CIAN
The ceremony ended in applause that filled the grand hall and seemed to press against my ears. I stayed where I was, watching Julius kiss his bride, watching the relief ripple through the crowd like something heavy had finally been set down. The red cloth still bound their wrists together when they turned to face everyone, and the healer stepped back with that calm, knowing smile spiritual people always wore, like they had seen something the rest of us hadn't.
People started to stand. The quiet formality cracked almost immediately, replaced by layered conversations and laughter as the tension bled out of the room. The reception would be in the ballroom. I knew that much from the invitation. But first I needed to find Fia.
I turned toward the seats where she had been sitting.
She wasn't there.
