The rendevous point was in Austria. Getting there took Christof and Zauna over twenty-four hours aboard a drifter they stole in Portugal. Winnie was with them every step of the way. At a designated spot on a highway, she told them to pull over and walk into the dead woods.

Timing was important for this pickup. Though the imperial air force was not yet shielded, every touch down was a risk, and every minute counted. Winnie gave Captain Stephano an estimate for when the two would arrive, and he'd planned the ship's descent, which involved circling the globe another time to lose enough speed. In the end, the ship's loading ramp crunched into frozen mud the moment Christof came into view of the clearing. Winnie was proud of herself.

Though she might have had to hassle Christof to move faster several times so he'd arrive when he did.

A squad of marines poured out and secured the area. Winnie, Oni, Josephine, and High Exemplar Liat waited on the ramp for Christof and Zauna to approach. Victoria waited farther back inside the bay. When Zauna came through the woods and spotted her son, she rushed.

"Oni, boy." She constricted him in a breath-stealing hug.

"Hi, Mama."

Liat approached and smiled at Zauna, looking her in the eye.

"Who are you?" Zauna asked. "Are you the queen?"

"Me? No." Liat stared at her a moment longer, then stepped passed her to confront Christof.

Victoria came down the ramp. "Welcome, Ms. Madaki. We will meet more formally later. Come aboard now."

Zauna and Oni walked up the ramp together. Victoria turned her attention to Christof and Liat, who were staring each other down. Liat's scan of Christof took longer than with Zauna. Concerned, she turned and looked at Victoria. Something passed between them telepathically, then Victoria came down the ramp to meet Christof while Liat shepherded everyone else into the Venezia.

Stolen from its rightful author, this tale is not meant to be on Amazon; report any sightings.

Others couldn't hear Victoria's interaction with Christof, but Winnie could. Victoria stared Christof in the eye just as Liat had. Christof obligingly stared back.

"Satisfied?" he asked.

"Hardly. I can see why Liat was reluctant to let you near me. You're harboring far too many feelings of—"

"Resentment?"

"Yes. Under other circumstances, an exemplar would have you shipped off to a detention facility."

"Well, there's not much we can do about it, so how about we just go aboard."

"Actually, I can do something. I can remove those seventeen year of imprisonment if you'd like."

"Don't you dare."

"So you want the memories?"

"I don't want you messing with my mind."

"Would you remove the memories yourself if you could?"

"No."

"So you think you're better off with them. I agree. They're an excellent lesson in humility, a reminder that you are not above answering for your sins."

"This coming from the woman who's murdered more of humanity that I ever could."

Victoria glanced to see what soldiers were near. None overheard save for Winnie.

"I will leave your memories as they are, Christof," Victoria said, "but if wish to step aboard this vessel, you will obey my word. Never mention something like that again, even if it's just to me, or I will take those secrets from you."

"Hmm."

"This means you may not make eye contact with anyone onboard this ship. Can you manage that?"

"I put up with Alexander longer than you've been alive."

"Good, because I'm trusting you."

"It's not really trust if you're threatening to muddle my memory."

"It is if you knew me. I said I'd forgive you, and I meant it. I know what kind of person you are, and the loyalty you showed Sakhr. You chose to come to me, which shows you have a head on your shoulders, so I'm giving you a chance. Your resentment toward me is understandable, and I will show you the courtesy of not forcing your forgiveness through memory tricks."

"Nor will you ask for it, it seems."

"I punished you far long enough for what little involvement you've had. Longer perhaps than you deserved." She paused. "I was angry. That, Christof, is the closest to an apology you'll get."

"How heartfelt."

"Again, if you knew me better, you'd know that it was. Come now, we've dallied for too long." Victoria turned and headed up the ramp.

Christof followed. When he came to Winnie, he paused. She got her first good look at him without the use of her power. She'd missed how haggard he looked. He'd been on the run for over thirty hours.

"Winnie?" he asked.

She nodded.

Christof handed her a bag and marched past her into the ship.

Winnie looked inside. At the bottom, tucked into her shell and away from the world, was Helena.