The Shadow grabbed food and adjusted their makeshift beds, some choosing to stand and stretch their legs. Others snuggled in for a quick nap. Andrius found me in the ravine, staring at a glass enclosure containing an anatomical sketch of a Mon3 Queen.

"Father?"

I gave him a weary smile. "Yes?"

He chafed his arm before coming out with it. "I spent millennia in Celindria's captivity, and one mistake keeps recurring in your Verse."

My smile shifted into a confused frown. "Oh?"

"It wasn't Celindria's aim to spare my brother and sisters her curse. She ensured us that we knew emotions to imbue us with controllable and manipulatable weakness. A guarantee we were too compassionate to endure another of us being tortured."

I'd feared as much. Hanging my head seemed dramatic, but it was ladened with iron. So heavy. My voice was soft when I asked, "Did Celindria confirm this?"

Andrius nodded. "Yes. Many times while she carved into me without mercy, forcing Devis to watch."

I glanced at him for his reaction as I asked, "You have no love for her, then?"

With a quick search of my eyes, Andrius said, "Like you, I love who she could be, but she continues to disappoint us, does she not?"

The way he said it...

Andrius walked away, leaving me to wonder if he knew my secret.

"I love who she could be."

Rayne, I think I love you the way I wanted to love Celindria. I've never confessed that to anyone, but you are the warmth and joy I needed.

You straighten on the couch and meet my eyes. There's a depth to yours, and it was filled with adoration and respect. Two things I'd never earned.

You say, "I feel the way I do about you because you treated me with as much and never took advantage of that vulnerable teenager girl who admired you so. All those nights outside training me to defend myself and listening to every syllable of gossip. Ray Callahan was my father, and he was a damned good one. But he worked all night and slept all day—weekends, too. Nursing was hard. Raising two teenagers was hard on both of my parents, but I won't deny it. I needed someone like you in my life. Paternal and there for me. We both know the truth: if not for you, I'd be dead."

Little Rayne stirred where she slept in the cradle of my arms. She cuddled my hand tighter around her and fell back asleep. Meanwhile, I tried not to choke on gratitude.

"You wouldn't choke if you'd stopped denying it, but let's get back to the story if that makes you more comfortable."

Everyone regathered in the study. Once again, I stood at the front with Tameka at my side, unwavering as a monument to her love for me. Once people settled, I said, "This part is well-documented in the other two Verses, so we'll move through it quickly."

I trained the Progeny for three months in language, history, and self-defense. We lived peacefully together with no further traumatic incidents that I knew of. Celindria stopped hiding her scent because there was no hiding her growing belly.

I didn't detain the Progeny. I'm not that kind of monster. But Celindria's condition left me confused and curious. Neither are good reasons to invade another person's privacy. Eventually, she confessed it to me.

"Father, I know you know."

We were cleaning the hut where I kept the fowls while the other Progeny cleaned and cooked inside. I spared Celindria a considering glance, letting her decide how much detail she wanted to provide. I said, "Yes, I noticed."

Celindria stopped in the middle of her work to place a hand on her swollen stomach. "I wanted to test a theory."

Interesting. "What theory?"

The way Celindria's eyes reflected nothing saddened me. Especially as she said, "Perhaps incubating a fetus could promote the right chemicals to form a bond, reaction, emotion—Anything."

I tried to keep the hope from my voice as I asked, "Did it have an effect? Do you—"

"I feel nothing." Celindria poked her stomach, adding, "Nothing at all. I know I should feel something about the indifference, as well, and sometimes... when I experience the ghost of an emotion... I think it is what you call longing, only very diluted."

I took her Celindria's in my hands and stared into her eyes. "We will find a way. I vow to you. The delivery could always produce results."

Celindria's lips lifted as if by strings, and the forced smile didn't reach her eyes. "Of course. We can only hope."

Days of watching her so unexcited and apathetic with a growing life inside her—I couldn't bear it anymore. Once, three months before, I'd seen her more than intrigued and truly delighted. Celindria had mentioned it three times since with so much curiosity and interest. The very idea of introducing her to Nox went against some loud instinct I chose to ignore. Not to mention, my return to the fortress was long overdue.

"Celindria, Merit, Andrius, Devis, and T.a.o." I'd called them into the kitchen for dinner. Since they'd been 'born' in the stronghold, we'd added seven rooms. The Progeny had transformed my stronghold into a home.

We'd come right back, I told myself.

I kept my eyes on Celindria as I announced, "Tomorrow, we got to the fortress."

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A sparkle of delight shone in her eyes. "Truly, father?"

"Yes—"

"Will we meet King Nox?"

Devis glanced at Celindria with barely veiled concern.

I wanted to both smile and grimace at her eagerness. "Yes. And General Korac. Do what you need to prepare. We leave at sunset."

Korac was nodding before I finished the last sentence. "So this is when you lied to me about what happened to your hair? You said it was a 'lab accident.'"

Tameka laughed. "Sorry, but that's what you choose to focus on?"

Kyle muttered, "Better than pointing out all the warning signs about introducing Celindria to Nox." Silence nudged him, and he doubled-down. "I'm just saying."

I held up my hands to stave... everything. "I know. I know my part in this—"

"Bullshit." Korac glared at me as he continued. "Celindria was already meeting with Remorse. She would've found her way to Nox, eventually. The only error you committed, dear Prince, was moving off to the stronghold in the first place—"

"Okay." Sagan took his hand and kissed it. "Okay. I know this is the touchiest time for you, but you need to let Xelan speak his peace."

