Chapter 86

A character leaves a deceptive message for Kaan, claiming she prefers Tyroth as a breeding partner to protect her family line and the Aether Stone. She departs with emotional turmoil, carrying secrets about the youngling she expects and her true feelings for Kaan.

The narrator departs, leaving behind a parchment lark message for Kaan stating she has enjoyed their time together but believes Tyroth is a more gifted sire for breeding healthy younglings to maintain her family line and protect the Aether Stone. She experiences profound guilt and self-loathing over this lie, knowing that Kaan is actually everything to her and that she would sacrifice anything to watch him fly. The narrator carries an additional secret: she is pregnant with Kaan's youngling, a fact she cannot reveal to him. She is plagued by fear that she may not survive long enough to find a way to correct the deception. She reflects that Pah once thought her remarkable, but she now despises herself, unable to bear looking at her own reflection.