Page 190 - DivineSparkRising II-TheMirrorofSilenceFinal

Divine Spark Rising
She laid her palm flat on the book and felt the
paper warm to the idea that it was being needed.
Sera knelt and touched the thin water. Ripples
moved outward with a dignity that made Henry
want to apologize for every loud thing he had ever
been. She traced the pulse alphabet in the pool —
the pattern visible for an instant and then invisible
because water refuses to memorize.
Jinji’s voice was a whisper of grin. One more
door, she said. Not a mirror’s door. A human one.
“How do we open it?” Henry asked.
With the word that won’t be spoken, Jinji said.
Which is to say —
“—we do it,” Carolina finished, and her voice
did not break.
They stood in a triangle around the pedestal. No
one prayed. Each did a small thing that meant
more than it looked.
Henry lifted the cracked mug and set it on the
floor where water lapped its base. Hold.
Carolina tapped the J-0 reader once but didn’t
start it. Wait.
Sera rested two fingers on Serpa’s notebook,
then on Henry’s wrist, then on Carolina’s. With.
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