Shards For His Gift: Curse Breaker, #11

By Melinda Kucsera

While Sarn recuperates from his wounds and deals with his sentient magic, a strange gift arrives without any information about who sent it or why. Only a handful people know where he's staying now, and none would send him a gift.

For his son, this present is a mystery that must be solved if he could just get his hands on it. But everyone conspires to keep it away from him until the commander of the Rangers goes in search of the dragons under the mountain. Then everyone suddenly has larger problems than where the mysterious crystal came from.

Ran gets more than he bargained for when the gift does a lot more than glow. Once again, Sarn must rise from his sickbed and save his son, this time, from the clutches of a magical crystal.

This cozier fantasy adventure picks up where Curse Breaker Revealed leaves off and answers the question: what will happen now that Sarn's biggest secret is revealed?

• Language: English
• Publisher: Melinda Kucsera
• Release date: Jun 11, 2023
• ISBN: 9798215358146

Melinda Kucsera

I write fantasy and science fiction novels and short stories usually at sword point. Everyone should have such eager characters......Hello readers!Yes, this is a fictional character speaking to you. My fellow characters just locked our scribe (Melinda) in a tower. She needs to finish our latest adventure.Want to meet us? Hop on over to get our first adventure for FREE: http://www.mkucsera.com/enchantedWe’re eager to entertain you with our magical mayhem. So go download our book! We're waiting for you.

Book preview

Copyright

Shards for his gift is © 2023 by Melinda Kucsera

Cover design © 2023 by Melinda Kucsera

All rights reserved. No part of this publication may be reproduced, distributed, or transmitted in any form or by any means, including photocopying, recording, or other electronic or mechanical methods, without the prior written permission of the publisher, except in the case of brief quotations embodied in critical reviews and certain other noncommercial uses permitted by copyright law.

Table of Contents

Copyright

Table of Contents

The Curse Breaker Series

Curse Breaker Boxed Sets

Want Free Stuff?

Would You Leave A Review?

Acknowledgments

Knock, Knock

It Shouldn’t Bind Me

The Gift

Are We Okay?

A Strange Light

Another Unexpected Visitor

Nothing’s The Same

Another Magical Box

A Bright Visitor

He Did What?

A Strange Twist

Who Are You?

Take Him Home

The Bonds of Brotherhood

Things Aren’t What They Seem

Nighttime Wanderings

Dreams Of Trees

Kindred Trees

Shadows On The Heart

Where’s The Box?

Hope Bends Its Knee

Forgetting Something

Talking With Magic

Crystal Dreams

Who Do You Fear?

Tell Me

Are They A Secret?

The Weight of Worry

Dragons Over Cookies

Shield Me Too

He Casts A Long Shadow

Dragons Over Crystals

Cookies Or Dragons?

Dragons Over Hypotheticals

Nothing Wrong With Me

Icons Over Dragons

Misbehaving Mates

Dragons Over Mages

Blind Spots

Island of Hope

Mapping Problems

This Can’t Happen Again

Sense And Nonsense

Shadows Under the Door

I Just Do The Paperwork

Pendant Problems

Hollow Victory

The Descent

The Lost & The Trespassers

Summon Help

A Note From the Scribe

Would You Leave A Review?

Want Free Stuff?

Memoriam

About The Author

I’d Love To Hear From You!

The Curse Breaker Series

Curse Breaker Boxed Sets

His Angelic Keeper Series

Curse Breaker’s Companion

Robin of Larkspur

Divergent Heroes

The Curse Breaker Series

A high-fantasy action/adventure series full of magic and mayhem with a Christian bent.

