Epilogue
And then I wait for him to ask.
Because yes, I am that petty.
Mujin has been trying to kill Zan specifically for years. Any extra chance to rub defeat in his face, I’m absolutely taking.
I am a champion grudge-bearer, and I’m not sorry.
The ragged priests try various sensory katas, trying to figure out what I’ve done, but they’re not going to succeed, because no one has ever made something like this before.
Mujin’s face might as well be hewn from rock from how tense it is when he finally bites out, “What have you done.”
“I’m so glad you asked.”
I feel Zan’s amusement through our bond and decide fuck it, I’m going to smirk for all I’m worth.
I fucking did it.
“This island is now a sanctuary in truth,” I announce loudly. “No one may enter without permission.”
No magic suppression. It’s not a dampening field.
This time, it is a shield.
But—
Mujin sneers. “For all your claims about the heresy of sages involved in secular politics, now you will decide—”
“Oh no, not me. Sages live to serve, of course.” I smile widely and point at Nomi. “She does.”
Nomi stares at me.
Then dawning realization as she draws the talisman of Zan’s scales out of her shirt.
The role of the guardian isn’t one of shadows anymore.
Sages are coming into the light.
As Nomi touches the talisman, the shield ripples, and I step through the small gap.
And I spit in Mujin’s face, because it’s the most offensive thing I can think of.
His look of outrage is comical.
The gap abruptly closes.
With me, and all the color of Crystal Hollow on one side.
And the Order’s dark facade on the other.
It’s a barrier... but it’s a barrier with a door.
A bridge.
Sanctuary Island had a land bridge already.
Now it has a magical bridge, too, to match its spirit.
“The power is in the hands of the people, and who they choose,” I tell Mujin.
We’re going to have more to work out. I anticipate too many town meetings in my future. But one thing is not up for negotiation:
“Celestial Sanctuary Temple, on the other hand, is my domain,” I say. “Having resided there uncontested for five hundred years, I claim it for myself and Zan. No priest is welcome there without our permission. But.
“If any sages want to try my ice cream,” I tell him with a sharp smile with too many teeth in it, “they are welcome.”
It’s a challenge.
It will mean trouble, for sure.
But every sage he sends me...
Every one is another chance for me to save.
Light shimmers as Zan transforms back into his human form and is right there at my side.
The look in his eyes is fierce, and I smile exultantly and reach out a hand to him.
He takes it and then me in a bone-crushing hug.
But his strength is mine, now, and I don’t even need a kata to reinforce myself.
Not when I have him.
Mujin is still sneering, but with Zan before me... I don’t care anymore.
Whatever he has to say is not my problem.
Zan and I share a private, mischievous smile.
And then as one we turn our backs on him and walk away, toward color, and life, and home.
Because it’s finally, finally safe to.
We reach a swaying Teren first, held up by Haben on one side and Sunani on the other as his hands remain busy.
“Knitting kata?” I ask him dryly.
He grins. “I haven’t practiced magic a thousand times, but I have practiced knitting a thousand times.”
A sage coming at their magic in reverse.
Not so different than Wrath for protection, I think.
We too share a smile.
Then I inform Teren, “That’s not going to get you out of exercising.”
He mock-scowls, but before he can object, Sunani says, “I think I would like to, too. It will be good for my condition.”
Sunani’s eyes are bright with mischief—and determination.
Teaching a normal person kata?
You know what?
“Sure,” I say, “why not?”
Behind him, Eraya startles.
I’m going to be as free with information as I can, which is basically the complete opposite of the Order.
All of us are coming out of the shadows.
“Fine,” Teren grumbles, blushing a little, and Sunani grins as Haben claps him hard on the shoulder.
I raise my eyebrows at Eraya. “Will you be joining us, too?”
She looks at Teren in something like exasperation, and though I wasn’t paying much attention to what his hands are doing specifically, I can guess what magic he’s working.
Making her feel more comfortable with what she wants to do.
Which is explore her power on her terms.
“Is the offer to try your ice cream still open?” the Sage of Compassion asks me carefully.
I smile. “Yes. But even better, I’ll show you how to make it yourself. Whatever flavor you want.”
I don’t actually know how to make every flavor yet—not even close.
But I’ll learn.
