I trusted Korac to find my brother in my father's chambers, but I found neither of them there. I searched the throne room, library, and viewing platform. Everywhere. As I entered the central tower, a flash of white caught my attention at the very top. Korac signaled to me, and I flew to him.

"Are they alone?" I asked.

He nodded. "The Prince refused to listen to me and ordered me to stay outside."

I kicked the door open in time to watch Xelan break our father's back, casually. The rain stopped as he dropped the lifeless body to the floor. Kicking it, he muttered, "Lower than dirt."

"Xelan... do you have any idea what you have done?" I slammed the door behind me. No sense in advertising to the world that my brother killed our father.

He shrugged, framed by the single window. "I avenged our mother. What does it matter?" With his shoulders slumped and his eyes puffy, he looked so distraught.

I waved away his reasoning. "Umbra deserved to die for more than that, but you created a vacuum in our hierarchy. Are you ready to fill it?"

Xelan looked out the window for a long time. Finally, he declared, "I want nothing to do with ruling a people fated to dominate others. You rule. It suits you."

I looked down at Umbra. Twisted and misaligned. His mouth gaped and twitched, but there was nothing in his eyes. I punched into his chest and ripped out his nacre.

Mother and father died on the same day. Killed by their children.

"Throw it." Xelan nodded at the window.

I frowned. Neither one of us wanted to take this enemy to victory. Outside the window, I stared out over the lake and mountains. I swallowed before I dropped Umbra's nacre into the waterfall. The empty tower made for a deserving tomb.

"Is mother gone?" Xelan's voice sounded small.

Without glancing back at him, I assured, "Peacefully. In her sleep." I idly wondered what would happen if a fish ate father's nacre. Anything to keep my mind off this day.

"You are as much to blame for her suffering as he was."

I closed my eyes and counted to ten. He would never believe me. So why even bother? I turned and lit an Icarean fire stick. "You may be right."

The tale has been stolen; if detected on Amazon, report the violation.

Xelan stepped away as I set Umbra on fire. "How can you live with yourself?"

We covered our noses as he burned. Charred Icarus smells as unpleasant as burnt human.

I gave a lot of thought to his question. Between the "leash," my isolation, and growing responsibilities... "With great effort. But I assure you, I will not do it in this Spire another day. Construction underwent my castle by the Great House. Will you join me there?"

Maybe a fresh start elsewhere could help us. Somewhere without a history of abuse and terrible news.

"No, Nox." My heart broke as he continued, "I will stay here until we reach the new planet."

Mother was far more effective than I'd first assumed. "And then what will you do? Will you abandon Cinder?"

"I--"

A knock came from the door. Xelan stepped around my father's remains to answer it. I stepped over them. Korac waited outside, patiently.

Without words, he asked to come in, and we let him. The three of us considered how to dispose of the body and inform the populace.

Korac suggested, "We can erect totems for them both. People can pay their respects to Lady Savis that way."

Out of the corner of my eye, I caught him scanning Xelan on more than one occasion. I wonder what he thought of the youngest one committing patricide.

Xelan nodded. "Place hers at the Great House and leave Umbra's here."

That seemed a little irregular given they were married, but mother would avoid father in eternity. "Agreed."

Korac stared out the window. "The rain stopped."

Xelan and I agreed with noncommittal sounds, but Korac pressed on. "It stopped when he died."

The last time it rained, mother was besieged by the Physician. Umbra was erratic. What could that mean--

I glimpsed something on the window and frowned. "What is that?"

Xelan followed my line of sight, and Korac walked over to the window. Words were engraved in the frame.

Imminent

Xelan shivered. "Ominous."

I stared at it. The word unnerved me. It pricked my memory, my very instincts. The root of it, the cause was right there, yet I couldn't reach it.

Korac startled me when he shared, "I know of this word. I heard of it as a child. On Gait."

"Gait? Why would it be here?" Xelan asked an excellent question.

He took a deep breath. "It was never associated with anything good. Perhaps Umbra brought it on. What say you, King Nox?"

Xelan glared at Korac.

I always liked the sound of King Nox, but knowing the burden behind it exhausted me. Pressured with the death of our planet and the survival of our race. A never ending and thankless role.

"Whatever calamity Imminent brings, that was when Umbra ruled. I am a different animal altogether."

My brother measured me with a weighty gaze. "Do you feel ready?"

"One of us has to be."

We informed the public of the passing of our parents and my ascension to the throne. After a time, we posted the designated totems for mourners to pay their respects. Rocks stacked largest to smallest, about seven feet high. The public buried mother's marker in flowers and gifts.

Xelan hid from me in his lab. I wasn't welcome. Colita updated me daily on his mood and progress. I hated spying on him this way, but I couldn't reach him. I hoped so much that, given enough time, we could return to our friendship.

But like any other time I bothered to hope, peace eluded me. And disaster always found me.