Other books in the Curse Breaker Series:

(Suggested Reading Order)

CURSE BREAKER: ENCHANTED

HIS ANGELIC KEEPER

CURSE BREAKER: DARKENS

CURSE BREAKER: FACETED

CURSE BREAKER: FALLS

CURSE BREAKER: SUNDERED

HIS ANGELIC KEEPER: HIDDEN

CURSE BREAKER: HIDDEN

SPELL OF SHADOW & LIGHT

HIS ANGELIC KEEPER FALLEN

HIS ANGELIC KEEPER TEMPTED

CURSE BREAKER FALLOUT

CURSE BREAKER TRAPPED

CURSE BREAKER REVEALED

CHAOS RISES*

SHARDS FOR HIS GIFT

CHASING DRAGONS

CURSE BREAKER JOUSTS

Curse Breaker Boxed Sets

CURSE BREAKER BOOKS 1-3

(Includes Curse Breaker Enchanted, Curse Breaker Darkens, and Curse Breaker Faceted)

CURSE BREAKER BOOKS 4-6

(Includes Curse Breaker Falls, Curse Breaker Sundered, and Curse Breaker Hidden)

HIS ANGELIC KEEPER BOOKS 1-3

(Includes His Angelic Keeper, His Angelic Keeper Hidden, and His Angelic Keeper Fallen)

CURSE BREAKER BOOKS 7-9

(Includes Curse Breaker Fallout, Curse Breaker Trapped, and Curse Breaker Revealed)

Want Free Stuff?

So do we! Who are we? We’re the stars of the Curse Breaker series. Subscribe to our newsletter to get exclusive content, advanced access to extended previews, and our weekly adventure series delivered safely to your inbox by our digital dragon. Go to www.mkucsera.com/welcomecharacters now to sign up. 

—The cast of the Curse Breaker Series

Would You Leave A Review?

As fictional characters, we appreciate the feedback we receive. Reviews also help readers choose our book. Since we exist only when someone’s reading our stories, reviews are very important to us. So, if you’re enjoying the magical mayhem in this book, please consider letting everyone know by leaving a review. And tell everyone you meet about us.

Thank you for reading Shards For His Gift.

Acknowledgments

Thank you to all our supporters on Patreon especially: 

 Glenda Andre

Without your generous support, this book might not have happened. Thank you so much for being a part of this journey. 

If you would like to support the series you love and help me get the books out faster, then head over to Patreon to join us. Read my books before anyone else. Get thanked in the next book along with whatever else Ran dreams up.

--Melinda Kucsera

Knock, Knock

(This story takes place after Curse Breaker Revealed and refers to events in that book.)

Ran opened the door, but the hallway was empty, aside from the statues frozen in fight sequences scattered about. They glared at him with glowing crystal eyes, but Ran ignored them because they did that every day. Pairs of halo-wearing statues flanked the door too, but they weren’t fighting or staring at him. Those statues just looked at each other, but they didn’t knock on the door. Statues couldn’t do that. So, who knocked?

Ran glanced around again in case he missed something. Bluish light shone down on him from the lumir crystal mosaic on the ceiling, high overhead as movement caught his eye. Either a shadow flitted around the bend, or he just glimpsed the mysterious knocker.

Even if the knocker ran, could they reach the bend in the hallway without him seeing them? The shadow was small, so it might just be a cat running away when it heard him open the door. A cat could have run behind the statues, and he wouldn’t have seen it.

Where did the knocker go? Ran glanced at the woman statue cradling a male statue that would have slid off her lap if he wasn’t made of stone.

Neither statue answered him. Ran listened, but he just heard a faint echo of footsteps in the main transept. I could go to the bend and look. But that meant leaving Inari and Nolo’s flat, and he wasn’t supposed to do that without Papa or Uncle Miren. I won’t do it. Papa got hurt really bad the last time I went out without permission.

It was my fault Papa got hurt. Ran gripped the door. It was an inch thick and made of the same stuff as Nulthir’s door, but it wasn’t wood. Uncle Miren said all the wood in Shayari was enchanted, and that was why the door wasn’t made of wood. No one ever said what the door was made of, but it was hard like wood and striated too. Maybe the door was made of stone?

What are you doing? Nerule asked from behind him. He was Inari and Nolo’s son, and he was a bunch of years older than Ran and a bunch of years younger than Uncle Miren. But he seemed like a nice boy.

