A/N: And here is the last part. A bit shorter than Chapter I. Thank you to everyone who reviewed the first section, and I hope you enjoy the rest! Keep reading and reviewing!

Everything looked strange in the Divine Realms. The trees, the animals, the rivers and ponds – all of it appeared so much more alive. Each speck of color somehow seemed vivacious and bright, as if they had all been peeled off of a life-size painting, the kind that had flecks of gems and precious metals in the paint so it flickered and glowed. But when night fell and Daine turned her head upwards, she had a little shock – even the stars looked different, if they even were stars at all. For one thing, each and every one was far, far brighter. Brilliance surrounded them so much so that Daine could almost believe that they were all miniature suns for miniature, distant worlds. But extraordinarily, not only were they dazzling, they were also startlingly, incredibly colorful, an array of hues worthy of a rainbow's praise. Daine saw deep blues, fiery reds, sunny yellows, and even pale greens. The night sky looked like the spattered, pastel pallet of the artist who had painted the realms, or perhaps the dark stone floor where he had spilled all his shiny shades. Numair gazed at them with her one night, just as spellbound as she was. His eyes were alight with the joy of discovery and knowledge. Daine was sure that her teacher could spend years here, and yet his mind would never thirst for new things to learn. It was with him by her side that Daine remembered the ever-present promise, now feeling so much more in reach, what with being, in her mind, so much closer to the stars.

"Still looking?" asked Daine, lying on her back beside Numair.

"Still looking. What color would you prefer?"

"Blue, if you can manage it."

"Blue it is, then. A young star. It will be yours, Daine."

Every night after that, Daine took at least one fleeting second to gaze at the striking stars. Once, when Numair wasn't watching, she stood on her tiptoes and stretched her fingers up as far as they would go, fanning them in to the night sky, straight and tall. More than ever before, Daine felt fettered to the ground at her feet, when not even an eagle's wings could take her as high as she wanted to go. Because despite their size, colors, and sparkles, the stars remained as peculiarly distant as ever.

A careful knock sounded on Daine's door in the dead of night. It was more like a series of taps, really. But it still woke her up. Blearily she stumbled out of bed, shooed away all the dozing animals, and went to answer it, rubbing her eyes as she did so. "Numair?" she asked, blinking. "Is that you?"

"Yes, it's me. I'm sorry that I woke you. But I found something that you must see."

"This had better be good," muttered Daine, but she took his arm regardless, leaning close to him as they headed out into an expansive field. Numair wrapped his cloak around her so that she stayed nearer to his body. It kept her warm in the nippy breeze. After a while, they came to a stop, and to Daine's great disappointment, Numair moved away from her.

"Close your eyes," he said stilly. Daine did. She felt the familiar tingle of his magic pouring into the air – it reminded her of the good kind of shivers, the ones she got whenever something tickled her or made her happy. "Open," said Numair. Daine could feel the heat of him standing very close by. Slowly, Daine obeyed him again, gazing at the spot right in front her. In Numair's cupped hands was something small, pale, and sparkling. It was as bright as a lantern and a deep azure color, illuminating their faces with a fresh glow. It looked like a stone, or a gemstone, but there was something about it that was so different and so much more exotic. Each smoothed edge pointed in a different direction. It wasn't sharp, but as Daine, open-mouthed, lifted it into her palms, she noticed that it was astonishingly clean-cut, as cool as glass but with defined, curved edges. No side was the same size or shape as another. And throughout it all, the tiny thing twinkled from the inside, heatless and almost imperceptible. Every now and then, when Daine flipped it over, it would flash, leaving spots in her eyes if she stared at it for too long.

"It's your star," murmured Numair, layering his hands beneath hers. "Do you like it?"

