{Cinder}

“Okay. Can you repeat that? Cascading Light?” Tameka fidgeted nervously with the pendant on her chain. “Wait. Wait. Hang on. I got something in from Jack.” She read the message and felt her eyes bug out of her head. “I need to call them. They captured someone from Imminent. What was that Pablo?”

“I’m worried, Tameka. Please let me know when you hear from the others.”

“I’m worried, too. I’ll update you as soon as I have the full picture.”

“Thanks. Over and Out.”

Tameka took a second to breathe. Holy. Shit. So many attacks perfectly coordinated to take advantage of their secret meeting. Hot damn. How did Imminent know—

She pivoted in the Martyr Complex’s direction. Her breath caught as she waited. A vast silence filled the pit. Like a heavy giant, it took up its own kind of space.

Was it time?

“Peaches, what in the name of Caprent acid is going on out there?”

Tameka startled and swung her gaze to the Tritan rushing down the ramp. “Imminent launched its first attack in two years. The transfer went bad, endangering Lynn, Smith, Pablo, Kyle, and Silence. They set Andrew’s Vittle crop on fire with—get this—Cascading Light.”

The Tritan’s almond-shaped voids widened into a full circle.

Rubbing the back of her neck, she deduced, “It’s safe to assume they’re behind Jack’s assassination attempt. What news do you have?”

“Karter reported she captured an agent of Imminent in league with those ‘nacre human vs natural human protesters.’” Tumu glanced over at Rayne as he said the next, “I think we need to put Jack and them in the stronghold for a while.”

Again, Tameka’s eyes flared. But after another second, she nodded. “You’re right. Jack needs to be safe, and there’s nowhere safer.”

“Safe even from me.” Tumu said the last with a wince, as if it hurt his feelings.

Tameka changed the subject as she paced the lake’s shore, “I need to reach out to the other groups. Where’s Matt?”

Tumu followed her with his gaze as she wore a trail into the red dirt. “He and John asked to wait for Sagan at the fortress with Bones and Para. I just came from there. They’re fine. No attacks.”

As she considered potential targets, Tameka’s heart suddenly jumped into her throat. “Pax?! Is he safe? He’s safe in Enki, right?”

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Tumu gripped her biceps, stopping her fretting. “He’s fine. The only place safer than the stronghold is Enki.”

She clutched him around the waist and pressed her face to his stomach. “I’m such a horrible mother. How could I not think of him first?”

Tumu gently pressed a hand to her back. “You’re doing fine. Xelan would be so proud of how you look after your friends. After your son.”

Tameka pulled away from him suddenly, shocked and ashamed of her weakness. Although, what he said hit at the heart of the matter. She often worried if she raised their son how Xelan would want. And in that moment, she believed she failed him.

Turning away, she swiped at the tears. Her voice thick with emotion, she declared, “We get this mess straightened out here, and it’s back to Enki. I need to see Pax is safe.”

“Of course, Peaches.”

A female voice called from the vent, “Can you two believe the crazy shit happening all over Earth?”

Para alighted with Matt awkwardly stepping out of her arms. They were wet.

Bones alighted with John, who announced, “I’ve never seen black lightning before. I thought we were gonna die, Bones.”

“Nah. I’m five million years old. Give me some credit.”

“What do you mean crazy shit on Earth?” Tameka stared between the two.

Bones glanced at her and Tumu like he expected them to know. “There’re storms reported across the entire planet. Sand storms. Tornadoes. Cyclones. Blizzards. It’s even storming on Cinder.”

Matt added, “There’s lightning striking the sand in Egypt. I took some glass from it.”

Tameka looked over at Rayne. “She knows.”

“Damn, I’m hungry!”

They whirled to find Sagan with Jack, Chris, Karter, and Ross. The blond Progeny woman stumbled over to Para. “Hold me up for a second, would ya?”

Para smiled with concern in her eyes. “Seamswalker, you’ve exhausted yourself.”

“And we thank you for it.” Chris nodded to her.

Tumu stayed on task. “Where’s the Imminent prisoner?”

Karter assured, “We dropped him off at the Ecology with the rest of the party. I can’t believe how heavy they hit us—”

Jack took a step toward his sister’s glass casket. “I guess we’re burying me, too.”

They all fell silent.

Then Ross elbowed the teenage boy. “This way, you can focus on your Story Circle. Maybe add another night a week.”

Karter seconded the idea, “Yup. I’m sure you can feature people nightly if you wanted.”

“We know Xelan set up the equipment for it,” Chris encouraged.

“Yea.” Jack perked up. “I can even put in some bulletins for missing persons. Maybe we can get some leads on Bethany.”

Poor Ross. Even while she smiled, Tameka recognized the death of hope in that girl’s eyes. The redhead saw it more and more in the mirror each morning. Day one on Enki, she knew she’d find Xelan. Alive. By day seven hundred and fifty-eight, doubt wormed its way into her heart and left a hole.

“Matt and I will find her if she’s off world. Try to hang in there.” Sagan squeezed Ross’ shoulder while the other redhead in the room offered a reassuring smile. It warmed the room, even with those dead eyes of his.

Tumu watched it all. Patient as a sentinel. But with the first break, he announced, “We need to get them squared away in the stronghold. I’ll watch Rayne until you return. Then Bones and Para, if you don’t mind, you’ll have to take over King Duty with Conscience hospitalized and Kyle overseeing Silence. We simply don’t have enough Progeny to spare.”

Para glanced at the Complex. “Don’t worry, Officer of the Third. I consider it an honor.”

Bones nodded. “We’ll look after her.”

Karter laughed hard, and they turned to her. “I’m sorry. Sorry. The pretense is just so funny to me.”

When some tilted their heads in confusion, Chris elaborated for her, “That any of us think we’re looking after Rayne when it’ll always be the other way around.”

The room filled with the smell of ocean, sand, sunscreen, and ice cream. They turned to gaze at the Complex. Even Tumu. The Shadow clutched their chains.

“We will always remain.”