And so will she.
“You’re going to need your own ice cream stall,” Nomi notes.
I blink.
I’d been sort of braced for her to call me out on trapping her into a duty without asking, which would be super valid, but she’s a guardian, through and through.
“What do you think?” I ask Zan.
Are we ready for that?
To really doing this, together, out in the open? Going all in, on ourselves and everyone?
Zan’s eyes crinkle at the corners.
“You make the ice cream,” he says, “and I’ll decorate.”
My breath catches.
That’s the first time I’ve heard him admit out loud that he wants to do the work of making a space for himself.
Making a home.
With me.
“As soon as you pick a name,” Zan adds. “I do have a few suggestions...”
Our new neighbors laugh.
“No need,” I say sweetly, and announce, “Forevermore Ice Cream is opening for business!”
Crystal Hollow cheers and envelops us.
As one of them.
In Crystal Hollow’s market, the town is bustling.
It looks a little different now.
Mainly this is because the sabotage Mujin wrought has continued bearing fruit, and Nomi has had her hands full rebuilding—and building new homes, too, for the people that Jiran is recruiting to work on the ice line.
And Crystal Hollow has stepped up to help their neighbors.
Nomi's work goes faster, too, when a dragon with super speed doesn’t have to hide who and what he is.
And with three sages practicing their control to do the heavy lifting.
We’d initially planned to bring Eraya to Celestial Sanctuary Temple to learn how to live as a sage without the priesthood, but Zan’s dragon instincts immediately rose up in rebellion—he could control them temporarily while we fought off the priesthood, apparently, but at the prospect of sharing his mate’s space indefinitely with a potential threat was too much.
I feel responsible for Eraya, but I’m not as upset about that as I probably ought to be.
In part, because my guilt was assuaged when Nomi pointed out that a critical part of rehabilitating a sage is integrating them with other people and informed us in no uncertain terms that as the sage guardian of our generation, Eraya was her responsibility and would be staying with her.
Eraya’s expression at that was one I couldn’t read.
But with help from Teren’s quick learning and willingness to help, Zan’s dragon scales, and my knowledge, the Sage of Compassion is able to be around Crystal Hollow safely while we continue teaching her control.
It takes a village.
And that is perhaps the most important thing for a sage—for anyone—to learn, I think.
So Zan and I spent most of the week following the showdown more or less attached to each other. He claims the mating instincts will calm over time, but so far...
So far they’re only climbing.
I’m not mad about that, either, and am in fact so happy to reassure Zan about it.
But today, finally, it’s time to unveil what we’ve been working on in between not being able to keep our hands off each other.
The other difference in today's market.
Smaller in some ways... but also bigger.
The sun is shining, and my eyes are used to its radiance.
People surround us, but the sound doesn’t overwhelm me; it welcomes me; bolsters me.
And I know the names of the trees.
Zan and I—by ourselves, this time—finish erecting our ice cream stall.
Nomi built it for us. Teren made our tablecloth. Sunani painted the shop sign.
But Zan chose our colors: how we will present ourselves to the world.
Not the purple of blackberry ice cream, as I expected.
But pink and blue together.
The colors of us, entwined.
A statement, out in the open, of who we are, and what we will be:
Reveling in a life absolutely full of color, unabashedly as ourselves, together.
When he suggested that with vulnerability in his eyes, I pounced on him until his doubts burned away in our fire.
Now, I lift the enormous container of ice cream and set it on the table with a thump of finality.
Crystal Hollow—our world—seems to hold its breath, waiting.
Zan takes my hand.
“Are you ready?” my dragon asks me.
So very much.
My smile blazes. I kiss him fiercely, in full view of everyone.
Then hand in hand, our eyes glowing brightly, Zan and I turn to face our future together.
Knowing what we’re here for.
Ready, at last, to live.
“Ice cream for everyone,” I answer him and the world, as the market whoops. "Come and get it.”
I—we—are ready to get everything.
I hope you enjoyed the first book in the Sage's Sanctuary trilogy! You can read Zan's perspective on Certain Events involving the sage he never believed he could have when Yora defies his wildest dreams at
Yora and Zan's story will continue in The Quiet Shield, Book 2 of the Sage's Sanctuary series!