Chapter 177: A Few Answers
After midnight, Noir was buried in a small ceremony, on the grounds of the Lumin estate.
Only Kir, Sam, Kordia, Amarena, and Stella attended, with Lumin standing nearby.
Sam was distraught. Kir couldn’t blame them. They were pregnant. They’d lost all their friends.
Kir wished he could have been more present, but he’d been exhausted. He slept all through the day until evening, when he finally awoke to take care of his needs. Then, once more, he’d slept, until the next morning when Lumin arrived for a visit.
He’d been lying there with Kordia and Stella, who were still sleeping. He was staring up at the canopy over the bed, trying not to think. Amarena was passed out on the couch. Last night, they’d done little things to comfort each other.
Stella and Kir had been the most hurt, and Amarena seemed hurt as well, though she covered it up with antagonistic bluster. Kordia had been supportive, worried more for them because she hadn’t known Noir all that long.
As soon as the latch started to click, Kir sat up. By the time Lumin entered, with Terry behind her bearing a tray piled high with breakfast foods, Kir was sitting on the side of the bed, draped in a blanket. She came to stand before him as Terry placed the tray on a small table.
"Chancellor," Kir greeted robotically. "Should I get dressed?" He’d worn the same clothes until yesterday when he’d finally undressed to bathe with Kordia.
"No need. Besides, your clothes are filthy, except for your uniform pants, which are merely damaged. If you wish it, I shall have Terry fetch something your size. But don’t worry for now. I have little time before the provisional City Council meets, butI wanted to be here to answer some questions. No doubt you have many."