Anne Bishop - Bridge of Dreams

::The furniture isn’t any better than what we had in the room near the Asylum,:: Sholeh said. ::But it isn’t any worse. And I can study again.::

*It sounds like you’re going to be doing more than studying,* Zhahar said.

=Did we get stuck in the northwest part of Vision because we were scared?= Zeela asked. =Or because I needed to earn some credentials that would help us?=

The heart has no secrets. *Maybe a little of both,* Zhahar replied. *Or maybe we weren’t ready to come here.*

::If we had reached this place too soon, we would have brought the taboos with us,:: Sholeh said thoughtfully. ::Even though we believed they were wrong.::

Opportunities and choices. New life, fresh start.

They unpacked. Deciding which shelf would hold Sholeh’s books was easy. Deciding where to put Zeela’s weapons ended in a lively discussion that wasn’t completely settled. When Zhahar unwrapped the Three Faces and the Third Eye, she automatically opened a drawer to hide them away.

“We’re done hiding,” she said as she set the Tryad’s spiritual symbols on the dresser. Between them, she placed the little bag that held the one-shot bridge Sebastian had given her—a reminder of acceptance…and possibilities.

That much done, she stopped so they all had time to wash up for dinner.

Just when she began to wonder if Danyal had forgotten about the key, someone knocked on the door.

She opened the door and couldn’t do anything but stare.

His black hair had gotten longer, and when he removed the dark glasses, his green eyes were clear.

“Lee,” she whispered, filled with so much hope it felt painful. “Lee.”

Smiling, he held out a hand and waited for her to slip her hand into his.

“Hello, Sholeh Zeela a Zhahar,” he said. “My name is Lee. I’m the Bridge at Seeing Heart. I hear we’re going to be working together.”

Yes, we are , she thought as he drew her into the hallway, locked her door, and handed her the key. Yes, we are.

And maybe, if his feelings for her hadn’t changed, they would be able to do more.