Grace stepped right up to her and hugged her. "Sister, it's been too long."

Her sister hugged her back, and for a moment, they just held each other.

Grace had enough and let go of her and stepped back. "As the future queen, Morgaine, you never leave our home. When I received word you were in the area and looking for me, I couldn't believe it. Mother never lets you leave home."

Morgaine's smile faltered. "Yes, well, these are extraordinary times, my dearest big sister. Mother sent me since I can always find you.

And you know she cannot leave our ancestral home."

Grace only nodded. Her mother was the Queen of the Night Fae and the Unseelie Court. She was Linked permanently to the core of their city.

She drew its power and enabled all the great works of the Night Fae.

Morgaine looked a little whimsical. "Father sends his regards."

“Your father. Not mine."

“Not true. He loves you as his own, you know that.”

Grace only glared at her. This was a touchy subject, and Grace was not in the mood to rehash old arguments. "Why are you here? What is so important that you risk leaving our home?"

"Yanwey is no more."

Grace looked shocked. “What do you mean, no more?"

"It is nothing but ash. All were killed. The buildings levelled. A crater is all that remains."

Grace suddenly felt like sitting down. Her limbs trembled. "Ash, you say? Burned to the ground?"

Morgaine nodded, her face barely holding back her grief. “I am so sorry, Grace. This is not the best way to tell you. But I thought it best to just get to it."

"I had heard a city to the south had been attacked. But I never guessed Yanwey, its... my Gods..." Grace's voice broke.

Morgaine stepped forward and took her hands in hers. "It is why mother sent me. To have you hear it from her lips to my ears and from my lips to your ears. So you know it to be true."

"It was the egg, wasn't it?"

Morgaine looked around and found a suitable fallen log. She pulled her sister down and sat next to her and held her hands. "No. It was the Phoenix. He came from the Wilds. Unerringly, it would seem. We suspect the Light Fae had captured the egg and hid it in Yanwey, but someone knew, and we think they alerted the Phoenix. He arrived and scorched the earth. None survived. Including the Phoenix. He was badly hurt and fell. On his death, Grace, he wasn't reborn, no egg remained behind."

Grace's mind was in a whirl. She heard the words, but all she could see were her memories of Yanwey. The faces of her dearest friends.

The streets, the laughter, the adventures. Grief rose thick and heavy, and she held back a sob. Morgaine scooted closer and held her as Grace's shoulders heaved with her sorrow.

In time, she pushed her grief aside. Her mind was in turmoil trying to understand everything. She wiped at her eyes. "What do you mean, no egg was left behind?"

“Exactly what I said. At the site of the conflagration, nothing remained behind. We do not understand. The Phoenix should have completed his life cycle and returned to his egg form. But nothing remained. The female should have hatched, but she didn't. We understand you delivered her egg to the King to fulfil your oath, and that geas is lifted from you.