Xelan collected another black duffle bag from the foundry on the back of the dual locomotive train. Through Nox’s sphere, the sun shone brightly in the July sky. Blue and clear. Perfect for flying.

Supposedly, Rayne and Sagan had already gathered their things and waited by the jet. Xelan had loaded Tameka during warm-up. Awake: beautiful and fiery, ready to take on the world. Asleep: beautiful and peaceful, letting the world rest for a while. She’d slept on the couch in the passenger lounge, giving Russia time to prepare for her arrival.

As Xelan walked away, he overheard Kyle say to Smith, “So, remember don’t let her get past the smelting point because when she gets too hot the train wants to jump off the tracks.” Kyle took a step alongside Xelan, then turned back. “And another thing, the gold inlaid into the steel casts—it’s very important to use the exact amount…”

It was nice to see Kyle productive and proud of something. It might be a long time before they saw the train again. Or Kyle saw his forge baby again. There was no need to prod him about it. Both the train crew and the Shadow Progeny would set out on their separate adventures today, each laden with their own pitfalls. Elden protect them.

Xelan slugged the bulky duffle along a narrow hallway and into the main hangar. Outside the plane, Tumu entertained Sagan and Rayne with another tale of his adventures to apprehend a certain cunning Icarus over two millennia.

Rolling his eyes at the Tritan, Xelan went over the pre-flight checklist one more time with Colton. Ten hours. Hopefully, Tameka would wake up by the time they arrived.

“Hey, Wingmaster,” Sagan called. He peered at her, and she nodded at his bag.

Xelan grinned. “There are snacks on the plane. These are weapons.” The girl’s appetite was bottomless, lately. Glancing at her blue tank top and white shorts, he added, “There are clothes, too. You’ll need to change into something warmer than that. Like ‘thermal pajamas and two more layers’ warm.”

Sagan beamed at him. “You’re the best,” and then climbed into the plane.

Tumu took after her, flagging Xelan with a little salute. “Don’t worry about me. I don’t know what cold feels like.” Then he called to Sagan, “Did he tell you we’re going to that meteor site?”

Rayne rifled through her backpack. At least she wore loose black slacks and a black turtleneck. Even if the top was cropped and the left sleeve removed, it was a better start than shorts. She tucked a strand of her shorter hair behind her ear as she continued punishing her backpack for failing to produce the desired object. Offering to help was out of the question. Rayne preferred doing it on her own. Easily under-appreciated, the second arm comes in handy when wrestling with bags, clothes, and life in general. She’d adjusted to the lifestyle so well, but Xelan hoped a nacre would restore the use of her limb.

Kyle rushed into the hangar with two of his own duffle bags. “Here, let me get that for ya.” He held the bag to let Rayne finally retrieved the knife she wanted. Sliding the golden dagger into her sling, the young man beamed at her with pride. Xelan expected her to snap at Kyle for helping. When she didn’t, Xelan smiled. Maybe she was learning independence didn’t exclude reliance on others.

Rayne smiled back at Kyle. “Thanks.”

He lingered a moment longer before heading to the gangway stairs. “See you on the plane. For—How many hours, Xelan? Nine?”

“Ten,” Xelan called back.

“Fuck this. I should have stayed behind with Andrew.” Kyle disappeared into the jet.

Rayne clutched the strap of the bag and walked over to Xelan. There were dark circles under her eyes. Her complexion was gray and drawn. She’d ran at least eight hours straight without stopping to hydrate or eat. After the revelation last night, reaching out to her choked Xelan. How could he begin to help her heal this?

Rayne peered up at him with a weak smile and asked, “Ready to go?”

“You dressed up.”

She glanced down at her clothes. “Yeah. I’m supposed to be a planetary leader or the fuck ever. I figured making an effort couldn’t hurt.” Xelan’s grin made Rayne grin, bashfully. Embarrassed, she cried, “What?”

He shook his head. “Nothing.” While ruffling her hair, Xelan added, “I’m just proud of you is all.”

Exasperated, Rayne swatted him. “I spent forever on my hair.” The defeated look had left her eyes. In its place, they shone with warmth. “If you’re quite finished, may we go to Enki, now?”

Xelan repeated. “‘Quite?’”

Rayne rolled her eyes and headed for the gangway.

Xelan continued teasing. “May? Where’s that badass General at?” She flipped him off all the way up the stairs. Eyes straight forward. “There she is!”

“We trust you to bring them back, Wingmaster,” Colton said from behind.

