “Germanicus?” though. I hope you do. I have so many, myself. There was something particularly unforgettable about that time and place…

She glanced sideways without moving her head, as if she might glimpse Maxim out of the corner of her eye. There was nothing there, of course, and she felt him fade away again. Towhee wondered if she was imagining it when she felt a little colder in her core. Then again, it was probably all in her head.