I heard someone knock at the door, so I went to see who it was. But there was no one out here when I opened the door. Ran swung the door wide open to show him. See?

Nerule looked more like his dark-skinned father than his mother, but he was more talkative than his dad. Nolo brooded a lot, but he had an important job, according to Uncle Miren. Inari was always sunny, and some of that sunniness had rubbed off on her son because he was smiling. Why was he smiling?

I see. What’s that on the doormat? Nerule pointed.

Ran spun and stared. There was a shiny blue box on the mat. That wasn’t there when I opened the door.

A ribbon wrapped around the box, and someone tied it into a big bow that tickled his fingers when he reached to pick up the gift. I never saw a box like that before. The box shimmered in the lumir crystal light like it was a crystal, but it would be cold and hard if it was, and the box wasn’t like that.

It must be for someone in your family. That was only logical since Nerule’s parents owned the apartment. Who was it for? It’s probably not for me. Only a few people know I live here. None had visited, but Ran hoped Furball would since Nulthir’s flat was just on the other side of this floor.

But Furball might be grounded after their little adventure went awry a few days ago. We were just looking for Saveen, so we could meet his mom and find out what happened to the baby dragon. Ran hung his head.

He still couldn’t believe an adult dragon lived somewhere under the mountain. But his friend was a baby dragon, so his mom couldn’t be anything else because that wouldn’t make sense. Besides, Shayari was a magical country. If it could have mages, then why not dragons too?

I still want to meet her. But Ran shuddered at the thought of descending to the Lower Quarters again. That’s where everything had gone wrong three days ago.

Who’s the gift for? Nerule rounded the couch, but he left his door ajar. The mysterious gift was more interesting than finding out what was in his room, so Ran stayed in the doorway, unsure about what to do now.

I don’t know. I don’t know how to read yet. Ran pointed to the card tucked under the bow. Can you read it? Ran hoped so because otherwise, he’d have to disturb Uncle Miren, and he didn’t want to do that. His brave uncle needed to rest and stop worrying about Papa.

I’ll worry about him since he got hurt to save me. Ran glanced at the door across from Uncle Miren’s, and worry weighed him down. The door was also ajar because he didn’t close it when he raced to the front door. Through that gap, light fell, but it wasn’t green because Papa must sleep, or his wounds wouldn’t heal. So that light came from the window or a lumir crystal since Papa hated darkness.

Yes, I go to school like your uncle. Let me see it. Nerule took the gift from his nerveless hands before it could fall and studied the card. It’s for you.

Ran opened his mouth, but no words came out. For a moment, he knew how Papa felt when words failed him. Who sent me a gift? Does it say on the card? Because the only people who gave him things were in this flat. So they couldn’t have left it on the doorstep. Besides, it wouldn’t make sense for them to leave a gift out there when they could just hand it to him.

I only have two friends, Furball and Saveen. But they wouldn’t leave a gift and run. They would have waited until I opened the door and at least said hello and maybe came in for a cup of milk and a cookie. Inari always had cookies. Ran glanced at the kitchen, which lay beyond the couches in the living room, and the dining table and its chairs. I don’t deserve a cookie. Not when Papa couldn’t eat anything but gruel until the wounds in his stomach healed.

Will you open it and see what’s inside? Nerule held the box out. He was much taller than Ran, but that made sense since Nerule was like double his age or something.

Yes! But it’s a pretty package, so I must be careful. Ran hurried to the couch and left the apartment door open.

Nerule closed it, then followed him. Do you want help with that?

Sure. Ran plopped onto the couch. It was nice living in a place with furniture to sit on, and it had windows too that overlooked the meadow spreading from the rocky feet of Mount Eredren. Their previous two homes, a damp cave in the Lower Quarters, and Nulthir’s cramped apartment didn’t have much furniture. Nulthir’s flat had windows, but not as many as Inari’s and Nolo’s flat.

