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“He destroyed—”

“I know what he did.” It came out sharper than I’d intended, but stars damn it, we’d had this conversation daily for a year, and I was tired of it. “He wants to pay for his crimes, so he will. He also knows where my brother’s soul is, and I want it fucking back—”

“And I don’t want Hana back? Because—”

“Of course you do. But you’ll let those pricks keep them if you think doing so will keep me and our babies safe. And, fucking stars, so would I. But we aren’t safe, Nix. Rafael and Lux are here, meaning the time I told you would comeiscoming. It won’t be long before the boys find a way here too. And then what do we do? Hmm? Leave Hana and Venark behind? Let Lux’s actions go unpunished?”

“Obviously not, but—”

“But nothing. They’re here. And Lux isn’t going to leave us alone until we talk. I’d rather do it now while the children are asleep than explain it all to them in the morning, wouldn’t you?”

His jaw was still tight. His nostrils were still flared. But he didn’t argue, and that was the confirmation I needed. He may not admit that he agreed with me, but he did. We had to take this meeting.

* * *

As I expected, Lux looked no different than I remembered. He had a beard now—that was new, but the extent of it.

Not to my surprise, his posture was lax. Not calm, but shameful, slouching in on himself. He stood from the log at the edge of the tree line, but his posture stayed passive. Like Sadie when she chewed on my shoe. As if to say,I’m sorry, Mum. I won’t do it again.

“Thank you,” he said. “For meeting with me, I mean.”

“Don’t thankme,” Nix said under his breath.

“Let’s skip the pleasantries.” I lowered myself to the porch stair. “Why’re you here, Lux?”

“We found them.” He stowed his hands into his pockets. “Hana and Venark, I mean. Not Pa. I… I don’t know what they’ve done with Pa, but I found Hana and Venark.”

“Great,” Nix said. “Bring them home.”

Lux released a breath that was almost a laugh. “It won’t be so simple, and it’s not the only reason I’m here either way.”

“And what reason is that?” I asked.

“Once we get Hana and Venark, I’m willing to take whatever punishment you feel is necessary.” His voice cracked on the second half of that sentence. “I would like you to take the souls as well, Nix. Gradually, you can disperse them into the abyss, and into people being born on this world and on ours. I don’t trust putting them into crystals because…”

“Because then the soul’s become the most coveted thing we have,” Rafael said. “They’re power, and the wrong people will use them like weapons. We don’t want that.”

They both sounded earnest. So far, they hadn’t said a word that made me distrust them. But we didn’t have enough information either.

“What about the boys?” I asked. “What are they doing?”

“We’re still looking for Michael,” Lux said.

“But the others are in chains,” Rafael said. “It’s… It’s been a fucking year.”

“We can relate.” Nix stepped off the stairs, approaching the two of them. “But I have to admit that I’m having a hard time believing that, esiasch.”

Lux extended a hand. “I’m not lying, Nix. Read my mind. I couldn’t let them get away with killing Hana either.”

Nix studied him for a moment, then placed his hand on his brother’s. A few ticks went by before Nix dropped his hand to his side. His shoulders broadened and hunched with a deep breath.

“What is it?” I asked.

“A shitshow,” he muttered.

“It has been,” Rafael said, “but things are leveling out.”

“The boys are imprisoned.” Nix barely turned his head to look at me. He wasn’t letting Lux see his back. “But there’s a bit of a civil war.”