{Enki | Medical Bay}

Ross kept her eyes on Korac’s back and balanced her half of Chris’ significant weight on her shoulder. Along with them, Jack, Devis, Andrius, Para, and T.a.o. stepped through the Seam. Its purple Monarch Hall matched the General’s robe as they walked into the Medical Bay. All the while, Ross was grateful Bethany didn’t receive an earpiece. At least she hadn’t witness any of the trauma Celindria had put their team through—

A stack of bodies across from their entry greeted them, sending Ross into a panic. “Bethany?! Are you—”

A primal scream tore through the bay.

From behind her, T.a.o. muttered, “Lyriks with feathers the color of fire. Not much longer now.”

Jack glanced at Ross from Chris’ right side. She looked upward, toward the source of the cry. Triss was in labor, and Bethany was upstairs helping Pablo and some random Tritan doctor. The flurry of activity left Ross’ head spinning until she needed to shake it to see straight.

In her overstimulated distress, Jack’s voice boomed as he asked, “Where do you want us, doc?”

The list of priorities included Chris hanging between Ross and Jack, Korac here to see his mother, and Devis carrying Para, who was regaining consciousness. All of it swirled in a spiral of mounting confusion.

Too much.

Especially with the extra Tritans loitering around, armed and guarding the main entry.

Pablo answered, “The doctor is busy at the moment. Nice to see you, Chris. General Korac, can you take him to the same bay you took Karter?” He pointed without looking away from Triss’… dilemma.

Chris muttered to Jack in a strangled voice, “Please.”

Ross squeezed her eyes shut to stop the spinning while Jack responded, “Don’t worry. We’ll get you to her. Jeez, I miss Tameka’s power boosts at a time like this.”

Yes. That sounded amazing.

Devis sighed his exhaustion. “No kidding.” Then he gestured to the main area of the room. “Andrius, this is Caedes, Miy, Twenty-One, and a squad of people I don’t know.”

Ross opened her eyes as Korac led their parade of casualties toward the bay Pablo had pointed out. Her head ached, and it was difficult to focus.

One foot in front of the other. Don’t drop the traumatized man in tow.

Andrius gave an awkward wave.

Caedes greeted them with a curt nod.

Miy rolled her eyes and nodded toward the First Wave Progeny. “How many more people are here to witness the birth of Triss’ kid?”

Devis cleared his throat and readjusted Para as she stirred in his arms. “We only came to drop off Chris and check on Andrius. We’ll leave you to your…” He nodded toward the bodies. “Murder architecture shortly.”

But she had already stopped listening to him, crossed the room to Twenty-One, and whispered something in his ears to make him blush.

Ross glanced back when T.a.o. whispered, presumably to herself. “The only light which matters. Yes. Let it burn brighter than Enki’s star.” Her words were as scrambled as Ross’ brain.

Andrius tucked his Progeny sister against side, as they took a seat out of the way.

The parade led by Korac, Jack, Ross, and Chris crossed the threshold beneath Pablo. The mysterious Tritan assisting him called to another unfamiliar Tritan, saying, “Help with the others. Dr. Suarez, if our patient agrees, I think we can spare you for the Valkyrie…”

The rest of the transaction trailed off as Ross entered the next bay. She felt the shift in Chris’ weight as he tried to carry himself. He kept his eyes away from her, and she hated the shame in the act.

Ross would talk to him once her heart stopped racing.

Jack gripped Chris’s shoulder until the man patted his hand, and he finished walking the next two steps on his own. The medical bed held one of the most infectious and fantastic women Ross had ever met. Karter was larger than life, and it had been too long since she held any agency over her body.

Ross shuddered even in the haze of her thoughts. Volition control was awful.

Korac brushed by Jack, and Devis was in his wake, muttering to Para in his arms. This little mish-mash of a family gathered together at Karter’s bed and, while Ross was moved by the thought of it, she could no longer see it.

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

Beyond frazzled, her brain misfired, and the hypnotic chaos brought Ross to her knees.

“I’ll be the Captain, and you can be the first mate.”

A younger, shorter Jack groaned from the ground below an enormous tree. “How come you always get to be the captain?”

Ross stood beside him, gazing up at the boughs. Curious, she tried to reach for the boy, and her hand went through him. Present, but not interactive.

Fourteen-year-old Rayne, at the age when Ross had first met her, grinned from a massive branch high above. Fearless, she stood with hands on her hips while the wind kited through her hair. As if explaining the answer to the oldest question in the universe, she proclaimed, “’Cause I’m the oldest—Hey!”

Jack rubbed his eyes to hide the tears. This was his memory, and Ross felt it all. He wanted to be the captain. It was the only way he wouldn’t be left behind when Rayne eventually got too old to play with him.

“Hey.”

Jack opened his eyes. Rayne had jumped off the massive branch and came to kneel in front of him. Her bright blue eyes softened as she reached to gently pull his hands down from his eyes.

