Tameka finished checking the latest stats in the reports about the Probability Matrix. After a final scan, she turned to address the incoming Shadow—

“Whoa.”

—And nearly bumped into Pehton when she turned around. “Oh, hey, girl. Sorry.” Tameka offered a friendly smile.

But suspicion had narrowed the Lyriki Warden’s gaze, distant with her private contemplation.

“Is something wrong?” Tameka asked, waving to Silence and Kyle as T.a.o. brought them through.

Pehton nodded. “Yes.” Her garnet eyes—hard gemstones—finally focused on Tameka. “I don’t believe for one second Korac is on some meditation retreat in the middle of this mess.”

That shot Tameka’s brows up. Then lowered them into a frown. “Why would you say that?”

With a flare of her orange gliders—wrists to elbows—Pehton said, “Because it’s not like Korac to leave the action. He didn’t even tell me in person. Just left a message—No.” She paused, contemplating. “No. This feels off.”

Tameka agreed it was odd timing, but she couldn’t account for the half-Aegis’ behavior. “We can’t do anything about it until he and Sagan get back.”

“Hopefully, Korac is using this time to communicate the severity of the situation with Zero or the other Aegis,” Xelan offered, joining the pair of women on the lowest tier of the bridge.

Below the glass platforms and gangplanks, Cascading Light swirled in its endless vortex, defying sanity and reason. Although the addition of nanite rails ruined the original magnificent, yet anxiety-inducing effect, everyone walked easier despite occasionally brushing against the invisible barriers. It was especially convenient on days like this when all the Shadow gathered in the precarious space.

Even Pax practiced caution, weaving carefully between the adults. He needed a playmate.

Tameka tried her best not to place a hand on her midsection, but it went there of its own accord. A little sister for a big brother. Echo as a best friend. Not to mention Lynn’s baby was overdue, more evident by her absence. Pablo hesitated to leave her side for the meeting, but bed rest was bed rest. Qas, the Tritan physician they’d met during the fall of Enki, would look after her in the meantime.

Warm fingers entwined in Tameka’s free hand, and she looked up to find Xelan beaming. She dropped the hand on her belly, but not before Pehton looked between the Co-Emperors, extra-observant today. Discretely, she leaned into Tameka and whispered, “You’re glowing.” The Lyriki Warden’s smile implied she’d figured it out.

Fuck it.

They would all learn eventually.

Tameka called, “Everyone, we have an announcement to make.”

Tumu in the back already broke into a wide, lipless grin, puzzling Lamassau, judging by the look on his face.

The others peered on in curiosity while Tameka looked up at Xelan, asking permission. He kissed the hand he held, and said against her knuckles, “Go ahead.”

“I’m pregnant. It’s a girl.” Saying it aloud made Tameka grin as wide as Tumu. Xelan, too.

Pax cried in delight, “A little sister?! Can I teach her how to fly?”

After everyone finished gasping, they shined adoring smiles at the kid, who plowed into Tameka and gripped her tight. He said it again as if trying the idea on for size. “Wow. Another sister.”

Tameka winced, knowing he referred to Celindria.

Xelan knelt and held his arms out. Without hesitation, Pax jumped into them. The father asked the son, “How does that sound, kiddo?”

Tameka ruffled his coils as Pax asked, “Can she hear me?”

“You can talk to her all you want.” As she said it, the beginnings of happy tears blurred Tameka’s vision.

Pax let go of his father to whisper to the baby forming inside her. “Both Elden and I will protect you. My name is Pax. I will teach you everything I know. We will play and spar together, and I will never hurt you.”

The color drained from Xelan’s complexion. People all around winced, looking away to give the moment some privacy. Tameka didn’t know how to ask Pax if he meant to quote Nox’s first words to Xelan from the Verse. Or if he channeled some sincerity from the menagerie of lives and memories exposed to him by the Probability Matrix.

