“Of course,there had only been one place to find her.The first one.The beginning.Daniel tumbled toward the first life, ready to wait there for as long as it would take Luce to make her way there,too. He would take her in his arms, whisper in her ear, At last. I found you.I will never let you do.”

“Daniel came up and walked beside her, and the other victor walked beside Ghanan.For the briefest instant,Daniel's fingertips grazed her bound wrists. Ix Caut tingled at the touch.Just outside the temple door,the four drummers were waiting on the ledge. They fell in line behind the processional and, as the party descended the pyramid's steep steps, played the same hectic beats Luce had heard when she'd first arrived in this life. Luce focused on walking,feeling as if she were riding a tide instead of choosing to put one foot in front of the other,down the pyramid,and then, at the base of the steps,along the wide, dusty path that led to her death.The drums were all she could hear, until Daniel leaned in and whispered, "I'm going to save you."Something deep inside Ix Caut soared. This was the first time he had ever spoken to her in this life."How?" she whispered back, leaning toward him,aching for him to free her and fly her far,far away."Don't worry." His fingertips found hers again,brushing them softly. "I promise,I'll take care of you."Tears stung her eyes.The ground was still searing the soles of her feet,and she was still marching to the place where Ix Caut was supposed to die, but for the first time since arriving in this life,Luce was not afraid.”

“With a loud whoosh he stretched his wings out,and then deftly wrapped them tight around her, a cradle of soft white holding the two of them fast."You really believe it?" she whispered. "That someday I'll live through this?""With all my heart and soul," he said, cupping her face in his hands, pulling his wings tighter around them both. "I will wait for you as long as it takes. I will love you every moment across time."By then,Luce was broiling hot. She cried out from the pain,thrashing in Daniel's arms as the heat overwhelmed her. She was burning his skin, but he never let her go.The moment had come. The starshot was tucked inside her dress,and this-right now-was when she would have used it.But she was never going to give up.Not on Daniel. Not when she knew,no matter how hard it got,that he would never give up on her.Her skin began to blister.The heat was so brutal,she could do nothing but shiver.And then she could only scream.Layla combusted,and as the flames engulfed her body,Luce felt her own body and the soul they were sharing untwine,seeking the fastest escape from the unforgiving heat. The column of fire grew taller and wider until it filled the room and the world,until it was everything,and Layla was nothing at all.”

“At last." He breathed into her, finding her lips. "You found me," she whispered. "Always.”

“Lucinda!" he shouted,but the beast had already dropped her.His whole world stopped.Daniel did not see where Lucifer went after that because he was diving across the sky toward Luce. The burning of her soul was so bright and so familiar. He shot forward, his wings clasped close to his body so that he fell faster than seemed possible, so fast that the world around him blurred.He reached out and-She landed in his arms.Immediately,his wings pulled forward, making a protective shield around her. She seemed startled at first,as if she'd just awakened from a terrible dream,and gazed deeply into his eyes, letting out all the air in her lungs. She touched his cheek,ran her fingers across the tingling ridges of his wings."At last." He breathed into her, finding her lips."You found me," she whispered."Always.”

“Eh? How 'bout that?" Bill nudged her. "Did I promise to show you love or did I promise to show you love?""Sure,they seem like they're in love." Luce shrugged. "But-""But what?Do you have any idea how painful that is? Look at that guy. He makes getting inked look like being caressed by a soft breeze."Luce squirmed on the branch. "Is that the lesson here? Pain equals love?""You tell me," Bill said. "It may surprise you to hear this,but the ladies aren't exactly banging down Bill's door.""I mean,if I tattooed Daniel's same on my body would that mean I loved him more than I already do?""It's a symbol,Luce." Bill let out a raspy sigh. "You're being too literal. Think about it this way: Daniel is the first good-looking boy LuLu has ever seen. Until he washed ashore a few months ago, this girl's whole world was her father and a few fat natives.""She's Miranda," Luce said, remembering the love story from The Tempest, which she'd read in her tenth-grade Shakespeare seminar."How very civilized of you!" Bill pursed his lips with approval. "They are liek Ferdinand and Miranda: The handsome foreigner shipwrecks on her shores-""So,of course it was love at first sight for LuLu," Luce murmured. This was what she was afraid of: the same thoughtless,automatic love that had bothered her in Helston."Right," Bill said. "She didn't have a choice but to fall for him.But what's interesting here is Daniel. You see, he didn't have to teach her to craft a woven sail, or gain her father's trust by producing a season's worth of fish to cure,or exhibit C"-Bill pointed at the lovers on the beach-"agree to tattoo his whole body according to her local custom.It would have been enough if Daniel had just shown up.LuLu would have loved him anyway.""He's doing it because-" Luce thought aloud. "Because he wants to earn her love.Because otherwise,he would just be taking advantage of their curse. Because no matter what kind of cycle they're bound to,his love for her is...true.”

“You're in there somewhere." He tapped at her collarbone. "You'll pop out again when-Well,when the time is right. But for now,you've slipped entirely inside your past. Like a cute little turtle in a borrowed shell.Except it's more than that.When you're in Lys's body, your very beings are entwined, so all sorts of good stuff comes with the package.Her memories,her passions,her manners-lucky for you.Of course,you also have to grapple with her shortcomings.This one,if I recall,puts her foot in her mouth with some regularity.So watch out.""Amazing," Luce whispered. "So if I could just find Daniel,I'd be able to feel exactly what she feels toward him.""Sure,I guess,but you do realize that once I snap my fingers,Lys has obligations at this ball that don't include Daniel.This isn't really his scene,and by that I mean,no way the guards would let a poor stable boy in here."Luce didn't care about any of that. Poor stable boy or not,she would find him. She couldn't wait. Inside Lys's body she could even hold him, maybe even kiss him.The anticipation of it was almost overwhelming."Hello?" Bill flicked a hard finger against her temple. "You ready yet? Get in there,see what you can see-then get out while the getting's good, if you know what I mean."Luce nodded.She straightened Lsys's black gown and held her head a little higher. "Snap to it.""And...go." Bill snapped his fingers.”