Nemeria Reyes stared at the white tan line on her finger as she waited in the comfortable seating area of the adoption agency. It was surreal looking at her hand and not seeing a ring. One moment it had been there then the next it had disappeared, either stolen by some thief when she wasn't looking or perhaps it had just slipped off on its own. But the end result was a naked finger on her right hand.

"Is your hand alright?" Asked a short black furred katzen as she handed over a mug of tea. "You keep looking at it funny."

Gratefully Nemeria accepted the warm beverage and wrapped her hands around the white porcelain mug. "I lost my ring on the bus." She explained.

"Oh, that's so terrible!" The katzen sat down across the table from her. "Was it something special? I'll bet it was." Her yellow eyes smiled kindly. Katzen had a funny habit of asking questions then answering them for you.

They had a mix of feline and human traits, smaller than humans or hunds, agile and clever with retractable claws and incredible climbing abilities. But also with an air of casual superiority, also like cats.

"Yeah, I've had it for a long time." Nemeria brushed away a long lock of chestnut brown hair away from her face with an elegant but still ringless finger. "Since before the war."

"Woah. You're old." The katzen said before apparently realizing her unintentional insult. "I mean… that came out wrong. But you humans sure live for a long time. I mean, you look great."

Nemeria laughed. "Thank you for the compliment. Are you also hoping to adopt?"

"Oh no, my children are already grown and have families of their own." The katzen replied. "I mostly help out at the agency, do some counseling, stuff like that." She held up her mug. "You seemed stressed so… tea."

Now it was Nemeria's turn to be surprised. "You don't look old enough to have grandchildren."

"My mother was a survivor." Explained the katzen. "I got my genes from her. They say I'll live forever if I don't die first. Which is ironic."

"Oh… I'm…" Nemeria looked down at her tea. "Your mother was in the Döbian camps?"

"Talia Basam was her name. She joined Las Brujas after the war, had me. I'm Dr. Lina Basam by the way." She extended her hand.

"Nemeria Reyes, it's a pleasure to meet you." Nemeria said as she took the smaller hand in hers. "Is this… part of my evaluation?"

Lina nodded. "I find interactions to be more genuine when the prospective parent doesn't know who I am initially. For example, your application states that you are only thirty, but if you were alive during the war that would be false."

Nemeria froze. "Oh…" This was bad. This was so bad.

"Yes, there are some other discrepancies I noticed as well. It's my assumption that you are living under an assumed name." Lina looked at the woman across from her. "Of course, there are many reasons why one might change their name. Perhaps you could enlighten me?"

"I should go…" Nemeria started to stand up.

Lina stood as well, blocking her exit. "I'm not quite done with you. Please, sit."

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"No, I'm leaving." Nemeria pushed past the katzen doctor then stopped when she saw the armed guards standing in the doorway.

"Ah yes, now you understand." Lina purred. "Or at least you think you do. But no, you are missing vital pieces of information. You see, I share my mother's memories. That means I remember you and I remember what you did to her when she was just a child."

The katzen doctor turned Nemeria around until they were face to face. "You look different now, but I recognize you all the same. However, I'm not here for revenge. In fact, I'm going to offer you the thing you want most in the world."

The short katzen smiled. "I'm going to offer you a child, a human child. She's even related to you."

Nemeria felt her heart flutter. "That's not possible."

"Oh, we were surprised as well. Actually, she's how we found you. We ran a search for genetic relatives and to our surprise, one single match came up." Lina sat back down. "Of course, you could fight your way out of here. Someone with your abilities would make quick work of a few guards. You may have fallen from grace and had your name erased, but you are still, at least in body, a warden."

Nemeria sat back down, defeated. "How do you know all of this?"

"I also have Gershwin's memories." Explained Lina. "He put a lot of himself in his work, as you will remember."

"Are you… him?"

"Happily, no." Lina sipped her tea. "I can access his memories but he holds no sway over me. My mother was mostly under his control but with each generation he diminishes. Soon he'll be nothing more than a whisper."

"So what do you get out of this? Why would you help me?" Nemeria asked.

"It's simple. I'm done being angry. Hating you, or Gershwin or the Warden is pointless. It's like eating rat poison and expecting the rat to die." Lina sighed. "I'm done with all of it. I've climbed that mountain, I don't have to carry it with me. Also, it is my belief that this is the right thing to do. So I'm doing it."

Nemeria blinked, she wanted to say something but she just couldn't find the words. How could words convey the shame and guilt she felt? How could words ever even come close? What apologies could she offer after all the evil she had done?

This had to be a trick, some cruel joke. There was no way the child could exist. But what if it did?

"Her foster parents named her Eden and she's about to turn two years old." Lina said as she set down a tablet and played a video. It was made up of short domestic scenes, a small child sitting in the lap of an elderly hund, the same child in a parka playing in the snow. "Would you like to meet her?"

"Yes." Nemeria said, knowing that it had to be some kind of trap. But also knowing that if it was, she deserved it. She deserved all of it and more. And she was tired of running.

Not that she would be able to run much longer, judgment day was coming. Not just for her, but everyone. All beings within this pocket dimension would be burned from the inside out by hellish flames and warpfire. It was inevitable, unstoppable, the end of all things.

"Good. I've already made the necessary arrangements." Lina Basam purred, shaking Nemeria from her apocalyptic visions. "Of course, I will require a small favor in return. Nothing too drastic…"

She pulled a cigarette pack sized metal box out of her pocket. The polished steel showed no apparent seams but something rattled around inside as she shook it. "I will give you more specific instructions when you land in Coven, but you are to deliver this package to one of my contacts. It is of course protected from scans and non-destructive methods of determining the contents."

"What's in the box?" Asked Nemeria cautiously as she took it. It was heavy in her hand.

"Hope and pain. Tears and joy. Old wounds and new life." Purred the katzen with the golden eyes as she sipped her tea. "A force stronger than death, I'm told."

"Fine. I'll do it." Nemeria shook her head as if trying to clear it. She was still seeing afterimages in her mind of this world she loved so much burned to cinders. "What do I have to lose?"

The katzen laughed, a laugh that was rich and warm but still sent shivers of recognition down Nemeria's spine. It was Gershwin's laugh, the laugh of a monster enjoying their own private joke at your expense. And it was coming out of Lina Basam's mouth.

"Oh sweet Nemeria." He said, his voice reaching out to her from across the grave, the warm Germanic lilt of educated pre-war Döbian, the casual confidence. "I always keep my word. Do this and all your suffering will be rewarded, this I promise you."

Lina blinked and took a sip of her tea, "You may leave now." She said casually, as if the voice of a long dead demon hadn't just spilled from her lips. "I'll be in touch."