All characters belong to Eoin Colfer. The title comes from Catullus.
Ave Atque Vale
She was flying, but her former exhilaration was gone and the air was no longer sweet in her lungs. Below her the hills and fields were blurred, while ahead lay the destination that had once been a source of dread and delight - though no longer.
Now her visor was sealed as if she were trying to exclude reality. Yet there was no escaping the knowledge that, this time, the red light would fail to flash and Lily Frond's voice would be silent.
Hovering in the empty sky, silhouetted against the waning moon, Holly dipped her wings in a final salute.
FINIS