Oblivious, Pax hugged Tameka again, sealing his vow. She offered Xelan an apologetic look, but he’d already regained the gray tone to his skin. Still, she couldn’t ignore the not-so-joyous glisten in his eyes.

The Icarean royal family was so broken: Korac, Nox, and Xelan. There was no way to tell if Nox’s death had helped or hurt the healing. Sometimes it seemed ‘both’ was the answer. There was no way to confront Nox, but also no way to determine if he deserved forgiveness.

So here they lingered in limbo.

“I’ve got some weed if you want some, ol’ Wingmaster.”

Kyle.

His sense of humor needled, but Tameka be damned if it didn’t work. Laughter burst from Xelan despite himself, and the rest followed in a chorus of chuckles, giggles, and many calls to fuck off.

On the right, beside Andrew and Lucas, Iuo requested, “Please indulge us as to why I had to give up a truly magnificent, one-of-a-kind filming experience in the wee hours of the morning.” The light in his black and blue eyes belied his complaint as good-natured ribbing.

Pablo looked weary with heavy-lidded, exhausted eyes as he said, “I want to help however I can, but the sooner I get back to Lynn, the better.” It didn’t help that the last pregnancy he’d delivered had resulted in the mother—Triss—dying.

Xelan took to the center of the lowest tier, staring up at the Shadow in an amphitheater of glass and black fire. “I understand everyone wants to return to their nights, and you will, as soon as Tameka and I assign you some tasks. For instance, Pablo, we’d like you to check over our prisoner before we let you turn in for the night. Chris, Bones, and Caedes are guarding him now. Can you do that for us?”

“Absolutely, Wingmaster.” Purpose lifted Pablo’s chin and brightened his eyes. “Whatever you need.”

Tameka took the next group. “Probability Matrix team, we need you monitoring twenty-four/seven. Work in shifts, if it helps. We need to know if we lose more than a hundred realities.” She threw in a slightly harder tone for the next as she said, “Lucas, you’ll work with them.”

The shady—and admittedly sweet—bastard smiled, saying, “Anything for the good of Iona Pax.”

Silence coughed into her hand, and the look Kyle gave her said she’d clearly been hiding a laugh.

Weird dynamic.

Xelan added, “You, too, Smith.”

The smiling man responded with a grin and a thumbs up.

“What can I do?” Jack asked from the front, sitting politely close to Ross, holding hands.

Tameka said, “You and Iuo figure out what’s wrong with F8. As King Elects, you have access to her—”

“I may have a theory.” Puk stepped between Matt and Lucy to take front and center. Xelan nodded for the drone to continue, and Puk said, “Celindria has the volition of the Monarch 3 hives.”

Gasps and an exchange of shocked expressions followed.

While rocking Echo in a bassinet, Karter asked, “Are you certain?”

Matt clarified, “We were confronted in Night Rayne’s Tomb by a hundred or so people—Most of which were drones.”

“If she controls the Queens—F8 and the others—Celindria controls the hives,” Puk elaborated.

Pehton glared suspiciously at the annihilation squad, asking, “What else did you withhold from me?”

Unnerved, Tameka watched the lines of Matt’s face form a reassuring smile and placate Pehton with what felt like a lie. “We didn’t withhold anything. This was just the first opportunity to bring it up s’all, ma’am.”

Xelan went to biting his thumbnail and pacing, while Tameka asked, “Did you notice any similar features between the others? A commonality?”

The story has been taken without consent; if you see it on Amazon, report the incident.

Lucy said, “Ports. Most of them had those ports.” She placed a hand on her chest above her nacre.

Pehton asked, “Like the ones Razor used in the Divine Booths?”

Devis, beside Andrius and T.a.o., took a step forward. “Celindria designed the technology using the research she harvested from me—”

“Oh, Elden, no…” Xelan’s bleak response to his sudden epiphany did not bode well.

Even Pax took Tameka’s hand, recognizing the tension as the Shadow waited with bated breath.

