Grinning, Rayne brushed by her friends and approached the moat, her foul mood tempered with hope and supporting her Shadow family. Even still, the view appealed to the depression. The black water pooled and wrapped around the castle, fed by a waterfall several hundred stories in the cliff face. The grotesque spire grew from the black rock like an organic appendage to the mountain.

Further beyond that, Li boiled and raged in the sky in an awesome demonstration of ruin. It left Rayne feeling small and helpless. How could Enki do this? When would they do it again? And to whom?

“Rayne?” Kyle broke her reverie.

She glanced his way. He waved for her to follow as Sagan, Tameka, and Xelan waited at the base of the castle for her. Rayne let go of her righteous outrage for now. Focus on the objectives at hand, then create a plan.

Xelan confessed as he peered at the crag, “I originally planned to fly each of you up, but I’ll require more time to fully recover.”

Kyle groaned. “Thanks, Tameka, for the big suck—”

“Finish that sentence, and I’ll bury you here,” she threatened with a finger pointed in his face.

“How do we get up there now?” Sagan asked as she tight-walked a cluster of rocks.

Xelan said, “We walk. There’s what barely qualifies as a path. You can make it, easily.” He nodded in the direction to the side of the castle while staring at Rayne. His were eyes filled with concern.

She shrugged it off. “I’ll be fine. What good is all that cardio if I can’t climb a little mountainside?”

Sagan offered over her shoulder while concentrating, “If we hit a tight spot, I’ll let you piggy-back.”

“Me, too! Me, too!” Kyle called.

Rayne looked to Xelan for help, and he gave her a pitying look. She commanded, “Let’s go!”

Forty minutes and one honest to god labyrinth later, they climbed the broad, spiraling steps up to the tower. The exterior wall of the stairs opened, allowing a breathtaking glimpse of Cinder hundreds of stories high. Black water lakes and singed forests decorated the scenery below. It was much prettier than the fearsome sight of the endless Icarean parade. The mountain ranges stretched and reached their peaks for Elden’s Sphere.

Umbra’s Spire appealed to a certain gloomy, gothic aesthetic, overbearing given the lack of fresh life on the planet, but the magnificence of the views was undeniably beautiful. Even the thunderous roar of the inky waterfall just outside of reach added to the charm.

Xelan finished his directive, “And that’s the plan. As soon as Rayne’s nacre is working, we’ll practice your abilities for combat.”

Tameka muttered, “Andrew’s ability is amazing. I’m surprised he kept it from us.”

Rayne nodded. “It must’ve been hard to test. It’s hard to tell when someone’s following a suggestion or their own whims.”

“Technically, it’s both,” Sagan added.

“For now.” Kyle glared at their incredulous faces. “What?! It could easily turn into mind control. We have no idea.”

“Rayne.”

Defensive, Rayne said, “Andrew wouldn’t be that way—”

“Rayne!” Xelan called again.

That tone.

Every one of Rayne’s muscles went as rigid as piano wire. She peered at Xelan as he stood at the top of the stairs. Breathy, she asked, “Xelan?”

“If your dream was right, your birthright is around this corner.”

Rayne swallowed with a loud gulp. The whole reason she existed, the whole reason Xelan came to her in the first place, was buried only a few steps away.

Xelan asked, “Do you want to go together?”

Unable to form words, Rayne nodded. After a long moment, Xelan held out his hand. She climbed the last step and took it, so grateful for his guidance and reassuring presence. Together they stepped into the igneous turret. A small chamber big enough to fit the Shadow boasted another broad window with a spectacular view and a stone floor covered by a pile of dark dirt.

“I’m right here.” Xelan reassured Rayne before turning back. “Kyle, watch the stairs for activity.”

Kyle grumbled but disappeared from the landing into the stairwell.

Rayne closed her eyes and recalled Celindria’s steps. Following, she took two into the room and three to the right. With a shaky hand, she dug into the dirt.

Sagan joined her, and after another moment Tameka plunged into the pile. Rayne’s hand brushed something hard. She said, “I think I found it.” Both girls descended on the hole and helped her dig out the vessel.