Light shined in through the kitchen window and spotlit a napkin-covered plate. A pitcher of tea stood next to it, but Ran wasn’t hungry, not when he had a mystery on his hands. Another couch faced this one, but no one sat there now. A blanket covered the place where Papa bled through the red-stained gauze wrapped around his waist. Was that only three days ago? It felt like more time passed.

A bad person stabbed him twice, Uncle Miren said the other day.

But Ran wasn’t supposed to know that since he’d listened in when his uncle explained what happened to Nolo and Inari. Then Papa was unconscious and couldn’t explain anything, so that task fell to his brother. Papa’s in big trouble because of me. Ran stared at the box on his lap as other things he’d overheard since coming here rattled around in his mind and heart.

I wish I’d known about the boy sooner. I’d have found him a good home, Nolo said, just last night, but Inari stayed silent.

Ran blinked when tears blurred the present sitting on his lap. It was taller and wider than his two hands, side by side. I don’t deserve this gift. Ran set it on the low table between the couches.

Nerule sat opposite him and leaned forward. Why not? You’ve only been here a few days, but you were very good during that time.

Not good enough. Ran hugged himself as tears slid down his cheeks. Worry wrapped hot hands around him and squeezed. What if Papa didn’t get better? If I was better, then Papa wouldn’t be hurt right now.

That’s not true. Those people were bad. They would have come after your father at another time. Uncle Miren opened the door on the other side of the living room. You were just in the wrong place at the wrong time, and they took advantage of that, but it wasn’t your fault.

Do you really think so? Ran rubbed his eyes as Uncle Miren sat next to him.

Yes, I do. You’re the best little boy in the world. Uncle Miren put an arm around his shoulders and gathered him in for a hug.

Ran leaned into his brave uncle. What about Papa? Will he— Ran broke off unable to say the word, but he must know, even if the answer scared him.

No, your father’s a fighter. He’ll get better. It just might take a while since we don’t know how much healing that ghost could do through the Ranger’s medic. But it didn’t sound like Uncle Miren believed what he was saying. Nor did he smile. He wore the same serious expression as always, just minus the furrow in his brow because he wasn’t doing schoolwork right now. But he regarded Ran steadily with his warm brown eyes, and that dared him to hope his uncle was right.

It was kind of far-fetched, though. Ghosts didn’t usually possess people and use their bodies to heal other people. But the ghost man wouldn’t have done that if Auntie Sovvan didn’t make a deal with him. I hope Auntie Sovvan’s okay. After all, she took the ghost with her when she left.

She’s fine. Uncle Miren squeezed him tight.

How do you know that? Ran leaned into him.

She can walk through walls. Trust me. She’s fine. Uncle Miren rested his chin on his head, and he was probably right. Auntie Sovvan was a tough lady, but she always seemed a bit lost.

Don’t take this the wrong way, but is your aunt an angel? I’m only asking because she had wings and a halo, and only angels have that. Nerule held both hands up in surrender. Oh right, he saw her because the healing and making a deal thing happened in this apartment, while Papa lay right where Nerule sat.

Ran blinked to clear his sight. Yes, she is. It’s a long story how she got that way, but I ‘member enough to tell you if you want, just not now. Ran wiped his eyes on his sleeve and felt a bit lighter since he let the sadness out. Papa always said it was a good idea to do that. Bottling things up just made you feel worse, or so he said, and he was always right. Ran glanced at the door to the room where Papa rested.

What’s this? Uncle Miren picked the gift up off the table and studied it.

It’s a present, and Nerule says it’s for me. But it doesn’t say who it’s from. Ran no longer felt like opening it. He stared at the door he left partially a jar. Was Papa really healing like Uncle Miren said?

It Shouldn’t Bind Me

Sarn couldn’t see anything except darkness. Go away. I need to see. But there was no light of any color, just darkness without end or shape. But there should be light. Why aren’t my eyes glowing?

