All gone.
Everything lost.
No Hope.
No Pax.
No Nox.
No Paradise.
What was left for Celindria?
Nine thousand, nine hundred and eighty-eight Probabilities remained, including the dominant reality. Trillions of lives had vanished overnight. Lives Celindria valued with what little emotion she had ever experienced.
And it was all Rayne’s fault.
We will kill her.
No. We will harness her. Her blood, how it protects against volition and power drain, will secure our dominion, and with her gone, Nox will turn to us as his only bonded mate.
Celindria shadow-walked to forty realities until she found one stable enough to travel via a conduit into an existing Thailea. There she shadow-walked into the Oblivion Cathedral within the dominant reality—An impossible space. It was the inside of a flame and a storm all at once, swirling gases into an atmosphere of its own pocketed rift. No one could recall a physical trace of it once they’d left.
Here was the Source. The most vital key to Celindria’s existence with the highest price—Her humanity had withered in every instance in which she’d stepped inside.
Except one.
Celindria hesitated to peer into it, to check if it still existed, because if the Probability where she’d chosen Nox over power had fallen, then there was nothing left to hold her together.
This wouldn’t do.
The fissure between the Seam—the Aegis home dimension—and this reality… It narrowed. The diminishing of realities was closing the Source like a healing wound.
If we kill Rayne, it may reboot this Probability and fracture more into existence—widen the gap. Split the Eternal Bind.
But what about Nox’s offer to rehabilitate at his side?
Celindria closed her fist over the bright blue ribbon in her palm.
Perhaps father could help her decide.
Cinderken had fallen asleep inside his mindscape some hours ago. Patiently, Celindria had waited at the table inside the modest cell. Nothing much had changed here, aside from the guards. Bones had recently rotated shifts with Caedes, and Chris stayed constant. Over the course of her time here in Cinderken’s body, the former came to the cell barrier and occasionally tempted Cinderken to the side of reform. If not for Celindria, the ‘Lord of Odds’ would likely have accepted the proposal.
It was a reasonable proposal.
Curious, she stood Cinderken, calling to Chris—
A sudden commotion outside the cell sat Celindria back down. She recognized her father’s voice, but couldn’t hear his words.
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The nacre deterrent shield lowered, allowing a little parade to come inside: Xelan, Tameka, Kyle, Tumu, and someone Celindria once saw through Kyle’s eyes.
Dr. Suarez wasted no time kneeling beside Cinderken and checking his vitals. Without prejudice, he asked, “How are you feeling today, sir? Sorry for the chilly hands.”
There was something disarming about the young man, especially as Dr. Suarez took care to warm his hands by rubbing them together first. The strain around his eyes, indicative of sleep deprivation, might explain why his nacre couldn’t maintain his body temperature.
Dr. Suarez smiled. “All your vitals look good. I think these people have some questions for you.”
The rest of his kind words washed over Celindria as a scent hit Cinderken’s nose.
Maternity.
Celindria couldn’t stop herself from staring at Tameka. This was the only reality where the Shadow had resurrected father instead of Nox. Xelan and Tameka had never found the opportunity to conceive another child other than Pax. Until now.
The Shadow are all so happy and glowing. They prosper in this reality.
While we have nothing.
Father’s young mistress locked eyes with Cinderken, before Celindria looked down at the vice lord’s long fingers, still entwined on the desk. The couple sat down in the chairs across from Cinderken, while Kyle leaned into a corner, drawing from Cinderken’s memory banks yet again.
“Did you refuse a vaccine?” Dr. Suarez was the only person remotely respectable in the room.
Celindria shook Cinderken’s head.
The doctor nodded as if he’d expected as much, but offered no condescension. “Do you mind if I look at your port?”
Ah.
So they figured out the drugs. Celindria had loaded Cinderken with enough to dampen his memories of her control. Not long now, he should sober up, and then Kyle would see her intrusion. Then this puppet would become useless.
What a terrible day Celindria was having.
We can’t stop recalling… our last words to Pax…
“I knew I should’ve vivisected you with the other Progeny specimens. Get out of my sight.”
Regret closed Celindria’s eyes. If she’d only known that Pax would disappear seconds later. While the remorse lasted, Celindria blurted from Cinderken’s mouth, “I wish only to speak to my toy.”
Dr. Suarez, still on his knees, froze.
Tameka and Xelan exchanged a confused expression. Kyle frowned—
Chris charged into the room from the hallway, gaping at Cinderken. He breathed, “Celindria.”
“Oh, fuck no!” Kyle recoiled
Tameka glared, but of course, father’s eyes opened up his heart to her. It was enough to make her roll her eyes. Instead, Celindria said, “Only to Chris. Be quick about it. I don’t know how much longer I will feel this emotion, and you want me to sustain it as long as possible. For your sakes.”
Despite the incredulous look Tameka shot Xelan, she let him pull her from the room. Kyle left in a hurry.
But Dr. Suarez…
Such an interesting man.
He stayed on his knees, asking, “Can I please check on my patient while you talk?”
Celindria blinked at his bravado before waving her assent and turning sideways to let him access the port. While Dr. Suarez stripped the buttons open on Cinderken’s untailored shirt, Chris took a seat across from Celindria. Fuming looked good on the man, a rainbow on a monochromatic.
“Hello, toy.”
“What do you want?”
Celindria wet Cinderken’s lips to say—
Shocking. Dr. Suarez’s hands were like ice.
With a deep breath, Celindria let the regret and pain wash over her and tried to experience it as a normal person would. She could feel the faint sharpness of shame along its edge, and that felt long overdue. She said, “I wish to accept a deal, but I ask for much in return.”
Chris’ eyes narrowed, exercising caution as he said, “No one has offered you a deal.”
Nox.
Oh, this was rich.
Rayne was hoarding the former King of Cinder. Even the Shadow didn’t know he was alive, and that’s what Nox had meant about both of them surrendering together.
And…
Celindria laughed, and it was bitter. They didn’t know Rayne was alive.
The regret and remorse exhausted Celindria’s shattered intellect as the possibilities unfolded.
Without the full of force of the Shadow, we could easily hunt Rayne down and kill her. Take Nox back.
But without this deal, we can’t convince father to help us recover Pax and Hope from the Probability Matrix.
Choices.
Chris interrupted her thoughts, saying, “You’re the most dangerous when you’re quiet.”
“Yes. And now I have nothing left to lose.” Celindria appreciated the color draining out of Chris’ fetching complexion, and Dr. Suarez’s sudden stillness. No matter what Celindria decided, she would keep these two alive to watch it all unfold. There was much to contemplate, and Caprents to recoup. For Pax, Hope, Paradise, and Nox, Celindria would shift the stars.
Soon.
“I relent.”