Aodains -

Venn’s shape shimmered. “Yes.”

“Aodain. Aodain. The space between is not empty.” aodains

And somewhere—in the gorge, in the salt wind, in the pause between a heartbeat and the next—Venn smiled for the first and last time, because being remembered was not the same as being gone. Venn’s shape shimmered

The next morning, Elara stood at the edge of Thornwell’s northern cliff. The village slept below, its lanterns like fallen stars. She watched as a single pebble—dislodged by nothing, by everything—began to roll. Then another. Then a groan deep as a dying whale. in the salt wind