Xelan gripped his hair and blew the air from his cheeks. “Celindria is brilliant. So, so brilliant. Through nanite programming, she bugged the booths to leave the users susceptible to her endeavors. Of course…”

Matt frowned, saying, “But that would mean she could control—”

“Millions. The rich, the powerful, and anyone Razor convinced to port for any of his nefarious whims.” Pehton was channeling firsthand experience.

Wait.

Tameka blurted, “Does that mean Celindria can control Sagan?”

Xelan shook his head, not as in ‘no,’ but as in ‘oh, hell no.’ He said, “We’ll need to run tests, but hopefully not.”

Lucas offered, “Sagan went into the Feast of Roses in the Seam. It healed the port entirely, and perhaps it reversed all of its engineering.”

The room looked at him.

How interesting of Lucas to bring up Aegis-related intervention at a time like this. Tameka cared for their resident tailor and spy, but it hurt that he continued to withhold so much from them.

Pehton trailed her narrowed gaze off Lucas and stared at the maelstrom below. “I guess we’ll have to wait and find out when Sagan and Korac return.”

“Not to add more to the shit soup, but since you brought Razor up, I want to come clean.”

Now the room looked at Kyle. Bethany even beamed up at her older brother like she knew what he was about to say. He looked ready to confess a dirty secret. “Razor is kinda, sorta conscious in the memory bank we built him.”

Tameka blinked.

Pehton frowned.

Matt grinned.

“Show me.”

Tameka loved Xelan enough to take his hand and pull him down so she could whisper, “You did the thing. Within a single second, you’ve already abandoned everything about Celindria to hyper-focus on Razor. Let’s finish this meeting, and then I’ll go with you to see your old friend.”

His lips were warm against her cheek when Xelan kissed Tameka and whispered an emphatic, “Thank you.”

They could do this.

Assign workgroups.

Join Xelan on a deep-dive with his ex-lover and super villain.

And try to make it through the night without another tear.

With this ‘shit soup,’ as Kyle had called it, the last was easier said than done.

Tameka finished checking the latest stats in the reports about the Probability Matrix. After a final scan, she turned to address the incoming Shadow—

“Whoa.”

—And nearly bumped into Pehton when she turned around. “Oh, hey, girl. Sorry.” Tameka offered a friendly smile.

But suspicion had narrowed the Lyriki Warden’s gaze, distant with her private contemplation.

“Is something wrong?” Tameka asked, waving to Silence and Kyle as T.a.o. brought them through.

Pehton nodded. “Yes.” Her garnet eyes—hard gemstones—finally focused on Tameka. “I don’t believe for one second Korac is on some meditation retreat in the middle of this mess.”

That shot Tameka’s brows up. Then lowered them into a frown. “Why would you say that?”

With a flare of her orange gliders—wrists to elbows—Pehton said, “Because it’s not like Korac to leave the action. He didn’t even tell me in person. Just left a message—No.” She paused, contemplating. “No. This feels off.”

Tameka agreed it was odd timing, but she couldn’t account for the half-Aegis’ behavior. “We can’t do anything about it until he and Sagan get back.”

“Hopefully, Korac is using this time to communicate the severity of the situation with Zero or the other Aegis,” Xelan offered, joining the pair of women on the lowest tier of the bridge.

Below the glass platforms and gangplanks, Cascading Light swirled in its endless vortex, defying sanity and reason. Although the addition of nanite rails ruined the original magnificent, yet anxiety-inducing effect, everyone walked easier despite occasionally brushing against the invisible barriers. It was especially convenient on days like this when all the Shadow gathered in the precarious space.

Even Pax practiced caution, weaving carefully between the adults. He needed a playmate.

Tameka tried her best not to place a hand on her midsection, but it went there of its own accord. A little sister for a big brother. Echo as a best friend. Not to mention Lynn’s baby was overdue, more evident by her absence. Pablo hesitated to leave her side for the meeting, but bed rest was bed rest. Qas, the Tritan physician they’d met during the fall of Enki, would look after her in the meantime.

