{Earth}

Andrew and his team stepped out of the Seam, in its varying shades of majestic purple, and entered a pagoda made of dark wood and white stone, cushioned in the snows of northern British Columbia. Tempest, a female Icarus with a chic sense of style, and Legir, Leader of Yu, with stick arms and a triangular body attached to his perfectly round head, waited for the Shadow. They both smiled and welcomed them with hands outstretched in greeting.

Andrew couldn’t—He just couldn’t find it in him to trust them. He swept their intentions.

Discuss the nacre situation. Brainstorm how best to proceed. Elden, I hope their samples return clean, but when have we ever been so lucky?

Tempest’s kindness and dedication made Andrew grind his teeth with guilt. What about Legir?

They need to eat more. And rest. Skin and bones and dark under eyes. Poor children. At least these nacre experiments will ease their minds.

Andrew wanted to cry. How could he doubt all these people? He knew the answer. The people he never doubted were the last ones to betray them.

Lucas…

In Andrew’s silence, Lynn introduced Lamassau officially to Tempest. She also asked, “Where’s Cypher and Colton?”

Legir smiled knowingly and spoke inside their heads. “In the kitchen, preparing for you.”

Tempest waved for them to follow. “Dolor is down there, too.” When Andrew shivered at another mind to sweep, she mistook it for a chill. “Some people find it quite cold here with no windows, but we find it refreshing. If you like, we can shutter it?”

Andrew dismissed her kind offer. “No, thank you. If you don’t mind, I’d like to ask about the state of Cinder. How many refugees remain?”

They took the stairs as she answered, “None. With Sagan’s help over these last few months, we evacuated the remaining Icari to Earth. Of course, we couldn’t let the Tritans know. They think we finished before Imminent took Rayne.”

“So we completed that mission at least. How are they integrating?”

Tempest nodded, as if approving his questions. “Well. They’re doing well. Especially once the nacres disseminated on a global scale—Which I know is not everyone’s favorite subject, but it’s done wonders for relations.”

Lynn overheard from the bottom of the stairs and asked, “How many were distributed already?”

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

Dolor sighed behind her and explained in his boring professor’s voice, “Unfortunately, two billion. That’s almost the entire population of Earth since Invasion Day.”

Both he and Tempest, the two Icari in the room, darted their gazes away. Not everyone liked the reminder that the Icarean invasion wiped out half of the human populace. Andrew checked Dolor’s intentions.

I wish so many things were different. For Earth, for the Shadow, and for the Brethren.

Aloud, the tall, slender Icarus asked, “How is Caedes fairing so far from home?”

Lynn answered, “He’s Shadow now. He’s doing fine—”

“Get in here! There’s cheesecake!” Lamassau called from further out of the stairwell. Presumably from the kitchen.

Andrew smiled. How could he not? Especially as he entered the stainless steel paradise and paid witness to the absolute patisserie of a kitchen. Cakes and cookies lined every surface.

Lynn gaped. Legir chuckled in their heads. Tempest said, “We thought to prepare a surprise for you and the rest.”

Lam pouted. “Rest? No. This is all for us three, right Lynn?” He nudged her from his compressed height of seven feet.

She laughed. “Don’t lump me in with your piracy. This is Shadow fuel. They should all—”

“Hear about the awesome desserts we ate on our own,” Andrew interrupted. “I agree.” He and Lamassau bumped fists.

“Has anyone found Rayne?”

Cypher, the mood killer.

Now that Andrew thought hard about it, the soldier’s fixation on their King was a little odd.

I can’t stand the thought of anything happening to her. She can hear in the Martyr Complex. Is she afraid for her life? For ours? That’s awful.

Well. It’s not anything they weren’t all thinking.

Lynn placed a friendly hand on Cypher’s shoulder and smiled at Colton, who gazed on in an apron. Lynn said, “This was Rayne’s mission. She knows what she’s doing. There is no one safer in the galaxy than our War King.”

Borrowing her fugitive name for emphasis. Nice.

Some time and at least two cheesecakes later, they gathered in The Brethren’s lab. Another world of stainless steel and sterile white-washed walls. Nacres filled the space like the pastries in the kitchen. Tiny pearls of amber glass waiting for examination.

“There must be a hundred thousand,” Lynn said, plucking one from a countertop and holding it in her palm. “Have they shown any unusual characteristics?”

Dolor sighed, probably to relieve some tension. “Not yet. Humans are experiencing the predictable benefits of nacre assimilation. Increased stamina, speed, and strength. Nothing outrageous. No overall enhancement to their senses, which was expected. They can hold their breath unusually long though.”

“But we don’t suspect that’s part of Imminent’s sinister plan.” Tempest sounded amused, but looked wrung out. “We’ll keep surveillance here and notify the Shadow at the first unusual observation.”

Legir, who ran the family business of helping people afflicted by Tritan intervention through their nacres, looked at Lynn. “Are you ready to start?”

“Yeah. We have some space back at the house, too, but I’m afraid these might explode in the Seam or something. Boys,” She glanced between Andrew and Lamassau, “How will you keep busy?”

Andrew knew why he was here. Xelan wanted him to test The Brethren’s intentions. Now that he had, and they proved sincere, he didn’t have a clue what to do with himself or how to distract from the Probabilities in his mind. He’d have to wait until they return to report, because the radios couldn’t span interplanetary communication.

The Chef was muscle. Backup. But fortunately, he knew what to do. “Do you Brethren types have any crawlers here?”

Dolor and Tempest shared a quizzical glance before Dolor said, “Four of the small ones. Why?”

Now Cypher and Colton glanced at one another, both grinning as if they’d figured it out.

“Oh, you know… No reason.”