{Monarch 3}

“You’re the key to Ishkur.”

Tameka hadn’t forgotten Celindria’s parting words from T.a.o.’s mouth, but now wasn’t the time to get into it. Nor was it the time to ask Xelan why a flicker of recognition lit his eyes at the mention of the word. Or why Tumu tensed and froze at it.

Instead, they stayed and helped with the rescue efforts. The Shadow and F8’s people transferred thousands of drones and dozens of queens with no nacres and no concept of “outside” to her hive so far away that Sagan Seamswalked entire herds of people to save travel time. Kyle, Iuo, and Pablo covered medical and practical assistance. The entire mission stole precious hours from their hunt for Pax, and for that, F8 was more than enthusiastic about arranging troops with Korac. Tumu, Xelan, and Tameka joined the conversation to discuss strategy.

F8’s wings folded and fluttered on their own, brushing against Tameka’s arm as the butterfly Queen pointed out, “Enki’s such a vast mystery. We don’t even know the grounds well enough to designate a battlefield.”

Korac silently looked from her to Tumu and quirked a brow.

The Tritan stared back, uncharacteristically laconic. In fact, Tameka noticed a lot of quiet from Tumu lately. So she answered instead, “Between Caedes’ rendering of Enki and the map Razor provided us, we can put schematics together and send word in two hours’ time. Does that work for you, F8?”

Xelan grinned at Tameka, and it kind of bothered her. She knew he was affected by Pax’s abduction, but more despair and less terror. Almost as if he trusted Celindria not to damage Pax or leave traumatic scarring on their son by the abduction alone.

Tameka didn’t share those assurances.

F8 tilted her head at Tameka and asked in confusion, “Your majesty, did you just say you have a map provided by Razor? The dead Pain Curator?”

“Uhm.” Damn, it was weird that a Queen kept referring to her that way. Tameka said, “Yes. It’s a long story.”

Xelan explained, “It should lead us to the bridge.”

Before Tameka muttered that she suspected it was a trap, Korac said, “Razor spoke the truth. The map should lead us there.”

Finally, Tumu spoke up. The depth of his voice and the abruptness of his speech rang in the corridor. “The Primaries never found the bridge, but trust an Aegis to know its location. It was the last frontier they withheld in Enki, to the point we believed the Dyson’s Sphere ran on some automated system.”

Sagan Seamswalked into the middle of the conversation, looking a little strained around the eyes and the line of her mouth. Without preamble, she slumped her face against Korac’s shoulder. Muffled, she said, “Okay. All done. Can we go home now? I still have to pick up the rest of us so we can… move.”

Sagan’s knees almost gave, and Tameka noted it. They couldn’t afford an exhausted Seamswalker right now. “Thank you, Sagan.”

F8 seconded. “Yes, thank you.” She saluted with a fist to her chest before turning back to Tameka and Xelan. “Your majesties, we are honored to join you in this fight. Thirty-six hours from now, we will arrive in Enki by Cinder’s shrine once we rendezvous with Sagan for the location of the battlefield.”

With his hot hand pressed in the middle of Tameka’s back, Xelan bowed his head to F8, and Tameka mirrored him. After, he said, “Korac will join Sagan and further discuss the attack. Tonight we break bone and shed blood together in the name of peace. We could not ask for better allies. Thank you, F8. Pass our thanks onto Seps and the other Generals. Until we can thank them in person once the battle’s won.”

A chorus—an ear-drum busting unison of Mon3 voices—grunted their approval behind their queen.

Tameka placed a fist to her chest and wanted to scream. She held it together for everyone, for her son. But every part of her shook with the need to strangle Celindria and Remorse. To drink their nacres dry and feed their essence to the nearest star. Or perhaps feed it to everyone of their nearby minions until they burst.

Swallowing the emotion, Tameka turned away and felt a smaller hand lace with hers. Sagan stood at her side and asked softly, “Ready?”

“Elden, yes.”

The conduit opened to their villa on Reipon. This beautiful mansion—one of Xelan’s safe houses—was no longer safe. Bones was the first to greet them, running down the infirmary hall. Pehton and Bethany followed, holding medical supplies. Bones looked paler than usual, and his shoulders held a great weight.

Bones licked his dry lips before opening his mouth. Closed it. Tried again. Eventually, he shook his head and croaked, “Elden damn me, I’m so sorry.”

Xelan and Tameka stood across from one of their son’s guardians. The others appeared from around corners and along the multi-story foyer’s balustrade, arms filled to the brim with everyone’s belongings. Everyone was aware this place was contaminated now. All of them were stricken in their puffy eyes and flushed noses.