Warm fingers entwined in Tameka’s free hand, and she looked up to find Xelan beaming. She dropped the hand on her belly, but not before Pehton looked between the Co-Emperors, extra-observant today. Discretely, she leaned into Tameka and whispered, “You’re glowing.” The Lyriki Warden’s smile implied she’d figured it out.

Fuck it.

They would all learn eventually.

Tameka called, “Everyone, we have an announcement to make.”

Tumu in the back already broke into a wide, lipless grin, puzzling Lamassau, judging by the look on his face.

The others peered on in curiosity while Tameka looked up at Xelan, asking permission. He kissed the hand he held, and said against her knuckles, “Go ahead.”

“I’m pregnant. It’s a girl.” Saying it aloud made Tameka grin as wide as Tumu. Xelan, too.

Pax cried in delight, “A little sister?! Can I teach her how to fly?”

After everyone finished gasping, they shined adoring smiles at the kid, who plowed into Tameka and gripped her tight. He said it again as if trying the idea on for size. “Wow. Another sister.”

Tameka winced, knowing he referred to Celindria.

Xelan knelt and held his arms out. Without hesitation, Pax jumped into them. The father asked the son, “How does that sound, kiddo?”

Tameka ruffled his coils as Pax asked, “Can she hear me?”

“You can talk to her all you want.” As she said it, the beginnings of happy tears blurred Tameka’s vision.

Pax let go of his father to whisper to the baby forming inside her. “Both Elden and I will protect you. My name is Pax. I will teach you everything I know. We will play and spar together, and I will never hurt you.”

The color drained from Xelan’s complexion. People all around winced, looking away to give the moment some privacy. Tameka didn’t know how to ask Pax if he meant to quote Nox’s first words to Xelan from the Verse. Or if he channeled some sincerity from the menagerie of lives and memories exposed to him by the Probability Matrix.

Oblivious, Pax hugged Tameka again, sealing his vow. She offered Xelan an apologetic look, but he’d already regained the gray tone to his skin. Still, she couldn’t ignore the not-so-joyous glisten in his eyes.

The Icarean royal family was so broken: Korac, Nox, and Xelan. There was no way to tell if Nox’s death had helped or hurt the healing. Sometimes it seemed ‘both’ was the answer. There was no way to confront Nox, but also no way to determine if he deserved forgiveness.

So here they lingered in limbo.

“I’ve got some weed if you want some, ol’ Wingmaster.”

Kyle.

His sense of humor needled, but Tameka be damned if it didn’t work. Laughter burst from Xelan despite himself, and the rest followed in a chorus of chuckles, giggles, and many calls to fuck off.

On the right, beside Andrew and Lucas, Iuo requested, “Please indulge us as to why I had to give up a truly magnificent, one-of-a-kind filming experience in the wee hours of the morning.” The light in his black and blue eyes belied his complaint as good-natured ribbing.

Pablo looked weary with heavy-lidded, exhausted eyes as he said, “I want to help however I can, but the sooner I get back to Lynn, the better.” It didn’t help that the last pregnancy he’d delivered had resulted in the mother—Triss—dying.

Xelan took to the center of the lowest tier, staring up at the Shadow in an amphitheater of glass and black fire. “I understand everyone wants to return to their nights, and you will, as soon as Tameka and I assign you some tasks. For instance, Pablo, we’d like you to check over our prisoner before we let you turn in for the night. Chris, Bones, and Caedes are guarding him now. Can you do that for us?”

“Absolutely, Wingmaster.” Purpose lifted Pablo’s chin and brightened his eyes. “Whatever you need.”

Tameka took the next group. “Probability Matrix team, we need you monitoring twenty-four/seven. Work in shifts, if it helps. We need to know if we lose more than a hundred realities.” She threw in a slightly harder tone for the next as she said, “Lucas, you’ll work with them.”