A gold dagger pierced a heart-shaped glass container, and a golden vine surrounded it. The Pretiosum Cruor. Her ancestor’s blue blood filled the device.

Tameka asked, “This is it right? We can go back now?”

Sagan and Rayne peered at Xelan.

As he nodded, something caught Rayne’s eye. It was a change of the light.

Rayne snapped to the window immediately and almost dropped the damned thing out of shock. Hands shaking, heart pounding, breath caught, she stared at a familiar face peering back at her.

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No, not at Rayne.

At Xelan.

Beautiful dark skin, piercing blue eyes, and long hair braided back from her face, Celindria looked amazing for a dead woman. She wore lots of layers rocking the Mad Max vibe. More than that, her smile glowed as she stared across the room at Rayne’s favorite Icarus.

Glancing between the two, Rayne couldn’t help but notice that Xelan did not look happy to see Celindria. He looked alarmed and frozen in place. Rayne recalled seeing his eyes that wide only once before in Corpus Christi.

This was bad. Real bad.

After several heartbeats, Xelan croaked, “I watched you die.”

Celindria said, “I survived Thailea, and I’m here. I’m so happy to see you.” She hopped off the ledge and into the room.

Xelan took a step away. The hair on Rayne’s arm stood on end. He accused, “You couldn’t possibly survive it.”

Celindria didn’t like that. Her entire face fell. No, not fell. Morphed out of a mask and into the actual skin beneath. A dark sorrow marred her beautiful features, yet beyond the sadness lingered calculation and purpose in her stony gaze. She turned that stare on Rayne before reassembling the facade.

Gripping the vessel, the younger woman shivered. As far as Rayne knew, Celindria couldn’t fly. How the hell did she get up here?

Celindria said to Rayne, “I sent my message Earth-months ago. What took you so long?”

Xelan moved lightning-fast and shifted between them. “Don’t start with this.”

“You wound me, father.”

Xelan sucked air through his teeth on a hiss.

Okay. Apparently ‘father’ wasn’t a term of endearment. And why father of all things? Xelan never mentioned parenting connections to the Progeny. He never mentioned children at all.

Kyle stepped around the corner and stopped in his tracks as he spied the unexpected intruder.

Celindria snarled at Rayne, “Why did you bring Devis?!”

Before Rayne could form a response and without another word, Celindria sprinted and dove out the window. The group rushed after her to search for the body. Could she fucking fly?

Rayne started, “Xelan, is there any chance—”

To her abject horror, an Icarean soldier soared by the window.

“No!” Xelan gasped. “Run, run now!”

Collectively, they turned to run for the stairs. The Shadow made it two steps before the thunderous vibrations of heavy boots startled them. Adrenaline froze Rayne to the rock-hewn floor. She tried to swallow, but it caught on her heart in her throat.

Tameka turned to Xelan. “What do we do?” Her eyes were so wide tears speared the corners.

Xelan took her hand in his and held on.

Korac’s garrison breached the room, dressed in their black robes and shining metallic gear, bearing wicked serrated swords. Rayne could take ‘em. She opened her mouth to say as much when in the distance, beyond the open stairs, magnificent wings silenced her.

No.

He wouldn’t… come for her himself…

Nox alighted with Korac beside him. Behind her, Sagan’s breath hitched. Kyle shifted to stand behind Rayne. Tameka growled and bared her fangs at Xelan’s side.

The Icarean Prince calculated the options. Rayne watched it in all the tics of Xelan’s familiar face. She trusted him to find a way while she questioned how all these people knew their location.

One step behind from Nox, Korac set his sights on Sagan. It was enough to boil Rayne’s blood. His expression puzzled her, though, as the faint tightness lining his eyes implied genuine concern. Rayne dared not glance at her best friend. With everything falling sideways, confirmation of any reciprocated feelings might gut Rayne.

Who was she left to stare at, then? Oh, yeah.

The King of Cinder.

Rayne avoided his gaze, feeling claustrophobic. Trapped in the tower with all her friends with the solid weight of Nox and what his presence represented was between her and the only exit.

“Rayne.”

She shut her eyes to her name on Nox’s lips. The last time Rayne had heard Nox’s voice he’d spoken ugly, spiteful words at her in the wake of her confession. Only a few days since, her fractured heart still ached.