Xelan faced the shorter man. At the faith in Colton’s eyes and the concern on his face, Xelan clasped his shoulder. “Don’t worry about us. I’m more worried about your mission. I always worry when I can’t be there to help, directly.”

“You don’t have to worry about us, sir. Just keep our Shadow safe. We’ll keep right on schedule.”

After a quick hug, Xelan turned and boarded the plane.

Sagan, with a container of dip in one hand and directing a chip in her face with the other, rushed aside. “Oops! Sorry, Xel.”

“You’re fine. Hey! Wasn’t that full to begin with?”

Half into the container, she nodded. “Brand new. Thanks!”

To the immediate right, Kyle bemoaned with his face in a duffel, “I forgot to tell Smith something. Is it too late to go back outside?!”

“Yes. Tell him on the radio.”

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“Sagan, do you want Tameka’s head or feet?” Rayne called from the opposite end of the plane.

Mouth still full, Sagan answered, “Feet!”

Rayne gave a villainous chuckle. “Your loss.”

“Dammit! I forgot she kicks.”

Pure. Chaos.

As Xelan navigated through the swarm on his way to the cockpit, he grinned the entire time. Tumu peered around the open door from the copilot chair. He shook his head, echoing Xelan’s smile. With one last look at the cacophony, warmth bloomed in Xelan’s chest. A distant, forgotten emotion struck him. After ten thousand years, he’d found a family at last. He shut the door on the noise, carrying the sentiment with him. He dropped the duffel and settled into the pilot’s seat.

Tumu’s black voids peered at him.

“Yes?” Xelan asked as he checked the instruments.

The Tritan observed, “That’s a lot of noise.”

“After ten thousand years of silence, I’ll take some noise, thank you very much.” Xelan communicated with Six over the headset as Tumu continued his assessment.

“I don’t remember it being silent. Hell, if it’d been silent, you and I would never have met.” Tumu chuckled as he watched the plane taxi out of the hangar.

“True.”

Flicking a few switches, appearing nonchalant, Tumu asked, “How long will Peaches sleep?”

Xelan cleared his throat. “She’s just tired—”

“Please don’t bullshit me. It’s insulting.”

The plane sped along the runway. Xelan waited until he took off to answer. “Maybe the duration of the flight.”

“That’s a World Two felony, feeding from another species.” As if Tumu would say anything else.

Squirming in his chair, Xelan explained, “She initiated and consented. I’m sure she’ll be happy to tell you herself once she wakes up.”

The blue alien peered out the window as they gained altitude, saying, “Without a nacre, you knew the risks. I’m adding it to your list of offenses.”

Xelan almost cursed. Instead, he said, “Tumu, you’re not seriously booking me after this is over. We both know it. For one, ‘Peaches’ wouldn’t let you.” The Tritan chuckled at the thought. “And for another, you’re dangerously attracted to me, and you’d hate to see me in a cell on Gait.”

Tumu nodded along with his points. “We’ll see after they get their nacre. I’m concerned about Rayne.”

The icy anger threatened to freeze Xelan’s heart since his fight with Nox had made him into stone. Quietly, he argued, “She’s not a danger to you.”

In an almost fanatical response, the Tritan claimed, “The Probability Matrix is never wrong.”

Xelan groaned and rolled his eyes. “We don’t have the same philosophy on that.”

“Tell that to Celindria.”

“I’m done having this discussion with you.”

That subject was off-limits. Tumu knew better than to go there. Xelan gripped the control wheel tight enough to blight his knuckles, but not tight enough to relieve the tension in his shoulders. No one needed the plane damaged in flight.

With deep, meditative breaths, Xelan kept his eyes forward, and his ears tuned to any word from flight control. Only then did he notice the silence from the fuselage. Small or large when a group of humans went that quiet, something was up. He glanced over at Tumu, who glanced at the door, sharing the same suspicion.

Xelan removed the headset and hopped out of the chair. He slid the cockpit door open and headed down the short corridor to the passenger lounge. He made it two steps before the sight in the lounge caught his breath. Tameka was stretched across the other two girls, feet in Sagan’s lap, head in Rayne’s. Beautiful, even in repose. Sagan leaned her head against the glass, eyes shut, breathing evenly. Rayne tilted her head back against the couch, eyes closed to the ceiling. Kyle sat on the floor with his legs stretched out. Unconscious, his head rested against Rayne’s knee. They felt safe on this plane with Xelan flying them across the world. They felt safe an a way which they couldn’t feel safe in the busy, crowded Iona installations.