The shady—and admittedly sweet—bastard smiled, saying, “Anything for the good of Iona Pax.”

Silence coughed into her hand, and the look Kyle gave her said she’d clearly been hiding a laugh.

Weird dynamic.

Xelan added, “You, too, Smith.”

The smiling man responded with a grin and a thumbs up.

“What can I do?” Jack asked from the front, sitting politely close to Ross, holding hands.

Tameka said, “You and Iuo figure out what’s wrong with F8. As King Elects, you have access to her—”

“I may have a theory.” Puk stepped between Matt and Lucy to take front and center. Xelan nodded for the drone to continue, and Puk said, “Celindria has the volition of the Monarch 3 hives.”

Gasps and an exchange of shocked expressions followed.

While rocking Echo in a bassinet, Karter asked, “Are you certain?”

Matt clarified, “We were confronted in Night Rayne’s Tomb by a hundred or so people—Most of which were drones.”

“If she controls the Queens—F8 and the others—Celindria controls the hives,” Puk elaborated.

Pehton glared suspiciously at the annihilation squad, asking, “What else did you withhold from me?”

Unnerved, Tameka watched the lines of Matt’s face form a reassuring smile and placate Pehton with what felt like a lie. “We didn’t withhold anything. This was just the first opportunity to bring it up s’all, ma’am.”

Xelan went to biting his thumbnail and pacing, while Tameka asked, “Did you notice any similar features between the others? A commonality?”

Lucy said, “Ports. Most of them had those ports.” She placed a hand on her chest above her nacre.

Pehton asked, “Like the ones Razor used in the Divine Booths?”

Devis, beside Andrius and T.a.o., took a step forward. “Celindria designed the technology using the research she harvested from me—”

“Oh, Elden, no…” Xelan’s bleak response to his sudden epiphany did not bode well.

Even Pax took Tameka’s hand, recognizing the tension as the Shadow waited with bated breath.

Xelan gripped his hair and blew the air from his cheeks. “Celindria is brilliant. So, so brilliant. Through nanite programming, she bugged the booths to leave the users susceptible to her endeavors. Of course…”

Matt frowned, saying, “But that would mean she could control—”

“Millions. The rich, the powerful, and anyone Razor convinced to port for any of his nefarious whims.” Pehton was channeling firsthand experience.

Wait.

Tameka blurted, “Does that mean Celindria can control Sagan?”

Xelan shook his head, not as in ‘no,’ but as in ‘oh, hell no.’ He said, “We’ll need to run tests, but hopefully not.”

Lucas offered, “Sagan went into the Feast of Roses in the Seam. It healed the port entirely, and perhaps it reversed all of its engineering.”

The room looked at him.

How interesting of Lucas to bring up Aegis-related intervention at a time like this. Tameka cared for their resident tailor and spy, but it hurt that he continued to withhold so much from them.

Pehton trailed her narrowed gaze off Lucas and stared at the maelstrom below. “I guess we’ll have to wait and find out when Sagan and Korac return.”

“Not to add more to the shit soup, but since you brought Razor up, I want to come clean.”

Now the room looked at Kyle. Bethany even beamed up at her older brother like she knew what he was about to say. He looked ready to confess a dirty secret. “Razor is kinda, sorta conscious in the memory bank we built him.”

Tameka blinked.

Pehton frowned.

Matt grinned.

“Show me.”

Tameka loved Xelan enough to take his hand and pull him down so she could whisper, “You did the thing. Within a single second, you’ve already abandoned everything about Celindria to hyper-focus on Razor. Let’s finish this meeting, and then I’ll go with you to see your old friend.”

His lips were warm against her cheek when Xelan kissed Tameka and whispered an emphatic, “Thank you.”

They could do this.

Assign workgroups.

Join Xelan on a deep-dive with his ex-lover and super villain.

And try to make it through the night without another tear.

With this ‘shit soup,’ as Kyle had called it, the last was easier said than done.