After witnessing the carnage and unnecessary destruction on Monarch 3, I began to suspect Nox wasn't entirely honest with me about what had happened on L. Capra. I began to doubt my brother, and even if his motivations were to spare me the burden of some atrocity, it wouldn't matter. If there was any indication of illegitimacy of his account to me, I would never trust him again.

After climbing down the ladder, Sagan returned to Korac's side. She snuggled close and squeezed his bicep, consoling her husband. My General wouldn't look at the room, choosing, instead, to stare at the floor.

I knew why. The collapse of our trio was hard on all of us, but I think it was especially hard on the boy who'd come from so little. The family he'd found in salvation on Cinder was disintegrating all over again in his recollection of these memories.

The last recollection.

Once I've finished with my Verse, Korac could stifle the sorrow once again. Bury it in the love of his mother, wife, and daughter.

I squeezed Tameka against my side and kissed her temple. She beamed up at me with warmth and affection.

This kind of love is the only way to move forward. That's why I worry about you, Rayne.

Both versions of you perk up. "Why?"

Who do you have to love you in the present and teach you to live for right now rather than linger in the past? With you alone out there, keeping us safe—

Because I know you. That's the only course of action known to my little girl—Sacrificing your happiness to preserve ours. In the meantime, who looks after you?

You stare at me with those big blue eyes before answering, "I'll be fine. Don't worry about me."

Textbook Rayne Echo Callahan.

In my study, I say to Andrew, "Open the next volume and read from page three hundred and twelve, please."

Andrew opened the next journal and found the page, reading, "'Using the gas sample I collected from Monarch 3 and the soil samples Nox gathered from L. Capra, I was able to restore Vittle nutrients enough to produce supplements. Awful tasting bricks of nourishment, but they were something more than what we had.'"

Korac grimaced. "I can testify to all of those things."

Andrew smiled and pointed at the entry. "There's an archive of notes here for your research on the Vittle crop. Do you mind if we use this for the agricultural museum?"

Filled with pride, I beamed."Of course."

I continued on with the story.

Lost in my desire to revitalize our species, I was completely oblivious to the signs of the oncoming revolt. I never noticed mother's clandestine outings or followed Karter and Para to a mysterious continent full of nacre hosts. Fervent, I only wanted to reproduce our lifeline, and it never occurred to me how many forces were out to divide us.

Until the night the 'merchant' came to dinner, discussing new planets. As if the Icari would ever abandon Cinder.

An hour into the meal, the alarm sounded.

As a quiet settled into the study, I asked Karter, "Would you like to share your point of view? Nox and Korac have covered the evening from our perspective pretty thoroughly."

Karter glanced between the faces in the room before peering down at Para on the floor. The small Valkyrie nodded, and Karter sat straighter in the chair. "Of course. Let's start with the first time Gale approached me. It was on her second visit to the Spire, which was, coincidentally, the night she tried to seduce Nox. I found her afterward in the kitchens. The woman could put some food away."

Caedes humphed, and after everyone peered at him, elaborated. "Lyriks have quite the appetite."

Chuckles and giggles filled the room as Pehton's cheeks blossomed with an orange glow. She nudged him, half-heartedly, before tossing an hors d'oeuvre in her mouth.

Korac muttered, "Women who are never sated are the best—Ow. Baby, don't bruise the goods." He rubbed his bicep where Sagan nudged it.

She grinned with a warning finger in his face. "One more out of you, mister, and I'll—"

"I think we should get back to the Verse," Tameka interrupted. "Karter, if you would continue?"

The Valkyrie beamed and assented with a nod. "Right. I found Gale there eating leftovers, which I came to peruse myself. She asked, 'Hey, you lead the Valkyrie, correct?'"

"I shook my head, saying, 'You mean Amolot.'

Enjoying this book? Seek out the original to ensure the author gets credit.

"But Gale insisted, 'No. They call you, Karter, their leader—'"

Para interrupted the story with a little cheer before saying, "Go on."

Karter said, "Gale accused me of having other charges to look after. I knew what she meant, but I wasn't certain who'd tipped her off. Still, I took her to the nacre farm." She lost a little color before continuing, "I'd never seen someone so... affected. At the sight of all those people enslaved for Umbra's weapons, Gale fumed. I mean literally fumed."

Pehton gave a little cheer.

I couldn't help but smile at all my guests—Comfortable, fed, and a little drunk in good company. I'd always pictured the stronghold filled with family. Who knew it would grow into one of this size?

"Gale came by many times, supplying me with technology and tools for the community under my care." Karter adjusted Echo's covers as she told the story, seeming to distract herself for comfort. "Then she came around with the notion to release them. Before long, that turned into schemes to usurp or overthrow Umbra.

