Ember's face went ghost-pale as Bane spoke. Her arms crossed tightly over her ribs, as if she could physically contain the ache breaking through.
"You're claiming he survived? Did someone take him? I don't…"
Her voice splintered. A sob tore loose. Isa moved on instinct, slipping into her mother's arms and holding her as if she had always belonged there.
"I wondered why his instincts were so sharp," Bane murmured, fitting the pieces together with unsettling ease. "He must have changed during the fire… and escaped."
Ember clutched her daughter close. "So young? Less than a year?"
Bane nodded. "Rare, but not unheard of. Some don't come back—feral forever. But plenty do. You even have one among your crew."
Ember blinked, mind catching up. "Lupo?"
"Yes. That one's control is… fragile." Bane raised a calming hand. "But Demitri? He's different. I've spoken with him. He's an extraordinary young man."
"Demetri…" Ember whispered, wiping her eyes though her hands shook. She wanted to pull back from Isa—fearful, ashamed—but her body refused to let go.
Bane continued quietly, explaining everything he knew of Dem's life: the tribals, the Gathering, the tomb, the Sybasi, the legacy rings.
When he finished, Ember breathed one trembling sentence:
"I want to see him. My son—Devon, Dem… whatever name he carries—I want to see him."
Bane's expression hardened. "Whoever set that fire wanted him dead. The threat didn't vanish—it's multiplied tenfold. He's safe only because no one knows he's alive."
Ember swayed. "I… can't see my son?"
"In three years, he'll begin his Massat," Bane said. "By then, he'll be strong enough that their threat won't matter. Their enemies won't be able to touch him. Not without burning for it."
A cold shiver ran down Ember's spine. His tone wasn't hopeful—it was vengeful, promising blood.
"What should we do?" she whispered.
Bane turned to Isa. "Why were you coming here? And what exactly did you do that caused this destruction?"
"You saw the charts," Isa said. "The island marked with black flags."
Ember nodded. "The poison isle. Sulfur clouds—fatal to settlers."
"We identified the source," Isa said quietly. "Sulfur buildup in a deep fissure. We set charges."
Her voice broke. "We underestimated the amount… and the force. It cost me everything. My friends, my ship, my crew."
Bane didn't flinch. "The idea had merit. Now—will either of you stand with Dem?"
Ember didn't hesitate. "Whatever he chooses, even if he wants to wander the desert as a nomad."
Isa pressed a hand to her heart. "When I felt him during his bloodrite… the moment I knew I had a twin? I decided then. I'll stay with him if I'm allowed."
Bane gave a single approving nod. "Then continue what you began. Take this isle. Build a power base."
"With what?" Isa asked. "No ship. No people."
"You can have mine," Ember said at once. "And I'll help you recruit."
"You can help her begin," Bane corrected gently.
Ember's eyes narrowed. "Then what?"
The old warrior smiled, faint but fierce. "Then you go to the Beast Empire… and rescue the father of your children."
Both women froze.
"Did Forli imprison him?" Isa asked, mind flashing to the Duke's son she'd slain.
Bane snorted. "Forli tried. He failed. Your father broke free and vanished into the catacombs. They've been hunting him for days. Now Forli fears the other Dukes will intervene."
Ember shook her head. "Duscanti was brutal, but… he wasn't weak."
Isa's jaw tightened. "Without a male heir, his position crumbled. Forli wanted his territory for himself."
"I don't want to save him," Ember whispered.
Isa squeezed her hand. "Whatever you choose… is fine with me."
Bane folded his arms. "For all his faults, Duscanti is a powerful ally. When Dem stands beside him, the Beast Empire will tremble. If—"
his gold eyes sharpened—
"—they both survive the next few years."
Ember shook her head, unfazed. "I'm sorry, there isn't—"
"I'll bring Dem a letter from you," Bane cut in, as if the decision had already been made. "I'll see that he reads it… then I'll destroy the evidence."
Ember swayed, breath catching. "And bring back a reply from him."
"I want to send a letter too," Isadora added quickly.
Bane groaned. "I am the King's Blade, not a courier pigeon."
Ember crossed her arms, tone dry. "Those are my terms."
Bane muttered something decidedly unkind but didn't argue.
Below Decks — Sickbay
Yun's whiskers twitched first, then her ears, reacting to the thunderous, floor-rattling sound of someone snoring. She sat up slowly, every muscle stiff. The scents hit her—the tang of medicine, the clean burn of alcohol, and underneath it all… flowers?
