Page 83 - DivineSparkRising II-TheMirrorofSilenceFinal

Nicholas Boothman
wound and teach them rest. The fewer words, the
fewer wars.”
The rooftops seemed to tilt. A woman on a
balcony folded her argument back into her throat
and set down the plate she had been about to
throw. A dog lay down and slept.
Carolina’s analyzer showed a dip in high-
frequency emotional noise. “She’s dampening
anger,” she said. “And curiosity.”
“Both bite,” Zhara said. “Both save.”
“Tangier,” Sofia said, softer. “You’ve always
known how to speak to strangers. Now learn how
to be still with them.”
4. Counterpoint
Sera stepped forward. Her face was bare, her
eyes steady. She hummed once—low, then lower. It
wasn’t a note you hear so much as a choosing your
body remembers to do.
The nearest screen flickered. Sofia’s cheek
haloed with artifact. A taxi windshield on the street
below jittered like nervous water. Somewhere a
stand of cheap sunglasses fell from its rack without
anyone touching them.
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