Onward, amos—

[SS]: “Wait… what about Colita? You and Nox killed her after Invasion Day, right?”

Did I mention my shamelessness? I’d almost forgotten Colita’s death. Mostly because my former King’s Verse covered it so perfectly that I’d fail to add anything insightful to the telling.

Colita upset Nox in a way he’d forgiven for far too long. She crossed the line with another rant about Rayne. I’ll never forget how she said it with so much vehemence.

“She will never accept you for the monster I know you to be.”

I helped Nox lock her in the Martyr Complex. That woman died cursing us both without an ounce of happiness in her life. A tragedy.

That same day, Remorse and Abresson paid a visit to my King. Or so I learned from his Verse. He kept it from me at the time. They threatened to drag him to Enki if he further damaged Rayne. They spoke of you like an investment, sprite.

Between that and Colita’s insights, it was difficult to ignore the shift in Nox.

The same shift in me.

Only the degrees of enlightenment varied, which allowed for catastrophically different outcomes. I’m, of course, referring to our separately timed revelations as to our villainy in the matter. That we were wrong. We went about this badly.

And we found ourselves caring about the very people we plotted to hurt. About Earth. Preventing it from reaching Tritan control. Stopping Imminent’s interference—All of it cascading into a meteor shower, constellating holes in our carefully laid out plans.

You trusted me. Confided in me. All those peeks into the Iona installations. That night on the motorcycle in Toronto. You were fearless.

[SS]: I can’t help the warm smile recalling that younger, easier-going me. “I thought you were a hallucination.”

Korac smirked knowingly.

What about Russia? You knew I wasn’t a hallucination then, and you put yourself in Xelan’s way to prevent any harm from coming to me.

[SS]: Wow. What a day for revelations. That was when I realized they had an affair at some point and told Xelan not to lecture me about Korac in that case. “The last thing I wanted to see was the two of you take each other apart.”

He’s staring off now, looking contemplative.

You trusted me to fly you into the dawn sky and watched the sunrise with me.

And Rayne.

You’re so brave. The way you kissed Sagan during the cafeteria fight on Invasion Day just to stick it to me. Sending my garrison to their knees at the fortress without smugness. Only righteous knowing. I’d never seen someone so certain theirs was the right side.

All this mounted until we found the summit at Nox’s hands. He broke his vow, hurt you irrevocably, and disappointed me in ways I never fathomed.

We were wrong.

Nox knew it. He sealed you in the Martyr Complex and lost his mind.

{Earth | July 2006}

After that day, I could only find him in the fortress’ observatory on Earth. The one I designed for his brother. He scoured all the books there and the libraries on Cinder. Apparently, Xelan stole some Verses that described Elden’s physical features. This concerned my King, greatly.

I rounded the doors left open to the desert breeze. Nox scanned a shelf beside a pile of leather-bound Icarean originals. The smell of the disturbed tomes evoked memories of Xelan, dead not even seven days. It twisted my reemerging conscience. But that needed to wait. “Sorry for intruding, your majesty, but you’ve been at this for a week. It’s time to return to the war effort.”

Halfway up a ladder, Nox kept his eyes on the spines. “There are four known descriptions of Elden’s Atramentous eyes. They all correspond. I must be certain, or it will drive me mad.”

This story has been stolen from Royal Road. If you read it on Amazon, please report it

This was enough. We needed to decide the next course of action now that Xelan involved Tumu and the Tritans. “You have combed through every Icarean library on Cinder and Earth seeking the last account.” To placate him, I offered, “Should I assign some men to the search?” I worded it carefully. When Nox saved me with his blood after the Enki conduit incident, I risked him disintegrating me with a flex of his fist every time I challenged him.

Nox bit his thumbnail, distracted. His eyes darted over the increasing mound. He wondered aloud, “Maybe my brother stole it.”

My brother.

My mouth dropped open, and I recoiled before I could restrain it. He referred to Xelan exclusively as “Traitor Prince” since the Vacating. He outlawed Xelan’s name.

My brother.

Without addressing it, Nox hopped off the ladder and approached the three books on the desk. He read a selected line in all three. “‘Elden held Li captive in his eyes. On fire. Alive.’ I always wondered what that meant.”

Truthfully, so had I. During Savis’ teachings, we learned so much about Elden’s deeds and so little of the man himself. So I was also rapt in any details regarding our savior.