But it was Caedes—loyal, noble Caedes—and his arms full of Pax’s clothes and toys which unmade Tameka. She fell to her knees in the house that smelled of Pax’s spiced honey scent. She shrieked until her throat went raw and her lungs begged to collapse.

This was their home. God damn it. They were meant to bring Rayne back here and live together as one giant family. Sagan and Korac with baby Echo, and Pax’s natural curiosity of the infant. Pablo and Lynn perfecting the shield and the sword, saving nacre-bearers from malicious tampering. Xelan writing his Verse and reading it to her, while snuggled near a fireplace. Kyle, Andrew, Tumu, Bones, Lamassau, Twenty-One, and Iuo playing games and competing over media trivia. Jack and Ross growing into adulthood and learning their powers. Bethany speaking again and returning to normalcy. Fuck, Caedes and Pehton figuring it out—

All of it gone in an instant—

Warm arms enveloped Tameka, and she fought every instinct to bat them away, to kill the person touching her because every part of her knew it was Xelan. Then thinner arms with smaller hands—Sagan. A tentative squeeze on her shoulder with the typical stink of marijuana smoke. A stronger hand squeezed the other shoulder, smelling of must and desert. Iuo. Another person touched her hand. Male and a lighter brown than her own could only mean it was Pablo. Comforting smells and warmth. Her family.

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Bones fell to his knees across the way and hung his head.

No. Tameka wouldn’t have that.

She surged forward and let the people she loved fall behind her to form a wall of pure goodness at her back. When Tameka reached Bones, she crouched and squeezed both his shoulders until he looked up at her. Then she hugged this funny and kind Icarus. He sobbed against her, the guilt racking him.

“Shh. Sh… You’ll have to tell me what happened, but you don’t have to tell me it wasn’t your fault. I already know.”

Pehton answered from behind Bones, “We fell unconscious—all of us. Caedes and I… We were in the middle of a conversation. The Lyriks were meditating. And Bones was making a fort with Pax. Even Bethany went under.”

The teenage girl beside her nodded earnestly.

Caedes finished telling the story, with concern adding gravity to his hoarse voice. “When we came to, Pax was gone, and Imminent was carved into all the windows.”

Korac cursed from behind Tameka and Xelan.

With urgency in her voice, Sagan said, “I’m pulling the others from the field. Korac, back me up.”

“Right.”

With Tameka’s back to them, they left. Bones finally cried himself out and let go. She wiped away his tears with the sleeve of her jacket and tried to give him some firm, reassuring eye contact. “We’re getting him back today.”

Bones wiped a hand over his face and swallowed his tears. “Yes, we are.” Already, his voice sounded firm with confidence.

Tameka ordered, “When Korac returns, I want to meet with him, Tumu, Caedes, and Xelan. We’ll designate a battlefield. You hear me, people. We’re going to war.”

“Hell, yes. I’ve got some news from Earth.” Lynn exited the conduit with Sagan, Andrew, and Lamassau. She wasted no time crossing the foyer to hug Pablo.

He whispered the bad news to her, and it got around fast. After some whispering between them, Pablo said, “I’ll pack my infirmary.” The Doctor rushed away with Pehton and Bethany to prep Triss.

Lamassau went to Tumu’s side and muttered, “Have you told them what it’s like to invade Enki?”

Xelan answered for Tumu, “No. But you’re joining us in the war room to tell us.”

The green Tritan nicknamed, “The Chef,” for his fire breath, nodded curtly.

After lugging some sample nacres to the infirmary and returning, Andrew pulled Tameka in for a hug. “You’re damn straight we’re getting him today.”

She squeezed. There was something special about hugging those with her from the beginning. It felt more at home than even this beautiful house. Than even Xelan’s arms. When Tameka let go, the connection lingered, and they shared a sad smile to celebrate it. “Today—”

“We’ve got Para!” Jack announced on the way through the conduit with the unconscious Valkyrie in his arms.

Ross, who followed behind him with Twenty-One, Devis, and Miy, said, “We can’t wake her.”

Xelan checked her vitals while Korac and Sagan backed against the stairs to let them have room.

With a glance at Para and one for his sister, Kyle asked, “Have you tried accessing Para’s memory?”

Shivering, Ross said, “First thing, but…” She glanced between Kyle, Tameka, and Xelan. “There’s nothing there.”

Iuo looked up from his stenography equipment. “Imminent erased her memories? Like their other expendable soldiers? Doesn’t that mean…”

“No. At least, I don’t think,” Ross said with an uncertain shake of her head.