Papa! Don’t worry. I’m coming, Ran said, and his voice echoed.

Where are you, son? Sarn scanned the darkness, but there was no sign of his son. Nor did he hear the boy’s footsteps, and Ran wasn’t a quiet child. But the boy didn’t reply either. Doesn’t he hear me?

Sarn reached for his magic to banish this darkness, but it didn’t come. Where’s my magic? He would have stared at his hands in horror if he could see them. Wasn’t his magic inside him?

Yes, it was. He felt its presence like a covered flame within him. Why wasn’t it responding?

A flash of memory provided a clue and a question. Are you mad at me again? Sarn recalled talking to his magic a while ago. That was a recent event, wasn’t it?

Yes, it was. Why did I talk to my magic? When the answer came, he felt weak and would have collapsed if he was standing. But he didn’t think he was because he couldn’t feel the ground under his feet, and he always felt its presence, even when wearing boots and thick socks.

Am I lying down? Why would I be? As Sarn cast about for a reason, a dull ache in his belly and back throbbed, and he felt again the sharp bite of the blade stabbing him. Missing once was an accident. I should have stopped the second stab. But he didn’t. I was tired and my magic was too. Where are you, magic? Why won’t you answer me?

A green light kindled in the dark, and the light divided into a roughly man-shaped cloud, shining in the dark. But it didn’t shed any light on his surroundings.

Why didn’t you come when I called? Sarn couldn’t tell if his magic stood across from him or floated above him. Everything was so topsy-turvy. Or maybe it’s just me. My head’s spinning.

Why couldn’t we fight him? His magic leaned forward as two brighter spots appeared in its face, and they stared at him like a pair of pupilless eyes.

You’re talking about Hadrovel. Sarn closed his eyes. He didn’t want to see that man’s face or remember his return. He’s gone now. We never need to deal with him again. That was all thanks to his sister, Sovvan. I owe her for that.

Yes, him. Why couldn’t we resist him? He controlled us, and we didn’t like it. We want to know why. His magic sat beside him, illuminating a bed, but nothing more.

Fear choked Sarn, and he couldn’t breathe for a moment. I can’t black out. I must get a grip on the fear and get out of here. When the constriction eased, he reached for his head map, but nothing happened. His magic just sat there, waiting for an answer.

Am I in the infirmary? Answer me. That place isn’t safe for us. Sarn tried to sit up, but a glowing green arm shot out and stopped him.

No, you’re not in that place.

Then where are we? Sarn glanced around, but his magic still didn’t light anything more than the bed, and him lying there.

Somewhere safe. His magic waved away that concern. Why couldn’t we resist him? We belong to you, not him. He shouldn’t have any power over us. Why did he have that? His magic leaned forward until they were almost nose-to-nose.

You couldn’t disobey him because I couldn’t. Sarn dropped his magic’s fiery green eyes.

Why couldn’t we? Answer us! His magic banged his fist on the bed, but the mountain didn’t shake.

Sarn covered his magic’s glowing fist, blotting out some of its light. Because I made a promise. I didn’t want to, but I had no choice. I wanted my brother to go to school, and that was the price.

No. You promised another man, not that monster. We hate him. His magic shook his glowing green head.

Either Sarn was imagining it or the glowing man sitting at his bedside was starting to look and sound like him. I must be imagining that. He rubbed his eyes. Yes, that’s true, but I also promised to obey anyone that man told me to obey.

Yes, we know this. We’ve been with you for many years, and we were there when you promised that. But it shouldn’t bind us. Why did it? His magic shot across the room and reformed by a window.

Where under Mount Eredren was there a window? It must be one of the above ground levels. If only he could rise and go to that window. The view should tell him where he was since his magic wouldn’t. It wasn’t normally this stingy with information. Why was it acting like this?

Why did that promise force us to obey him? His magic slammed a green fist into the windowsill, and it flexed. But didn’t crumble because it was stone, and this magic loved stonework too much to harm it just to make a point.