Where…? Not the Sea Lynx. Saints, the explosion…
She shifted sharply, wincing as her head throbbed, then reached instinctively for her storage ring. Clothing materialized in her hands as muscle memory took over.
"You're going to blow up if you don't breathe."
Yun froze.
The woman who'd been asleep with her head on a table lifted her face—her pale braids hanging like a nest of white serpents. Her expression hovered somewhere between irritation and boredom.
"Your companion is safe," the woman said, rubbing sleep from her eyes. "Topside with the captain."
"Isadora?" Yun touched the back of her skull, fingers flinching at the tenderness.
"Still feeling it?" the woman snorted. "Your skull was caved in. Luckiest otter alive that Yoyo was here."
Yun blinked. "Yoyo?"
"That's me." The ship's doctor rolled her shoulders, joints popping like firecrackers. "And why do you monks wear your hair so short? It's hideous."
Yun almost smiled despite herself. "It's practical."
"Practical isn't pretty," Yoyo waved a hand dismissively. "Anyway—now that you're awake, get the fuck out of my sickbay before I start charging you rent."
Her tone was abrasive, but her eyes flicked over Yun once more—just to make sure she wasn't about to collapse again.
The deck creaked beneath Yun's bare feet. A heartbeat later, the midday sun exploded across her vision, sending a bolt of pain straight through her skull.
"Avoid bright lights and booze," Yoyo called cheerfully from inside the sickbay.
Yun winced. "Now you tell me."
"And absolutely no sex," Yoyo added—far too loudly.
Yun nearly tripped. Not because she had any plans, but because of the sheer absurdity. "No sex?"
"Doctor's orders, monk. If I'm not getting any, neither are you."
Yun exhaled a laugh. "What an odd person…"
"Heard that!"
Before Yun could respond, a familiar voice cut through the wind.
"Yun!"
Isa barreled into her, hugging tight with both arms and all her strength.
"I'm sorry," Isa murmured into her shoulder, voice raw.
Yun stroked her hair gently. "How bad is it?"
"Bad," Isa whispered. "Only the two of us survived."
Yun's jaw tightened. The pain in her chest had nothing to do with injury. She pulled back. "You're not carrying this alone. I agreed to the plan. How long was I out?"
"Two days," Isa said.
Yun's gaze shifted to the woman standing behind Isa—hands clasped behind her back, presence commanding.
"Did you save us?" Yun asked.
"Our doctor did," the woman said. "I'm Captain Ember of the Kingfisher."
"Yunali," Yun bowed her head slightly. "Monk of the Ulysi Order."
Isa grabbed Ember's hand, her voice tremulous. "This is my mother."
Yun froze. Stared. Then dropped into a deep bow. "Your Highness."
Ember flinched at the title, but Bane had briefed her—enough to know the Ulysi monks believed Isa to be the last descendant of Demetri the Great Beast King. Learning there were two survivors—and that one was Ember herself—would shatter decades of order.
"It's Captain Ember," Ember corrected softly. "Thank you for protecting my daughter. And… I'm sorry about your companions."
Yun's eyes drifted toward the blackened island. Charred earth. Dead trees. A graveyard of drifting debris.
Despite everything… her mission still lived.
"We swore our lives to the vow," Yun said. "I will mourn them when the work is done."
Isa touched Yun's arm. "We need people. I still intend to settle here."
Yun shook her head. "The Order will send no reinforcements. The Beast Empire's gaze is already too close. Any unusual movement from us will draw their suspicion."
Isa exchanged a glance with her mother. "There is something I never told you—not out of distrust, but because my father would have killed you if you learned it."
Yun's expression sharpened. "Your father is occupied—with Forli's treachery, if the rumors are true. Speak plainly. What don't I know?"
Ember stepped forward, resting a hand on Isa's shoulder.
"Isadora is a twin. While Duscanti fled back to the Empire with her, I was giving birth to a second child—a son."
Yun stiffened. "A male descendant of the Rat King's line?"
Isa nodded. "I saw him in a vision during his bloodrite."
Yun's breath escaped in a shaky exhale as the truth snapped into place. "That's why your father gave you the Sea-Lynx. You were to bring him back."
"Yes," Isa said. "And now I'm going to build a foundation here, on this isle. A place strong enough for him—and safe."
Yun turned toward the east, toward the vast deserts and wild lands beyond the horizon.
"What is his name?" she asked quietly.
"Demetrius," Isa replied.
Yun closed her eyes, overwhelmed, reverent. "Of course it is."
Her eyes opened, clear and decisive. "Don't worry. I know exactly what to do."