A/N: Dear, dear FictionPress Readers,

I have, after exactly one year, completed (and completed the editing of) Aigaion Girl. I am currently tweaking the layout and will be self publishing very shortly. As soon as it's available in print, those of you who requested one will receive a PM, with information on the changes to the story, where you can buy it and any other news or useful information that may have cropped up between now and then. Shortly thereafter, Aigaion Girl will be taken off FictionPress permanently. If you would like to receive a PM when Aigaion Girl becomes available and aren't already slated to get one, please let me know.

And now, because I said there was a new chapter up and it was really this, please enjoy the following excerpt from an upcoming and entirely unrelated story:

“You're smiling. Why are you smiling?”

The girl shrugged her shoulders. “Because I like to see horrible things come to an end.”

“Does that include that smile? I'd like to see that come to an end.”

Her features straightened. “Yes, Sir. Of course, Sir. Returning to emotionless professionalism now, Sir.”

The man looked at her uneasily. “That's not what I meant. And you can cut it out with all of that Sir stuff; You're—”

“Dying? I know, Sir.” As if proving the point, her legs buckled under her. She fell forward onto her knees. “Sorry, Sir. You were saying?”

“Damn it, girl, stop calling me that, d'y'hear?”

She started to sigh, but it turned into several long coughs. When the fit subsided, she said, “So what do I call you?”

“Name's Polgrave. You can call me—”

“Polly?” the girl suggested, her smile returning.

Polgrave looked positively livid, then annoyed, then resigned. “Fine. Polly. What'd' I call you?”

Her smile faded. “You know my desi—”

“Yeah, and I'm asking your name.”

She smiled again, with tears in her eyes. “It's Sky, Sir.”