Stellar

If this is with regard to the chapter ending, then I probably deserve it!

You know, when I imagine things, it is always cinematic; sometimes it seems prohibitively so, to transcribe that into actual prose. If I am imparting that to you, then I am succeeding in some measure and that is satisfying. Re: Carlos and his relationships with his brother. Clearly Esteban isn't alive any more, even though he was six or seven years younger, according to Carlos. This means that Esteban died at a somewhat young age, which suggests more than a few scenarios and none of them pleasant. It must certainly set the mind alight with how that is impacting the current relationship between Carlos and Shay - and what that means. Is it *just* the remains of brotherly love that Carlos feels or is there truly something else there too? While I cannot and will not say anything about the ending ... it is not premature at this point to say ... this may not .. umm .. exactly ... uh ... be the end for at least Shay and Mira. Yes, I did just hint at what you are thinking about, and no I'm not going to say anything else on this topic. Lastly: that kitten, huh? There has been a theme with cats in this story, but it is well woven into the fabric of the plot so many readers would perhaps not notice it. Cats have both a spiritual and personality archetype associated with them that makes them more than just a stylistic symbol. Sharpelings themselves have a somewhat catlike quality, both in their predatory nature and their social structuring (the comparisons to a pride of lions are not without merit.)

Glad you're enjoying it Don't forget, you can choose to follow the story to get notifications of when it is updated, if you prefer. Also please don't forget to like any chapters you enjoyed!

Chapter 19 will see the culmination of the plot and things reach their climax. You will see some rather ... ahem .. explosive .. events.

So do I. Though I enjoy having dogs around (well dependent on the breed, some are less tolerable than others), I have more of a weak spot for cats. They are remarkable creatures, so contradictory and so curious.

As mentioned in the end notes, it was a difficult one to write, on par with Chapter 11. It is quite extraordinary to feel so guilty over my treatment of a wholly fictional character, even knowing well in advance that it was to happen.

Thank you!

One of my friends has a house that was until recently filled with an excessive amount of kittens. Some were tabby and tortoise-shell, but around half a dozen were the exact same as in the story. One even had split blue/green eyes. I love cats but it was hard to walk anywhere without almost stepping on the damn things.

Chapter 12 is interwoven with 11; 13 is the meeting point for the two, from which the rest of the plot continues. He was left behind because in the context of the situation, Volkov was a very dangerous place to be at right then and besides .. well, you shall have to read on to discover the detail of it!

Thank you! Though I am forever seeing fault in what I write, one of the few things in Hidden Sunlight I have been almost completely satisfied with is the relationship between the protagonist and his mate. I wanted to strike the correct notes and I feel like I did.

Thank you I am glad you are enjoying it. Shay certainly has been there longer than anyone thinks, though I will leave you to speculate about how long that actually is I've been painfully aware of grammar and spelling all my life, which is just another part of the whole deal of Being Different. It makes me a perfectionist when it comes to the technical structure of what I'm writing; it drives me rather crazy if my style is inconsistent and doesn't meet that standard!

I liked Morgan too, but he was on borrowed time from the second he was taken captive. Sad but true; La Tigresse might be a coldhearted bitch, but she was certainly right about Hartley's attitude towards 'treason' - he hates traitors almost as much as he does the rebels that defy him. Klaus, on the other hand, was probably the most easygoing of Hartley's three principal minions. He didn't care amount much except for getting the job done, and hopefully seeing a good bit of action for it. Quite sadistic though, a sort of jolly 'I'm going to love hurting you' to contrast with the coolness from Tigresse and her brother. Yes, the kitten! It's not all death and destruction. Well, most of it is .. but here and there, life finds a way.

You are most welcome. In honesty, there was never a direct intentional allegory being made to any real disease, though I completely understand that any such crippling malaise where death is preferable would invite comparison. Lily's final message to Konstantin epitomises to me the sort of person she was. Like Konstantin, her whole life had been devoted to helping others - the sort of sacrifice that can only be measured and seen in the myriad of small things done to that end. She may not have held any true spiritual belief of her own, perhaps unsurprising given she was an ardent student of empirical evidence and the scientifically observable, but she knew how critically important it was to the Andropov brothers to have the simple emotional connection of their faith reinforced. She believed that in such a time, more than ever, Konstantin would need that reinforcement. She was right.

That button! I think I'm with Shay on this one, I'd love to see behind that button.

Thank you Correct, Shay is not ageing, and yes, by extension Mira is not either, though this doesn't get properly touched on until the following chapter. You're not alone, I don't think anyone feels sorry for Hartley. Some villains can garner sympathy for their story or the suffering that created their malaise. Not so much for Hartley, he's just a right douche.

You're welcome.

why?? Why *what*? Just exactly what *did* you think happened? Okay, that's clearly a trick question. I know perfectly well the response. Just that: everything is never as it seems.

Konstantin's trust of Hartley comes from a prior meeting that occurred before Shay had shown up. He has no reason to disbelieve the man or suspect him of foul play because there has been no cause, to that point in time.

Konstantin is elsewhere! Indeed, the fork is a weapon of mass destruction in the correct hands.

Mira's reactions are only in front of Shay, however. This is not a shared thing, it's a very private one.

Many guessed it would be longer than what it appeared. Few got the time scale correct, however. Konstantin isn't quite as conservative-traditional in the ways Shay thinks, though you'd forgive him for assuming on rather limited information.

Thankfully for everyone involved, he's not from Kansas, so we'll stick with 'not in Washington any more.' The sex thing is something that has been considered and settled some time ago, though there was a clear consensus from readers about what they thought was appropriate for Hidden Sunlight.

You are correct, it is simply a by-product of protecting Shay, something Konstantin is sure to point out to him. Mira is fully aware of what he is doing. The importance of doing it simply trumps that of inaction: Shay must not be hurt and thus Mira must kill to protect him.

Restaurant meal, huh? Well considering the state of Palatus, I really don't think there'd be anything around of the same calibre as a gourmet chef

Don't worry about Mira, he isn't in any danger