Three

Epilogue

They built a great pyre for him on the grounds of the Governor’s compound. Wren remembered the rituals Three had taught him, and had prepared and wrapped Three’s body just as he had been shown. They waited for dusk before he set the pyre ablaze, hoping it would be a fitting tribute to the man who had never feared the night. They sat together for long hours, Wren in Cass’s lap, watching until the last embers died quietly in the night, having taken into the wind the final traces of the man they had both come to love.

It was some time before the people of Morningside understood what had happened within the Governor’s compound. One of the guards inside had regained consciousness in time to witness the events, though few believed the story no matter how accurately retold. But of all the rumors and stories that swirled, one thing was universally agreed upon: Governor Underdown’s son had come to take his place, and things were going to change for the better.

Ran died of his many wounds, and was buried in a cemetery reserved for those who had given their lives to protect the Governor. He was greatly honored by the citizens of Morningside in his death, for the sacrifice he had made to save Wren.

Of all the changes, Cass was the most difficult for the people of Morningside to accept. She rarely left Wren’s side, serving as his counselor and his most trusted bodyguard. Many found her a terrifying reminder of the day that everything had changed. But she was the mother of Underdown’s son, mother to the one who had set things right, and if the people did not love her, they eventually came to accept her. And, after a time, she became known as the First of the Awakened.