{The Seam}

The soft purple aisle gave way to deep mauve walls and an amethyst ceiling that vaulted into a cloud. The sight took Korac’s breath away.

“This is called Monarch Hall.”

Sagan displayed the space like a museum curator. It suited her. She beamed, delighted to share the Seam with another. They discovered his access by happy accident, kissing on their way through a conduit. Perhaps it was the Aegis in his bones. Or maybe because Sagan opened the court’s prison when she cracked Gait in two.

Either way, they spent a few hours wandering around. Time passed slower here, affording them a serene moment of privacy. They strolled and held hands. Kissed softly and slowly. But nothing more.

Korac kept the pressure simmering on low. They talked about him seeing what happened to her that fateful night at the Emporium.

At the time, Sagan seemed grateful. “It saves me from reliving it with you.”

But now… It haunted her. She flinched with sudden movements. Her eyes watched surrounding people with renewed scrutiny. It hurt him she felt threatened in the presence of people she loved. All because of his hedonistic half-brother.

So Korac held Sagan close. Their hands laced together. Gentle kisses against her hair. He moved slowly and kept his arms from his sides. Anything to make her comfortable. Without her asking, he swore to do this for as long as it took to recover.

After all, it only took Korac half a million years to remove himself from his own traumatic past.

The Seamswalker squeezed the war criminal’s hand. “We should head back. I promised Andrew and Lucas I’d take them to the zeppelin to empty that egregious closet of his.”

This tale has been unlawfully lifted from Royal Road; report any instances of this story if found elsewhere.

She opened the conduit to the pit.

Korac went backwards, pulling her with him. “I’ll tag along. See if I can find any other ensembles of mine hidden within.”

Sagan snickered, but both of them strained at the topic. It was such a bizarre game—

What fresh hell of an apocalypse did they walk into?

They stood on the island in the pit, surrounded by black debris and flames.

Murmuring until she screamed, Sagan fell to her knees. “No. No. No! This is all my fault!”

Korac knelt beside her with a reassuring arm around her shoulder. But a repetitive thudding drew his attention away momentarily.

Caedes.

He was punching the frozen solid lake. Over and over. Blue blood splashed across it from his broken fist, and he wasn’t healing.

Kissing Sagan’s head before he left her side, Korac rushed over. “What happened? What—Elden, take my eyes. Is that—”

“It’s John. Help me.” Caedes kept at it, but the ice wouldn’t dent or crack.

This. Wasn’t. Happening.

“Korac!”

“On shore!”

Kyle and Andrew. They were cuffed across the way. Feeling downright fucked about it, Korac crossed the frozen lake and released them both. “Imminent attacked?”

Kyle rubbed his wrists. “Big time. Fuckers disabled our nacres.”

Andrew steadied Korac to gaze at him with a grave expression. “It was Lucas, Smith, and Silence. They took Rayne.”

The gasp from behind the Icarean General made Korac close his eyes.

Fuck.

Stiffly, sadly, he faced Sagan. The Seamswalker needed no one’s permission, but he nodded solemnly anyway.

With determination burning in her violet eyes, Sagan opened a conduit to the safe house before opening another to Enki. She slipped away.

Korac gripped both Progeny men on their shoulders. “Help me get the Lyriks to Reipon and sweep the place for any other Shadow.”

Thud.

Thud.

Shit.

“Do either of you know how to console a grieving Icarean bull?”

Andrew and Kyle exchanged a lost glance.

“Yeah, me neither.” Korac turned his back on the other men and headed back across the lake. “Caedes! Caedes! I hate to be the one to tell you, but even if you got him out of that ice, he’s gone.”

The bald Icarus looked up sharply and fixed on the silver-haired General with broken green eyes. Severe. Haunted. And pissed.

Korac understood. “Eight thousand years you’ve been waiting. Here’s your only chance. I’ll let you take two free swings at me, subordinate, if it’ll make you feel better.”

Fire burned all around as Caedes stood and popped his ruined knuckles with a steady glare for Korac.

This day kept getting better and better.