Tameka felt Tumu’s great height step up beside her to contribute his two cents. In that deep Primary voice, he said, “Then volition must affect their memories. Kyle, is that your experience?”

“Somewhat.” He finished inhaling the joint which manifested magically in his hands. “I think I’m different because of…” He tapped his temple, indicating his memory gifts. “But it makes sense, seeing as the controller assumes first position in all functions except pain. They might keep the memories after expulsion.”

This irked Tameka. “I want more certainty than a hypothesis. Xelan, can you wake her?”

“I was worried about this. It’s why I wouldn’t let you shoot T.a.o. with the nacre disabler. I think Celindria installed fail safes. Ones which wipe memory banks and leave the host useless.”

Of course, she would, and now Tameka felt better about Xelan jumping between them. No one wanted anything else to befall the volition victims.

Bones offered, “We can put her with Triss. Keep them comfortable.”

A little hesitant, Andrew asked, “I’d hate to bring this up, Wingmaster, but does the new safe house have everything we’ll need? Or…”

“Or” was likely, Tameka judged from the crestfallen expression on Xelan’s face. They were lucky for these last few months of luxury, even if they were never home long enough to enjoy it.

Iuo emerged from the lounge with his arms full of board games. As he threw them in the “move” pile, he said, “The next plan was to use my palace, but I think we can agree I was ousted. Tumu, do you have any hideaways?”

“In Enki.” They all whirled to him, including Lamassau, who glared upside the giant Tritan’s head. Tumu ignored him and said, “It’s risky, but since we’ll all be there, it also makes the most sense.”

Without hesitating, Xelan asked, “Where?”

Three hours later, Tameka sat on Tumu’s bed built for a sixty-five foot Tritan surrounded by pools of Cascading Light and the same white stone and glass which typically covered Enki. A little strained from the last twelve hours, she croaked, “And you’re sure they won’t find us in your original sanctum?”

Lamassau plopped onto the bed and folded his hands behind his head. “Nope. We spend most of our days here. And nights.” He didn’t have any eyebrows, but Tameka swore he bounced them at her.

She got off the bed, resisting the urge to cringe.

“I removed all the external conduits and locked it from the inside before I left. They can’t access it, but I left everything as it was.” Tumu decompressed to thirteen feet and pointed at an invisible barrier in the northernmost point of the room. “My private lab has medical supplies for Triss and Para. Pablo, you’ll find it through the conduit there. Food, through there. And space to spread out over there.” He pointed all around the temple designed in his honor.

Pehton, Bethany, Ross, and Jack went with Pablo, aiding Triss and Para.

Miy offered, “We’ll make food for everyone.” She and the rest of the Lyriks headed through the eastern conduit.

Farthest from Cascading Light, Devis’ shrunk in on himself, but still said, “We may need bedding for the wounded. War and all that. I can help with it. Does anyone else volunteer?”

Pleasant as ever, Twenty-One raised his hand immediately. “Aye. Let’s unpack and set up.”

Bones, or a shade of his usual self, also raised his hand and shuffled over to the baggage behind Lynn. She and Andrew exchanged an uncomfortable glance before he prompted, “Go ahead. They need to know.”

Tameka looked between them, feeling a sudden spike in her already maxed anxiety. “What is it?”

Lynn explained as she crossed the space, “Smith, he uh… He let Imminent inside to collect the Tantamount. The colossal Tantamount.”

Xelan frowned. “The one from your memory, Tameka? From Volcano Day?”

“That’s the one,” Lynn confirmed, with her dark eyes grim.

Korac and Sagan stepped over to the quiet conversation. Lam nudged the blond with his toeless foot where he lay on the bed, and she stuck her tongue out at him.

Because these were adult conversations.

“There’s a failsafe.” Korac, for once, brought reassurances instead of more bad news. “You know it, Lynn. You and Pablo tried to deactivate it, but Nox never fully assembled it.”

Lynn rubbed the back of her neck and nodded her agreement, stressed. “Yes. But it requires a significant amount of blood. More than he and I assumed. According to my analysis, it would take the volume of at least four nacre-bearing beings. If you want them to live and regenerate. Three if not.”

The conversation carried on, but Tameka couldn’t hear it anymore.

The room spun until the pools of Cascading Light surrounded her in a claustrophobia-inducing hurricane of black flames. So much horrifying news and all at once. Now, they were expected to make camp in the heart of enemy territory, smelling of sterility and loneliness.

Drain it all.

End everything.

Save Pax.

But first… try not to pass out—

The white stone floor switched places with the starless abyss above. So tired…

“I got you.”

Xelan, please don’t let go.

Even as she thought it, Tameka knew he never would again.