{Reipon}

Bones regained consciousness with one hell of a hangover. Elden, he couldn’t remember the last time he felt this much like a steaming pile of Hellkite droppings.

One minute, he was teaching Pax poker in their fort, the next…

How did Bones even get outside? And why were all the Lyriks unconscious, too?

He hopped on his feet despite the fatigue begging him to stay down. This was high alert time. Clearly, something went down.

Check the rest of the people in the house, including Bethany and Triss.

Search for Imminent carvings.

Foremost, find Pax.

“Pax? Kiddo, where are you?”

Bones neglected the unconscious Lyriks to run back into the lounge, where he found the most epic fort ever built standing empty. Again, he called, trying to keep the edge of panic from his voice, “Pax? Answer Uncle Bones, please!”

No response.

No.

No. No. No.

This felt all wrong.

“Pax?”

Bones searched all the rooms on the first floor, calling for the toddler. On the second floor, he found Bethany passed out at her desk. Triss was still breathing steady in a coma with perfect vitals. Or as perfect as Pablo said to expect with how much pain she was enduring.

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Second floor clear.

This was bad.

Third floor found only Pehton and Caedes in a somewhat compromising position. The gruff Icarus was already stirring by the time Bones discovered them. “Hey, man. Wake up and help me find Pax. Now.”

That got the bald Icarus on his feet. They all seemed equally exhausted. It was familiar.

Gently, Caedes lifted Pehton and laid her out on a patio chaise. It was cute, but neither here nor there. When the bald Icarus turned to Bones, he already knew.

Damn it, Bones knew what the other man would ask.

Please no.

“Have you checked the windows?”

Fuck.

Bones avoided them because this couldn’t be it. This… this wasn’t happening.

Swallowing, he clung to faith—faith in the Shadow, in the Icarean Prerogative, and faith in Elden—that the windows would be clear. With all that in his heart, Bones checked the nearest window.

Imminent.

“No.” All the “no’s” that were in Bones’ insides came onto the outside. “No. No. They took him. They fucking took Pax.”

Caedes checked all the windows in this room—this floor. With each one he checked, his face grew more grim.

Meanwhile, Pehton roused with a groan. “What… what happened?”

Bones knelt to check on her and tried to think of the best way to break it to her. “Somehow it’s worst-case scenario without it being the worst-case scenario. No one’s dead this time. But…”

Pehton gripped his wrist. “But. What?”

Caedes returned to the veranda. “Imminent was here, and Pax is missing.”

Hearing it said that way, drained the blood right of Bones and almost laid him low again.

Pehton paled, too, and swallowed hard before asking, “How… how were we all unconscious? We were… We…” She looked at Caedes and revealed the nature of their prior conversation with only the look in her eyes.

Good for them, but again, neither here nor there.

“The house is compromised. We have to evacuate. We have to—” Bones stopped panicking as the nightmare peaked. He breathed, “I’ll have to tell Tameka and Xelan.”

Caedes frowned.

Pehton gave Bones a pitying look.

Bones wiped a shaking hand down his mouth. “I’ll have to tell them I lost their son to Imminent.” He’d rather the sadistic fuckers had killed him than leave him to this fate worse than death.