For Darkness Shows the Stars

gold: Argos. She caught her breath. The sun-cart’s tires crunched in the shells along the path to the shore, and the workers looked up as they passed. Finally, they drew up to the end of the docks. Elliot jumped out of her seat before Dee had the chance to fully stop and scanned the area. Where was he? Where was he?
    Just then, he emerged from one of the entrance ramps, saw her, and froze. That’s all it took—a single look—and he knew.
    Elliot smiled at him.
    He smiled at her.
    And then they were running. Her shoes smacked hard against the boards of the dock, which swayed a bit beneath her feet but didn’t slow her down. And Kai’s strides were long and sure, buoyed by his enhancements but more by something else entirely.
    They met. They touched. And then she was in his arms, again and at last.
    “You got my letter,” he whispered in her ear.
    She nodded. “I always have.” She looked into his eyes. “This morning, I thought I was dead. I thought I was dead every morning since you went away.”
    “Are you sure?” he asked. “This time, with everything you’re giving up?”
    “I’m not giving up anything,” Elliot said. “The estate will be fine. Horatio and Olivia and Donovan and Dee and Gill and all the rest will make sure of that. And we’ll be back for harvest, like you said.”
    “Yes,” Kai said, in a breath filled with relief and joy. “For you, I’ll do anything.”
    Elliot leaned back, still holding tight to Kai’s hands. She never wanted to let go. “The world has changed, Kai. We’ve changed it, these four years. Imagine what we might do in four more.”
    Ro had caught up to them by this point. She was dragging both of their bags. The rest of the Cloud Fleet had come to the deck of the ship to see what all the commotion was about. They looked down at Elliot, Kai, and Ro. Elliot shaded her face from the sun and waved at them.
    “One more!” Kai called.
    Elliot tugged on his arm. “Two. We’re bringing Ro.”
    He broke into a huge grin. “Yes we are!” He threw the strap of her bag over his shoulder and led her up the ramp to one of the loading entrances.
    Felicia met them there. “Greetings!” she called gaily, as Kai presented them. He stood behind Elliot and interlaced his right hand with hers. “It’s Ro, right, dear?”
    Ro nodded.
    Felicia smiled. “Well, Argos is a Post-Reduction ship. We all have Post-Reduction names.”
    “Tomorrow,” Elliot said, signing for Ro’s benefit. “Her name is Tomorrow.” It couldn’t be anything else.
    Ro beamed at her and went aboard.
    Kai lifted their joined hands to his mouth and kissed Elliot’s knuckles, as she’d done to him so long ago. Elliot burned so bright, she reckoned she could power the ship all on her own.
    The interior of the Argos was dim, filled with unfamiliar machines and curious instruments. Elliot’s heart raced, and her breath grew short, but then she felt Kai’s hand, tight and secure around hers. This was his ship. It was extraordinary.
    In the cabins, she found her bag and withdrew her grandfather’s compass. As always, the wheel spun and spun, but for once, Elliot knew exactly where she was headed.
    Kai chuckled when he saw it. “I suppose it’s fitting,” he said, “that we bring along something from the old world, as we sail off into the new.”
    “Tell me,” Elliot said. “How are you going to find your way?”
    He reached for her. “I’ll show you.”
    They climbed on the deck again. The night had arisen around them, the stars winking into life like the ones in the roof of the cavern sanctuary, but a thousand times more brilliant. Kai held firm to her with one hand, and pointed up with the other. “I can see them, Elliot. I can see them all. In the night, in the day, through clouds and storms and the setting sun.”
    She stared at him in wonder. This was his miracle, and he was sharing it with her. “Thank you,” she said, “for coming back for me.”
    “Elliot.” He bent his head close to hers, and looked deep into her eyes. His gaze was no longer strange to her. He was just her Kai, the man he’d been born to become. “No matter where I went, I always knew my way back to you. You are my compass star.”
    And he was hers.

Acknowledgments
     
    THEY NEED TO MAKE some kind of medal for editors who go above and beyond the call of duty. Kristin Rens, you are a goddess of patience. Were it not for a constancy rivaling Elliot North’s and your passionate belief in this story, I