Page 89 - DivineSparkRisingFinal

Nicholas Boothman
Henry rubbed his temples. “The south. Of
course. Every navigator began there. Every map
bent around that coast.”
He straightened, voice firm. “Then that’s where
we go. If Chorus is playing mirrors, I want to see
what’s staring back.”
The line cut. Silence.
Carolina stared at the blank screen, pulse
quickening. She knew that silence, Jinji weighing
whether to run or to reach.
“Don’t disappear on me,” Carolina said quietly,
leaning into the mic as if closeness could be carried
through wires. “You know I can’t do this without
you.”
Static hissed, long enough she almost thought
the tether was dead. Then Jinji’s voice, low and
wary: “It’s not your ‘without’ I’m worried about.
It’s him.”
Carolina glanced at Henry, who only lifted a
brow and stayed silent. “Then don’t do it for him.
Do it for me.”
Another beat of silence. Then a sigh, soft,
reluctant, alive. “Fine. But if this goes sideways, it’s
on your head.”
Jinji pulled the key free and slid it into her
pocket. For a moment she stared at her reflection in
89