Ross ached for the vulnerable heart exposed. Jack cried openly until his sobs caught in his throat and formed hiccups. Rayne would leave him if he couldn’t grow up fast enough to keep up with her. Already, she spent more time with her friends, Sagan and Tameka, than she spent with him.

Rayne used her sleeve to wipe away his tears, and Jack calmed down. She asked, “Are you ready to tell me about it?”

After a sniffle, he confessed, “Don’t leave me behind.”

She laughed and ruffled his hair. “Don’t worry, bro. I’m not going anywhere.”

“Promise?”

Ross felt the weight in the word. This meant the world to him.

Rayne held out her pinky. “I promise to always be here for you.”

Jack locked his finger with hers. “Always.”

Ross blinked into adult Jack’s wide eyes. When a tear rolled down his cheek, she reached out to take his hand. She had to swallow before saying, “Rayne won’t ever leave you.”

Pablo sighed in relief behind her. “Thank Elden. We couldn’t reach you, Ross. Are you okay?”

Peering around her, Ross took in the worried faces of her friends. Devis, Chris, Korac, and Para glanced at her from Karter’s bed. All of them appeared decidedly better, if a little concerned. Jack looked stripped bare of his defenses and ashamed from her intrusion. Pablo stepped around to put his warm brown eyes in her line of sight.

Still a little unsteady, Ross shooed them off. “Don’t worry about me. I’m fine. Get to helping Para and Karter, doc—”

A crystalline waterfall emptied into a refreshing pool amid all the dry sand. Date palms stretched high and provided shade. Devis found an alcove among the rocks near the waterfall. This was his quiet place. He came here to relax after working hard at the forge and studying Xelan’s endless scrolls of boring histories from planets they’d never get to see.

Their father would never let them leave the stronghold for more than these day trips. Already, Celindria begged Xelan to visit the Icarean fortress.

Their maker refused. “At least, not yet.”

Devis rolled his eyes and stuffed one of said scrolls in his vest—

A flash of white among the trees startled him upright. Was that…

Ross thought he saw her at first, but even though she stood in plain sight within his memory, waving her hands, Devis looked right through her at Celindria.

Wow. The desert suited her. The woman glided into the oasis like a ghostly mirage, gorgeous and serene. Too bad all Ross could see was a monster in a beautiful dress.

Although after this enlightening memory, Ross knew Devis didn’t see Celindria as a monster.

He waved. “How did you find this place?”

Celindria laughed, and it sounded genuine. “You are easy to follow.”

He beamed. She followed him.

Love.

Devis loved Celindria.

Oh, Ross really didn’t want to be in his head right now.

The villainous psychopath gave him a radiant smile. “I grew tired of father’s lessons and thought I would see where you go when you disappear for myself.” She took a measuring look at the oasis, and her voice held awe. “So spectacular.”

Ross hated the swelling of pride in Devis’ chest. Given the tragedy this woman had wrought on everyone, his thoughts twisted the knife in Ross’ heart.

Hopeful, he said, “You can see it all from up here. Would you like to come join me?”

Celindria turned back to him with a curious raised brow, the breeze carrying her braids in her face. After his heart skipped two beats, she finally said, “I would.”

While she climbed the rocks, Devis straightened the blanket and pack he used as a pillow. He wanted her comfortable—

Celindria appeared on the ledge after traversing a climb which normally took him twenty minutes in less than five.

Again, the awe in Devis’ voice left Ross uncomfortable as he asked, “How did you manage that?”

With a wink, Celindria dismissed his astonishment. “With practice, you will manage it one day. Is this for me?” She pointed to the pallet, a wry smile forming on her lips.

Devis blushed and nodded, uncertain what to say. He wasn’t presuming anything; he only wished to make her comfortable.

“Thank you.” Celindria touched his shoulder with sincere kindness. An inclination Ross was convinced the architect of so much suffering had never experienced.

The woman Devis loved stretched out and peered up at him expectantly. Something passed behind his eyes.

Fear.

Ross wasn’t sure when this took place in their lives, but Devis already feared being vulnerable with Celindria. She felt it in his gut.

Despite those instincts, Devis laid down behind her, and Celindria pulled his arm around to spoon her. They stayed that way without words until the sun went down.

It was the happiest moment of Devis’ life. The most peaceful.

Ross returned to her reality with a shudder. Ignoring the concerned faces in her immediate vicinity, she found Devis’ eyes. He stared at her with a tear, much like Jack, but with more horror than shame.

She accused, “That’s the memory in the capsule. You want her to feel how you felt.”

Devis couldn’t speak, so he nodded.

Andrius answered from the threshold between the bays. “We hope to reach her through emotion. It’s the one taboo she will not tolerate.”

T.a.o.’s words chilled Ross. “The soulless cannot enter Eternity. She will never know peace.”

Korac sounded incredulous. “So you mean to force Celindria to feel with the memory Ross witnessed?”

Devis finally answered, and his hope broke Ross’ heart. “I mean to free her.”

“There is no freeing evil.”

Ross was surprised by her own words as much as everyone else in the room.