I don’t know. Sarn rolled onto his side and stopped when that movement pulled on his healing wounds.

But you have a guess? I know you do. His magic gazed out the window, but it still wouldn’t let any of its light extend beyond that window.

I have another type of magic. Sarn glanced away. He didn’t want that other magic, but he was stuck with it.

You only need me. You don’t need it.

That’s true, but I still have it. For all the good it had done him. Sarn closed his eyes and tried to ignore the throbbing in his back and belly. He hoped the pain was a sign the wounds were healing, but he couldn’t confirm that because neither magic he had access to could heal anything. So far, that white magic was more trouble than it was worth. His earth magic was far more useful, even though it had a mind of its own.

I wish it couldn’t bind you. But I don’t think I can stop it. And that was the worst part of all this. That white magic had more power over him than he had over it and no wishing that were otherwise would change it. Sarn sighed because there wasn’t anything else he could do right now.

It works on promises, yes? His earth magic shot across the room and reappeared at his bedside.

From what I understand, yes, but I don’t know if it’s limited to that. Sarn felt impelled to point out. So much of that white magic was a mystery because it only came when it wanted to, rarely ever when he called it, unlike his earth magic.

Promise it will never bind me. Promise me, and that should fix it.

No! A white light gathered at the other end of the room.

Oh great, now his other magic wanted to chat. Sarn groaned.

Yes, I won’t do your bidding. His earth magic shot across the room and appeared near the cloud of white magic, but it retained its human shape. His white magic stayed a shimmering cloud.

You must. You’re part of something bigger. While I just am. The white cloud expanded like it was spreading its arms to encompass something larger than itself.

His earth magic raked the white cloud with a glare. Well, you can’t have him. He belongs to me. We are an earth mage, not whatever you are. The glowing green man gestured to Sarn.

This must be why none of the old tales talk about mages having access to more than one power. All they do is fight. Sarn would have shaken his head if he wasn’t lying down with a soft pillow under his head. Darkness eclipsed the room as the green light winked out.

But we don’t fight, his earth magic said in his mind as it settled over him like a warm blanket. You and I are one, and we protect everyone.

Yes, we do. Sarn opened his eyes, and that familiar green glow wreathed his sight as it illuminated a bedside table laden with a pitcher, a glass, and covered dishes. There was a closet, a writing table, and a padded chair like the ones in the library in a corner by a small table with a book on it. But something else caught his gaze. Above a dresser, a mirror hung on the wall, and it reflected the glow of his eyes back at him.

Where am I? Who had enough money to buy a real mirror? He felt the silver covering the glass from across the room. It called to him. What do I look like now?

It had been years since he’d dared to look upon his face. What must I look like after so many trials and tribulations? Were his scars still visible? Part of Sarn didn’t want to know, but the rest was curious. He’d seen Ran’s face countless times and wondered about his own. Everyone said they looked startlingly alike. And I don’t look like my mother.

Neither did Sovvan, though. But she was his twin sister, so she should look like him. Sarn almost laughed at himself for framing it that way when she was the elder of the two of them, and she liked to remind him about that at every opportunity. But he sobered as the mirror beckoned to him. If I look in that mirror, will I see myself or the face of the father I never knew?

Running footsteps startled him out of his thoughts. Sarn put the question aside. His body felt heavy, though some of the dizziness faded when his magic stopped interrogating him. Perhaps he’d just lie here since he didn’t have the energy to rise. He could look in the mirror later if he dared or not at all. I don’t have to look. I’ve had this face for twenty years and only a vague idea of what I look like.

Sarn rolled slowly and painfully onto his other side to face the door as it swung wide open, and a small shadow rushed in.

The Gift

You should open it. Uncle Miren nudged him with his elbow.

No, only good boys get presents, and I’m not a good boy. You almost got hurt when those bad people came looking for me. Ran sniffled as tears rolled down his face again.