Be brave.

Rayne brought her eyes to meet his, and her breath caught in her chest.

Nox stared at her with delight sparkling in his black eyes. This moment was a triumph for him. Well, at least he looked happy to see her. Especially considering the last time she’d stabbed him in the dick. Rayne tore her eyes from his and stared up at the side of Xelan’s face.

Xelan spoke in a voice racked with ash and fire, “No place like home, brother.”

Nox snarled at Xelan. “This is the last place I’d ever assume Celindria would hide so valuable a relic.”

Rayne gripped the vessel tight. A warm hand rested on her shoulder, and she glanced back into Sagan’s Atramentous eyes. She offered strength and courage. Rayne took it.

Facing the opposition again, both girls shivered. Korac and Nox fixated on the contact. Korac spared Rayne a look, as if measuring her worthiness. Nox devoured Sagan with his eyes as if she were dessert to the main course.

That was all it took for Rayne to let go of her fear. She said, “If you want to see tomorrow, take your men and go.” Her Shadow excluding Xelan stared at her.

Korac smirked, and Nox quirked a brow. He said, “I will as soon as I claim my property.”

“The Pretiosum Cruor belongs to me by Blood Rights.”

The King nodded along. “Invoking formal Icarean law. At the King, no less. Then you should know you belong to me by the Tenements of Vengeance.”

“No. Not I. Another.” At the slight jerk of Xelan’s head, Rayne lied, “And she’s dead.”

Nox said, “You inherited Celindria’s burden along with the trinket, and you both come with me.”

An idea came to mind. The kind of idea Rayne would normally run by Xelan first, but they were out of time. She said, “You’ll take neither, today.” She lifted the vessel to her lips and felt a rush of relief as it opened for her. She drank Celindria’s blood before she saw the look on Xelan’s face.

Horrified, he cried, “Rayne! No!” One hand reached out to stop her, but it was too late.

Nox threw his head back and laughed. Korac joined with a smirk.

Xelan clenched his jaw and fists.

The Icarean King confessed between chuckles, “We thought we would have to force you to drink it. Chain you down and torture you, but this works perfectly.”

With the metallic taste still on her lips, Rayne asked, “Why—”

The floor flopped to the ceiling, and the windows pirouetted around the room. Rayne’s knees gave as she muttered, “I don’t feel so good,” with a thick tongue.

Kyle caught her under the arms, and Sagan knelt to check her forehead.

Every limb felt weighed down with lead. Rayne’s head was heavy and awkward like a cannonball. The waterfall beyond the window thundered in her ears. With her eyes open, the room danced. With them closed, she swam in inky darkness. Rayne groaned and almost cried at Sagan’s soothing words.

“Allow me to assist her,” Nox offered from across the room, shrinking Rayne in her skin.

A presence stepped between them. The only presence it could be. Xelan growled in three pitches. His eyes were no doubt transformed. With a loud sweep, his wings opened.

Rayne lifted her eyelids to see they blocked Nox’s advance. Over his shoulder, Xelan commanded, “Get Rayne and get out! Now!” He always saved her.

Kyle hauled Rayne to the only available exit, and she watched in horror as Xelan emitted a strange light. A bizarre whistle lifted in the air, and gusts of wind spiraled inside the surrounding turret.

No.

“This will suck,” Kyle assured the group as he climbed with Rayne onto the window’s ledge. Sagan helped with Rayne’s feet. Tameka hesitated.

The bright static around Xelan intensified, blinding, while Nox and Korac scattered from the parapet beyond.

No.

No!

“NO!” Rayne shrieked until her lungs burned as Kyle tipped them off the ledge.

The last Rayne saw of Xelan, the light had swallowed him whole. She reached for him. As the window shrank away during their fall, a spherical shock wave erupted from the turret and knocked them further away toward the lake below. The force of it chattered Rayne’s teeth together and bounced her head back. Darkness bled into her vision. She strained to keep her eyes on the window, waiting for Xelan to follow.

Any minute now.

“Super… man?”

When the water finally swallowed Rayne, so did the darkness.