"Savis became involved. She wanted little to do with the Lyriki aspect of things, but she trusted me to ally with someone strong enough to eliminate the King of Cinder.

"But then Monarch 3 happened, and you..." Karter gestured at me, "...removed us from Tritan and Lyriki involvement—Tumu, do you know what Gale's orders were?"

Tumu, who was snuggled on the couch with Lamassau, straightened to tell his part of this story. He cleared his throat and rotated his neck, popping out every kink before framing with his hands. He said, "Picture it. Pehton ran the prison half-staff after trading the volition of all the Lyriki Wardens to Razor—"

"Thanks for that, by the way." Miy rolled her eyes, snuggled next to Twenty-One.

Pehton winced.

"—Sorry." Tumu continued, "Triss was helping the Pain Curator establish the Emporium of Exotic Experiences and the Obsidian Palace.

"Gale was storming around Enki, extra upset since discovering Primary Rem had installed another source of nacre ore on Cinder using slaves from around the Vast Collective. Now the puppet Remorse put in charge over the source had gained a backbone thanks to Rem's son. Umbra was poised as a proper threat to Rem's machinations, and a despondent Primary is lethal.

"Gale and Korac uhm... related, reminding her of everything she couldn't have as an intergalactic triple agent. Things were looking bleak for our little-known heroine. She turned to me for help. Smuggling test subjects out of our labs proved to be tricky work, but how could I resist?

"Then the time came, and Remorse ordered her to capture the King and Princes of Cinder plus one impeccably dressed guard."

Korac toasted.

Karter took over from there. "Gale arrived and asked us to besieged the colony to overthrow Umbra. She swore to me that nothing would happen to you three boys. Or your mother."

I glanced over at Korac, who had composed his mask once again. I, better than anyone know, what he hides under it. Regret, confusion, and loss.

The next, I said, "If I hadn't read it myself in his Verse, I would never have believed Nox understood me in that moment. I thought he was already so far gone he couldn't recognize right from wrong. Or appreciate how much it broke my heart to watch him murder a woman who we knew virtually nothing about."

The room settled into a quiet, where no one looked at me. Instead, they lived the moment in their minds, each of them questioning what they would do in our place.

When I confessed, "I'm not any better than Nox," it got their attention.

You, Rayne, sit up and give me a questioning look.

I rubbed the back of my neck and sighed, uncomfortable with the next admission. "When I told Nox, 'There is a better way than this. Killing her was unnecessary.' It wasn't a matter of virtues or morals. Although, I can understand how he'd come to that conclusion. I meant it was more pragmatic to keep Gale alive for interrogation and study."

Pehton recoiled.

Korac narrowed his eyes at me.

Sagan looked away. Her eyes—her expression was full of...

"You got quiet again, Superman. What was on Sagan's face?" the twelve-year-old version of you asks.

Revulsion and disappointment. In me.

"No."

No? No. You weren't there, Rayne. You didn't see it... The horror in her sweet eyes. My friend was disgusted with me—

"No. She wasn't. The circumstance was horrifying. It compounded the misunderstanding between you and Nox. Tell me, why were you so quick to think of interrogation?"

Because Gale nearly killed Karter, who protected me from Gale's vocal attack—To save me. Now we know what kind of pressure Gale was under. She needed to keep up appearances to continue saving thousands more lives, but Karter is worth more than millions to me.

"And how many millions could you have saved by interrogating Gale, learning her true motivations, and joining forces with her? How much of this war may have been avoided?"

Do you agree then that Nox was wrong for killing her?

The little version of you boops her forehead to mine, while the preteen you answers, "I understand you both in this instance. But to ask me what I would have done in your place is asking something impossible to answer. I don't know. That was the entire reason Nox wrote his Verse was to show me how uncertain everything was for him. Killing Gale for trying to kill you—especially with her deadly abilities—made sense. Keeping her alive to understand her motivations also makes sense."

That's what Sagan said.

"Nothing is ever black or white." She faced me again, and there were tears lining her lashes. "Nothing is ever easy."

Tameka stepped between us so I could see the... I was so surprised to find love in her eyes. She pulled me in for an embrace, and I took it, feeling like a thief.

"You don't steal their love. You made it possible."

Oh, Rayne. There's so much worse to come.

Your smirk is unexpected as you say, "That's what all you boys tell me, and so far, I've loved each of you more with every Verse."

Is that you confessing to loving Nox?

You return your gaze back to the notebook and change the subject. "How about you brushing Korac's hair afterward, eh?"

Cute. You and Sagan are so single-minded. Korac covered it well when he said, "Sometimes a hair brushing is just a hair brushing." There's no need to put Tameka through it again, especially when I have more... exciting encounters to cover.

Both versions of you snicker, which helps soften what comes next.