Tameka mirrored the gesture with me, and I smiled down at her.

We're both so lucky.

The display Celindria put on for Nox concerned me. She smiled brighter, and there was something in her movements. I knew it came from her interest in him, which was none of my business in a casual sense. But how do I describe this? My soul screamed against it and rattled the cage of my bones in panic.

But it was so good to see Korac. To be surrounded by my people. I should've known something was wrong when Nox started being more expressive.

In my study, Korac spoke up then. "He was trying to be more expressive for you. It had nothing to do with her."

"No, Korac. He was more expressive because he'd fallen in love for the first time."

Sagan suggested, "Couldn't it be both? He was happy to have you home with your Progeny while exploring this budding relationship with Celindria. But Xelan, how often had you seen Nox happy?"

I fell quiet, as did Korac.

Tameka offered, "Please don't mistake this for me siding with Nox in any way, but we've all read his Verse. The man was miserable almost his entire life. You did the right thing for your brother when you left Celindria with him, and you did the right thing for her because you let her keep her own agency. There is no other way to look at this."

You point your pencil at me. "Once again, I agree with Tameka."

Rayne, what was Nox like with you?

You fall quiet and contemplative. Sad, even. "Depends on which Nox you're asking about."

No doubt that's a fair statement. The one you first fell in love with? Or the one you still love today?

The small smirk is a little unexpected until you accuse, "You keep trying to pry it out of me, Superman. You're not ready for this talk. But the Nox I found worth knowing, you wouldn't recognize today."

I frown at your use of present-tense, but you're right. I'm not ready.

Let's move on.

When Celindria told me she wanted to stay at the Castle, and when Nox defended her choice to do so, I feared disaster was on its way. Then came the delivery.

I'd never seen Nox so caring as an adult, I think is fair to say. He was kind to me as a child, but as we grew older, I never saw him be gentle with anyone. He tended to Celindria throughout the entire labor. Then the time came to take the newborn to her adoptive family.

In my study, I took a moment to pause before saying, "This is the only time I'll mention Merit or discuss anything about our relationship. As Nox and Korac both stated in their Verses, she was kind and full of so much life. Her energy filled the room with laughter and fun. I appreciate both of you for paying her the respect you did in your Verses."

Korac toasted with a glass of juice.

Celindria was stone cold about the birthing experience. I could handle that. Her scientific mind combined with her quest to restore a soul she'd never possessed had convinced her to attempt the experience of bearing a child. But the way she forced it and everyone out of the delivery room was...

Cold steel. Hard and unfeeling.

Korac and I exchanged a distraught parting glance as I escorted Merit out to deliver the baby to her future parents. I wanted Korac—To live with him and share everything with him. Yet, as I left Nox's castle that day, our paths divided even further apart.

"Xelan, should we name her?" Merit interrupted my thoughts. It was also the first time I'd noticed she was the only Progeny who didn't refer to me as 'father.'

I smiled down at her as I considered her question. "Celindria said she already named her and the parents knew the name."

The redhead in my midst gave me an infectious grin. "But she is not here to stop us from changing it."

We named Rayne's ancestor, "Hope," but just between us.

The walk was mostly me in my head, chasing spirals into my understanding of Celindria, while Merit kept me current with peppy conversation. Until she stopped me to say, "I want to confess a truth to you, but I fear your judgment, given Celindria's clinical approach to pregnancy."

My brows shot up, but still I said, "Feel free. I have no desire to judge you, Merit."

"I agreed to surrogate for a young couple. For similar reasons to my sister, I want to know what it feels like, but I also believe it is best. I serve a different purpose."

Merit's confidence surprised me and enticed me to ask, "What is your purpose?"

Merit grinned at me and poked me in the chest. "To help you, of course. You will always need my help, Xelan, and I will always be there to give it."

Everything dawned on me at once.

Merit's reminders to eat and leave my lab to bathe. Her sweeping up behind my efforts and maintaining my lab. All this time, Merit knew my weakness, and all this time, she was kind enough to help me with it. "Merit, have I ever told you I find you rather extraordinary?"

Her laughter was rich and sweet, like caramel. "No, but say it anytime you wish, love."

"We formed an easy relationship which naturally turned into much more later in the story. I simply wish not to mention it again. Most here know she died saving my life. For the longest time, the nacre in my chest belonged to her. Only when I was resurrected on Gait did I retrieve my birth nacre. And I wish she were here now to see all of this."

Sagan gently chimed in, "That's why we have the Ionas. To remind us of them and honor their sacrifice."

I said nothing. I was angry because Nox was the very reason Merit died. He stole my nacre, and she gave me hers. So how could everyone so easily suggest Nox deserves an Iona named after him—

I spiral with this.

"I understand." You're staring at the notebook again, contemplating.

Do you think I should name the next Iona after him?

You meet my eyes and stare a hole into me before saying, "Like all things Nox-related, I can't give you an answer until we finish your Verse. Until I know everything."

Then let's move onto the last of Nox and I as brothers, Korac and I as lovers, and myself as an Icarus. For once I betrayed my entire race for the beings I'd created, what better name could suit me than "Traitor Prince?"