Page 360 of Black Reign

The silhouette of the old pear tree.

“What did your father mean?”

I look at him.

“What?”

“You just changed.”

Naturally he noticed.

I pull the blanket around myself.

“He used to tell me stars were code.”

“I remember.”

“No.”

I shake my head.

“I mean constantly. Not only when we were looking at them.”

Something begins moving inside my memory.

Old.

Dusty.

A feeling more than an image.

Papa in his study.

The telescope.

Me underneath it because I was small enough to crawl between the tripod legs.

A tiny star scratched into⁠—

I stop breathing.

Xavier sits up.

“Sabine.”

“The telescope.”

“What about it?”

I am already getting to my feet.

“Sabine.”

I grab my dress.

“My father's telescope.”

“Slow down.”