He could still feel the bad man’s arm around his legs and his hard shoulder digging into his belly when the bad man carried him off, even though he was free now. Uncle Miren had found him in the dark room they’d left him in, of course, because that’s what uncles did.

Isaiah also popped in for a visit. But my angel only did that because I said I’ll tell Auntie Sovvan that he left me alone in the dark. Ran almost laughed when he remembered his guardian angel’s reaction to that threat. I would have told her too because she needed to know such things.

You are a good boy. One mistake doesn’t make you bad. It just makes you human, like the rest of us. We all make mistakes. Uncle Miren tried to hand him the gift again.

You really think so? Ran knuckled his eyes as he remembered a sharp knife stabbing at his uncle.

But I didn’t get hurt, and we’re okay now. Uncle Miren set the gift on the couch next to him and hugged Ran until the tears dried on his cheeks.

You’re okay, not because of me. If Auntie Sovvan didn’t come when she did, then you’d be hurt and— Ran trailed off because he couldn’t say the word ‘dying.’

Hey, I fended that guy off for a while with my trusty crutch, and I’d have kept doing that even if she hadn’t come. But I appreciate her help. Uncle Miren squeezed him tight again.

Ran laughed despite everything, and the sadness eased its grip on him, so it wasn’t crushing him anymore. That was funny when she said, ‘you have something that belongs to me.’ Ran loved his aunt, but he still wished Papa came to help them instead.

Papa didn’t find them until later because he got hurt really bad. I hope you’ll be okay, Papa, like Uncle Miren says. But it was hard to believe it after what that medic said. Ran wiped his eyes on his sleeve.

Your dad will be okay. He won’t let a couple of stab wounds stop him for long. You’ll see. Uncle Miren let go, so he could tweak his nose. Do you feel better now?

Ran nodded because he did feel a little better, but there was still a big ball of sadness inside him, and it wouldn’t go away until Papa got better.

Good. Now open your gift. I want to see what’s inside. Uncle Miren placed the package on his lap.

You open it. Your birthday is coming. Ran pronounced ‘birthday’ with an ‘f’ in the middle of the word to get a rise out of his uncle, but he got a one-armed hug instead. He needed that more than a correction, though.

My birthday isn’t for a few weeks yet, and this gift is addressed to you. You should open it. Uncle Miren tapped the gift sitting on Ran’s lap, and it shimmered in the gold light of the lumir crystals on the lacy gold thing overhead.

Round thingies set in the stone ceiling reflected the light in pretty patterns, ensuring it reached every corner of the space. I hope we can stay here. Ran turned the gift and searched for how to open it.

I just pull this to untie it, right? Ran tapped the pretty blue ribbon before thoughts about home could depress him again.

Yes. The bow should fall apart if you do. Uncle Miren gripped his knees.

Ran pulled, and the bow untied itself like magic. But the ribbon didn’t glow, so it probably didn’t have any magic at all. Oh well. It was soft, so he draped it around his neck like a skinny scarf.

What’s the box made of? Ran touched it. The box was cold and smooth like a polished crystal, but it wasn’t transparent like a crystal should be. Asking what it was made of delayed the opening part, and Ran needed to do that to keep the sadness at bay.

That is a pretty box. Nerule leaned forward to examine it. He still sat on the couch across from them, but he was so quiet, Ran forgot he was there during the whole crying thing. But Nerule didn’t even mention it. Maybe he knew how important it was to let the sadness out.

Yes, it is. I think it’s made from some kind of rock. Uncle Miren tapped on the box, and it made the same dull sound as a fingernail striking a rock.

It could be made from some kind of shell. That would also make it shine in the light. Nerule shrugged, but he smiled because this had become a puzzle, and his smile was contagious.

Ran found himself smiling too, and the sadness and worry faded some. I never saw a shell like this. It’s too big.

No, it’s not. I’ve seen plenty of larger ones along the River Nirthal. Next summer, I’ll show them to you. Nerule said that like he believed, they would still be here next summer. But that was many months from now, and there was some trouble