She could see tears in Thierry's eyes. He gently lifted her hand and kissed it. He didn't say anything, but something about his expression made Hannah's throat and chest fill with love..
Then he took her in his arms.
And Hannah was happy. So happy that she was crying a little, too.
She was with her flying companion-her playmate. The one who was sacred to her, who was the other half of the mysteries of life for her. The one who would always be there for her, helping her, watching her back, picking her up when she fell down, listening to her stories-no matter how many times she told them.
Loving her even when she was stupid. Understanding her without words. Being inside the innermost circle in her mind.
Her soulmate.
Things are going to be all right now, she thought.
Suddenly it was as if she could see the corridor of time again, but this time looking forward, not back.
She would go to college and become a paleontologist. And she and Thierry would work with Circle Daybreak and the Old Powers that were rising. They would be happy together, and they would help the world through the enormous changes that were coming.
The sadness would go out of Thierry's eyes.
They would love and discover and learn and explore. And Hannah would grow up and get older, and Thierry would love her just the same. And then one day, being human, she would go back to Mother Earth, like a wave going out to the ocean. Thierry would grieve for her-and wait for her.
And then they would start all over again.
One lifetime with him was enough, but Hannah sensed that there would be many. There would always be something new to learn.
Thierry moved, his breath warming her hair. "I almost forgot," he whispered. "You're seventeen today. Congratulations."
That's right, Hannah thought. She looked toward the window, startled and overwhelmed. The sky was turning pink now. She was seeing the dawn of her seventeenth birthday-something that had never happened before.
I've changed my destiny.
"I love you," she whispered to Thierry.
And then they just sat together, holding each other as the room filled with light.