A sniff from behind made Xelan turn back to the cockpit door. Tears lined Tumu’s voids as he took in the scene. It was a sentiment Xelan shared.

Family.

Rayne straightened in a fluid, languid motion. Her eyes slid open, predatory and protective. Glowing in the depths of the room, they dared anyone to come close. No one would touch them. She wouldn’t allow it.

Beside him, Xelan swore Tumu shivered. After another heartbeat, her eyes focused, and she smiled at Xelan. She took in the sight of her friends, and the smile brightened to the wattage of the sun.

Xelan wanted this for her. He put a fist to his chest, the best way to express himself without words. She returned the gesture and nestled back into the seat as he returned to the cockpit. He closed the door and sat down.

Tumu never could leave well enough alone. “She’s always alert, that one. Never relaxes. You know who she reminds me of?”

Xelan ran his hands over his face with a groan. Not this again.

The Tritan ignored the Icarus’ distress and pushed on, saying, “That’s right. Does Rayne know?”

Shaking his head, Xelan dug his nails into his palms. “No. And she won’t if I can help it.”

“Why not? With her parents gone, she might be happy to find she’s genetically connected to her bestest Icarus buddy.” Tumu ticked on one of his digits, saying “Another offense, I might add.”

“One I already defended before the Tribunal, so you can lay off. Learning she’s related to me means learning she’s related to…”

“Her lover?”

“Fuck. You.” Xelan growled as he headed for the door once again. He’d rather fly to Russia on his wings than keep up this conversation with Tumu. He snarled as the argument continued in his head. Turning back, he said, “Rayne is thousands of generations removed. She’s no more related to him than anyone else on this planet. Or to me for that matter, so there’s no point in telling her. And I intend to keep it that way, Officer of the Third.”

“Rayne needs guidance to reign in that temper before we do it for her.”

The air sucked out of the plane, and the pressure threatened to flatten Xelan on the spot. Quiet, so very quiet, he asked, “What. The fuck. Did you just say?”

The Tritan spun in his chair and frowned at him. “You don’t seriously think we’d let a loose cannon like Rayne traipse around with no restraints? After what we saw coming?!”

Xelan’s shoulders and neck were strung so tight they screamed for release. Calm. Remain calm. “What measures are you taking?”

“None. Yet.” Good. There was no need to murder a Tritan on this day. Except Tumu kept on. “But there is talk—”

A knock came from the door.

“Is everything all right? I can hear you shouting all the way at the back of the plane.”

Rayne.

Xelan lowered the register of his voice and evened his words to soothe her. “Everything is fine, Rayne. Did we wake the others?”

“They woke up when Sagan started raiding the fridge again. Will you eat with us?” Rayne’s tone brightened toward the end. She was hoping Xelan would say ‘yes.’

He leaned his head against the door. Parents loved that sound for as long as it lasted. Until the kids grow up and get lives of their own. Until they’re pushed away. Xelan ground his teeth because he wasn’t her parent. He had no right bearing these sentiments toward her.

Concerned with how long it took him to respond, Rayne pressed, “Superman? Are you sure you’re okay?”

Xelan swallowed hard, folding with scant resistance to the use of that nickname. He choked out, “I’ll be right there.”

After her footsteps sounded away, Tumu interrupted Xelan’s turmoil, “Ten thousand years, and you’ve never responded to a single Progeny the way you responded to her. Not even Celindria, who by rights, was your offspring. And this one… Shoo. Rayne’s so pretty it’s painful for me to look at her, especially considering how she’ll die. No wonder Nox fell in—”

“Tumu.”

The muscles in the Tritan’s body shriveled with an audible wet squish at the quiet malice spoken with his name. “Yes?”

“Not another word on the subject. Stay away from Rayne. She trusted you because I told her you came here to help us save the world. Not that I turned myself in, in exchange for your aid. Break her trust or my confidence in you—in any way—and I’ll shatter you into dust. Remember what happened on Thailea?” Xelan glared at Tumu with shifted eyes. His anger had manifested more outwardly than he preferred, but the lack of control suited the moment just fine.

Tumu shivered.

“Yeah. You remember. When this is all over, and if you really want to take me in, I’ll let you. Until then, don’t fuck with me. We’re not friends, and we haven’t been for two thousand years. Any tender notions I once harbored for you, died the moment you mentioned Celindria on this plane. Do we have an understanding?”

The Tritan’s voids locked onto Xelan’s Icarean eyes. With a nod of his head, Tumu confirmed, “A thorough one.”

“Good. Now come pretend to eat. Don’t scare my family. And stay the fuck away from Rayne.”