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“I doubt you mean that, but this will be the last time I see you, so I’ll choose to believe you,” he says, smiling at me in a way that makes me feel like we’re on the same side.

I know he’s unhappy with the collective mind and what we’ve done, especially on Earth. He thinks he makes his biggest impact by being an elder, though. I think I make the biggest impact by choosing to live for myself instead of the collective.

“Are the final humans ready for transport?” I ask, walking over to the glass divider that separates us from the portal the human females will take.

There’s a group of about thirty women and twelve children huddled together, waiting their turn to get through the portal.The last of the children are the infants who still had mothers on Earth when we started this whole experiment. I blink away my distaste for what’s happened here as I turn from the window and face the elder.

“They’re beginning the transport now.” Amarithlumonarion nods. His eyes glow as the portal opens. Like me, he turns away from the window, and we stare at the far wall in silence for a long while. “Do you know what happens to this unit when you leave?”

“I’ve done everything I can for those who wanted aid,” I say through clenched teeth. “I can’t save everyone. Not if they won’t save themselves.”

The elder nods, a solemn look in his eyes like he understands the hard decisions I’ve had to make. I roll my shoulders when the silence becomes awkward and then glance over my shoulder to see how many more females are left to go through the portal. Still more than half, so I settle back into where I’m standing and get used to the awkward air around us.

“Your request to take on the responsibility of the planet was approved yesterday afternoon,” Amarithlumonarion says without looking at me.

My brows rise at the notification. I figured since I hadn’t been told whether or not I was being given the responsibility, I wasn’t getting it. I made plans to return to Simone and just sever the tie to the collective, but if I’m being given control of the planet it makes it easier. No one will come looking for me if I go silent.

If I were still in charge of reproductive advancements and genetic outsourcing, someone might be curious why I disappeared on a remote primitive planet. If I’m in charge of said primitive planet, no one in the collective will care about me at all. I doubt anyone will notice I’ve gone silent for decades, if not longer. Long enough for me to live a full life with Simone.

“Thank you,” I murmur. I’m not quite sure what I should say in this situation. Technically, this is a demotion, and I want the other Hands to think of it that way as well.

“I hope you’re happy with whatever you choose to do with your life,” Amarithlumonarion says as his body begins to vibrate. He disappears back to his ship somewhere above the Earth’s atmosphere leaving me on my own to finish waiting for the transports to finish.

I let out a long breath now that I’m free of having to pretend so hard. I still have to pretend somewhat because of all the Hands watching me who are in charge of transporting the last humans.

I stand in the observation room until the last human passes through the portal. When they’ve all gone through, I go over the diagnostics to make sure everyone ended up where they were supposed to be, and then I give the order to dismantle the transportation room.

“Thank you all for helping to achieve the Creator’s plan for this species.” It’s the best and only speech they’ll get from me—the only thanks as well. Before any of them get a chance to say anything or ask any more of me, I transport back to my home.

“Vex?” Simone’s voice catches me off guard as I stumble around in our living room, reaching out for something that feels familiar while I wait for my eyesight to come back. It’s the worst part of transporting. “Why are you back? What happened?”

Simone’s voice is thick with emotion, and as my vision clears, I can see that her face is puffy and her eyes are rimmed red with tears. I’d hoped that her being with the others and getting the new humans situated would keep her mind off of me being gone for a little while.

I thought it’d take me a few more days than normal to be away since I’d planned to visit the Hand in charge of this planet to have her help me separate my mind from the collective beforethey realized I ran away. I didn’t have to run away, though, because this is my planet.

“They gave me this planet,” I say, a smile splitting my lips as Simone throws herself into my arms. Her body shakes with more tears as she cries, and I stroke her back, telling her it’ll all be okay. “I should stay part of the collective mind for a few months at least so they don’t question when I go dark. But I’m never leaving you, Simone. Never.”

“Good,” she huffs against my neck before turning in my arms. “Rallan!”

Rallan comes barging into the house, both children hanging onto his limbs like they were playing outside before he came rushing inside. When he sees me, his gaze softens, and he seems to understand what Simone wants.

“I believe your mother wants a family night,” Rallan says as he tosses Savi onto the couch and then does the same to Vell. Both children giggle and try to get him to throw them again, but they settle when Simone sits on the couch and pulls them close to her.

“I vote on charades,” Rallan says with a smirk in my direction. I’m terrible at charades, and the children make fun of me. Right now, though? I don’t even argue with him. I grab a few pieces of parchment, tear them into squares, and pass out the writing instruments.

“No stipulations?” Rallan asks with raised brows.

Maybe I usually put a whole bunch of rules on charades, but not today. Today, I’m going to beat him in this stupid game without having to alter the rules to help me.

“No rules.” I narrow my gaze on Rallan, and the children seem to know the rivalry is very real right now.

“I want to be on Dad’s team!” they both squeal.

Simone rolls her eyes and shakes her head. “Which dad?” she asks them. Savi points at Rallan just as Vell points at me. “So that leaves me to be the moderator again.” Simone huffs abouthaving to moderate, but she loves getting to poke fun at both of her mates as we make fools of ourselves.

“Alright.” I clap my hands together and motion for everyone to put their things to act out in the small bowl we use for charades. I grab the first piece of paper from the bowl, already somehow knowing this is from Rallan and that it will be awful. I read over it a few times and then glare at him.

“What?” His lips kick up on one side because he knows there’s no way I can get our daughter to guess this. “You said no rules.”

I sigh and then lie on the ground, trying my best to get my daughter to guess that I’m a worm. I’m almost positive if she’s ever seen one, she’s blocked it from her memory.

It’s all worth it when Vell starts shouting random things, and it’s even better when Simone starts laughing. At some point, she looks at a scrap of paper, reads what Vell is supposed to guess, and just shakes her head.

“That’s time.” Simone ends my misery early, and I’m grateful for her.

“You’re a cute worm,” she whispers in my ear when I sit on the couch next to her. She wraps her fingers in mine as Rallan begins to act out some sort of food. Simone’s eyes don’t leave me for long moments, and when my lips pull into a smile, she swats at my arm.

“I love you too,” I tell her, knowing it’s what she was thinking. “You, Rallan, and our children. I love you all more than anything.”