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Everything was blurry around the edges as I met his concerned blue eyes. His brows were furrowed, blond hair hanging in waves around his face.

He hadn’t chosen his father, but sometimes I looked at him, and that was all I saw. Lux. The Lux I wished he would’ve been. A decent, good-hearted man.

“No, esiasch,” I murmured, shaking my head. “Not really.”

“Is anyone hurt?” another voice, my other nephew, from the other side of the room. Alastair, Sanvi’s son. Sanvi had four husbands, so no one was certain which one his father was, but the red hair always led me to believe it was Eike. “Is Mum—”

“We’re all fine, aye. But everyone who was living there…” I forced out a soothing breath, shaking my head. “We’ve gotten every survivor, we believe, and there aren’t many.”

“I don’t even understand what happened,” Heylel said. “Why would he do this?”

“El said he lost his temper,” Alastair said.

I huffed, gaze falling to the floor.

“You think it was intentional?” The tremble in Heylel’s voice reminded me that he, too, wished that man wasn’t his father.

“I don’t know how you can make the same awful mistake two times over,” I said under my breath. “Back-to-back, no less.”

“But what would he gain from that?” Alastair asked. “Why?”

“I don’t think his intent was to go there and destroy everything and everyone. I think hedidlose his temper. And then, I think he liked the power.” I paused. “As he always has.”

Slowly, Heylel’s shoulders sunk inward. Like he was ashamed. Like somehow, it was his fault that Lux was a giant pile of steaming shite.

Alastair just breathed carefully, staring at the floorboards.

“Were the babies well behaved for you?” I asked.

Alastair nodded. “Always.”

“Vanna did punch Aein though,” Heylel said. “They’re fine, but she wasn’t happy when I sent her to her room.”

I managed a dry laugh. “I’m sure she’ll forgive you by the morning.”

“You haven’t met your daughter, have you?” Heylel asked.

I started to smile when the door opened.

Nix walked through the threshold, looking a lot like I imagined I did. Black hair greasy, falling in knots onto his pale cheeks, dusted with dirt and debris.

When our eyes met, his shoulders slumped, just like Heyel’s had a moment ago. He, too, looked ashamed. Maybe he thought it was his fault. Or perhaps it was only shame that he was related to such a monster.

After that exchange, he turned to the boys. “Thank you for keeping an eye on them.”

“It wasn’t a problem.” Alastair stood. “Are my folks home?”

“Your mother is,” he said.

“Aye, your fathers are too,” I said.

“That’s where I’m heading then.” He grabbed his bag off the hook on the wall, leaned down to peck my cheek, and gave Nix’s shoulder a pat as he walked to the door. “Get some sleep.”

“We’ll try,” Nix said, looking from him to Heylel. “But would you be able to watch them again in the morning? The twenty-four of us are meeting.”

“Of course. Just stop by to make sure I’m awake, if you don’t mind?” Alastair adjusted his bag over his shoulders.

“I don’t mind either,” Heylel said. “Do you know if my mums are home too?”