25
Kiria
Kiria didn’t sleep that night. She kept running her hand over the neck of the lyra until she was afraid she would destroy the strings with the constant friction. She had no appetite, so fasting wasn’t a burden.
It would be a strange Dedication Day without Chetana. She had always been a key figure in the holiday since Kiria was a child. She and Jori and Atty would complain about having no food to eat, and then they’d all go to the upper room of the Amiran Academy and listen to the new composition. During the music and recitations, she, at least, would regret her earlier griping. The holiness of the moment would envelop her as it always did and she would thank God for all they’d been given. The day before usually gave her some trepidation because of the seriousness of it all, but
