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Tracking back to her side, he helped her with what she needed.

He’d also brought ice water, which she sipped, satisfying her thirst.

Later, she lay her head on his lap, eyes closed. With a cool cloth on her forehead, he massaged her temples. He held her close until the searing pain subsided, and she slipped into a deep slumber.

Just before dawn, Riv sensed a presence ghost into the house.

It’s me, Father. I’m back.

Riv unwound his limbs from his woman’s sleeping form and headed for the living area.

Where he found his son waiting.

Killen stood at the centre of the expansive living area, his body glistening with sweat, larger, ropier, edgier, harder.

A muscle ticked in his jawline, and the robes he’d left with were now wrapped around his waist, baring his upper body.

Moisture dripped down his chest, and dust caked his hair.

Yet somehow, with the hawkstone shining brighter on his forehead and his blind eyes a wild tempest in his face, he glowed like an immortal god blessing the mortals with his divine presence.

He raked his blind eyes over Riv’s form. ‘I sense where I get my wicked chin and platinum locks from.’

‘Uncanny, right?’ Riv moved to hug his son. ‘Now you know why I was so spooked when I first laid eyes on you.’

Killen chuckled.

‘How is she?’ he murmured, jerking his chin towards Élisa’s bedroom.

‘She’s improving.’

‘I discerned as much. I pushed hard to dampen the effects of the Ka’SHärd on her from afar.’

Riv raised an eyebrow. ‘You sensed her pain on your walkabout?’

Killen nodded. ‘I’m tethered to her in my mind. I am always connected. Her torment this time was more agonizing than usual, which means the entity’s effect on her is getting worse. It’s spiraling more out of control. I’ve also perceived that the person responsible for its quickening is the soul you seek on Devansi.’

‘Ankis.’

Killen shrugged. ‘If that’s what he is called. He is agitating the nebula storm. This is what mother is reacting to.’

‘How do you know this?’

‘I traveled south, towards the nebula’s touchdown point. I sat on the edge of the slopes, looking down on a dead sea plateau where thousands have congregated. He’s managed to persuade the monks of Devansi to go along with his plan to petition the Ka’SHärd for healing. I believe this mad invocation, noise, and cacophony is causing the entity to react.’

His chest was heaving, either from exertion or from emotion, Riv wasn’t sure.

The Rider studied his son.‘Looks like you ran here.’

‘I flew.’

Riv reared back in surprise. ‘You too are K?str?l?’

Killen gave him a wry shrug. ‘With your DNA and meta powers, I am the most feared incarnation of one. What sucks is the noids are not enough to counteract the Ka’SHärd’s effect on my hawkstone, and their healing power is diminished each time they try.De nada, that issue will soon be null and void.’

Riv flinched. ‘I hadn’t thought my noids would be part of my DNA transfer.’

‘You had no reason to, Father.’ Killen moved into the kitchen. ‘See it like I do, as a blessing. I’ve honed my K?str?l flight skills and found ways to subsume my metanoids in preparation for what is to come.’