Abruptly, Nox growled and tossed the precious sacred texts to the carpet. In a lost voice like none other I’d heard from him, my King muttered, “What have I done?”

Bewildered, I pressed, “Sire?”

Nox turned back and stunned me further. “Do you think she could ever forgive me?”

I searched his face, unsure what he wanted. If I should be honest. Or if I should “yes man” this shit. After a long moment, I asked, “Do I have permission to speak freely, sire?”

“This once.”

Honesty. “You seized her planet, murdered her guardian, and tried in every conceivable way to break her. At this point, if she forgave you, I’d have to question her intelligence, at the very least, her sanity.”

Nox ran a hand through his hair and blew the air out of his cheeks. “I believe I made an error in judgment.”

Fuck. He was falling down another obsessive rabbit hole, but what bothered me was how much the destination made sense. To see Nox aware of it left me confused as to our course. “Your majesty?”

Staring out at the desert through the far glass wall, my King confessed, “She’s nothing like her predecessor, yet I inflicted all the punishment on Rayne that I wished for Celindria. And now the only woman fit for my match, sleeps below my castle biding her time to deliver justice.”

“For your sake, I hope it’s swift.”

Affected, but not angry, Nox ordered, “Permission revoked. Every hour. You, personally, check on her every hour. And find out why the Progeny are under the impression we killed their parents.”

I frowned in concern before I concealed it. “Their parents are dead, your majesty?” We didn’t wish this on you.

Nox elaborated, “Rayne said as much in this very room. I planned to keep them around for leverage. Someone is undermining our efforts. Find out who it is and eliminate them.”

“Yes, your majesty.” I took another glance at the pile of books. The state of him and the storm around him.

“Dismissed.”

Nox turned his back on me, and I felt a chill.

No, not the frostiness from him. But that this moment heralded an end of all moments with my King in this room.

My brother.

My people, and my home.

We engaged in a few candid conversations after this. Each left me with this growing sensation. An Imminence. And as I worked with you to further the Progeny’s advantage, I knew I worked against Nox toward this chilling end.

Tell me, Sagan, have you forgiven Nox for what he did to you during the Volcano Day battle?

[SS]: Korac asking me this question is the most thought I’d given it since the day it happened. The way Nox almost killed me… “I mean, it was painful. It hurt like hell, but the entire time he reassured me that everything would be all right. That he regretted the pain, but it was temporary and I would live. He knew. Now I’ve experienced him through the Verses, and…”

I drift off a bit. Thinking about the man that was Nox. How Korac remembers him. Even some of your stories, Rayne. It’s all so tragic.

“Yes, I’ve forgiven him. I think I did when I woke up to you holding my hand on Cinder.”

Korac sighs in relief.

I laugh nervously before asking, “Why? What’s on your mind?”

I’m less of a wretch, then. I took the gesture of Nox placing your nacre into your hand as a show of forgiveness. Nox’s way of giving us his blessing. And I found it distasteful to think that if you harbored any aversion to it—Understandable aversion.

[SS]: “Oh, trust me. You all need therapy. If Nox were alive, I’d suggest group sessions. But hell, who in this house doesn’t need therapy right now?”

I stand at the desk to pull him in for a hug. Against him, I further justify my understanding. “I know it’s complicated and weird. But I love you anyway. If changing anything in our past meant we wouldn’t be together right now, well, then I’m selfish. Because I wouldn’t change a thing. Including your brother-King-friend half-murdering me. Destroying my planet. Etcetera.”

We both laugh at my silly, weird profession of true love and kiss to celebrate our brand of insanity.

When we pull back, I grin and ask, “What do you want to name your last chapter?”

“Faith Restored within a Star” because I found hope in your smile.

[SS]: I’m beaming at him in response. Another thought occurs to me. “You’ve exceeded seventy thousand words. What do you want for overachieving?”

He leaves me to disappear into the closet, and now he’s back, dangling a collar from his fingers. It’s leather and studded with diamonds that spell out an important word between us.

General

I cup my hand over my mouth in shock. “I thought the collar was lost when I destroyed Gait.”

He’s smirking.

Wear only the collar.

[SS]: “Yes, Master.”

I’m typing this one out, but I’ll keep it just for us. We’ll return in a few days for closing remarks. I think we’ve both earned this.