Daine was lost for words. But Numair appeared to understand. With his magic, he created a clasp and fixed the star on to her necklace next to her badger claw. As soon as it dropped beneath her nightshirt, the bluish light faded, as if it could only glow in the true, natural dark of open nighttime. "Thank you, Numair. It's beautiful," Daine said breathlessly when she found her voice. Her heart felt as full as the sea. She reached up, touched his rough cheek, and kissed him, feeling his arms fall to her waist. It was slow and sensitive at first, his tongue barely brushing her lips - a sweet celebration of the moment and the long-promised, long-awaited gift. But soon, something clicked in Daine's mind. She wanted more than kind tenderness. Numair held her closely as they kissed, faster and more desperate with every passing second. Daine could almost feel the desire in him, through his hands on her hips and his strong but careful kisses and his body pressed close to hers. Winded, they broke apart for one wordless, timeless moment where they made a decision, crossed a line, and did not look back.

That night, Daine didn't even glance at the stars before she followed him inside. She didn't need to anymore. Her own personal star remained above her heart, always.

"How did you do it?"

"Do what?"

"Find my star," said Daine curiously as she curled her body next to his. Even though all they had were thin sheets covering them, she had never felt warmer in her entire life. Hot morning sunlight shot in through the window, filling the room with the pleasant air of serenity and idleness. Daine ran her fingertips over the cool, strangely cut sphere around her neck. Now it was next to an anti-pregnancy charm as well as her claw. "It isn't really a star, is it?"

"Perhaps it is. Perhaps it is not," Numair said innocently. "I speak only the truth. It is your star. I thought it would match your eyes."

"You're a fool of a man sometimes," said Daine. Running her hand over his bare chest, Daine traced a path from his torso to his collar, his shoulders, his arms, and finally to his hands, sensing each line and muscle under his tanned skin. She lifted his large, weather-beaten hands and twined his fingers with hers. For all his being so fussy about his appearance, his hands were comfortingly worn and calloused. Numair gave her a relaxed, sleepy smile.

"Have you ever thought about the color of your magic?" Daine asked of a sudden, studying their locked fingers thoughtfully.

"Of course I've thought about it. When I was younger, my magic was dark gold."

"Gold? Magic can change colors?"

"Indeed. I worried, as I grew older and more learned, that my darkening magic meant that I had a darkening soul. Was I delving too deep into magic's mysteries, losing touch with my spirit? The manifestation of one's magic is meant to reflect their spirit, like Alanna's fierce, unique violet - just as she herself is fierce and unique."

Freeing one of his hands, Numair rubbed his forehead and shut his eyes tight. "Sometimes, I still do worry."

"You, worry? I've never heard of you doing something so mad as that before."

"Thanks ever so much, Daine."

"Numair – there's no need to worry. Your magic isn't just black, you know."

"Perhaps you've been colorblind for the last five years, magelet. My Gift is indeed black."

"But it sparkles." Daine flipped over onto her back and set her head softly against his shoulder. Numair's deft fingers fluttered over her stomach, but he was staring at the ceiling, so Daine spoke again, determined to make him understand. "Your magic is like nighttime, Numair. All those little glitters. They are what gives us hope even in the dead of night – and that's you, those sparkles. Tortall's hope. My hope."

Numair didn't respond. But after a moment, he lifted her into his arms, held her close, and kissed her, his hands soft on her hips and his lips sweet on her skin. His eyes sparkled just like his magic when they broke apart. Daine smiled apologetically, aware that she was resting most of her weight on his body; he was holding her up with just the strength in his arms. But Numair was grinning. Daine loved the feeling; the instinctual response to being bare in his arms, reaching the point of losing control, but not quite there yet. She could see it in Numair's eyes, too. "You always know what to say," Numair murmured with a devious, charming look in his eyes.

Daine arched her body down towards his, her mouth by his ear. Her many-charmed silver chain dangled below her neck. The star was the largest, and it brushed lightly against Numair's skin whenever Daine made the even slightest movement. She could feel Numair tense as she touched the places that she knew he was sensitive to, like the spot under his ear or the dip above his collarbone. "I learned it from you," she whispered shamelessly. Numair took her chin in his hands, turned her head, and caught her smiling lips in his, cutting off any further conversation. He held her tight, leaving Daine lost in the stars just as she had always imagined for so long.