He descended in a smooth arc and landed beside me, folding his wings neatly against his back. Up close, his expression was sharper than usual, no trace of casual amusement remaining.
"This place reeks of something ugly," he said quietly.
"It did," I replied. "Most of it is gone."
His eyes flicked across the cityscape.
"And what do you need from me?"
I looked outward, sensing the subtle tremors still running through the planet as it adjusted to its new balance.
Then I raised my head and looked toward the sky.
Two moons circled the planet, pale against the blue, moving in quiet arcs above the wounded world. When I had connected with the core, I had not only felt the cities and breeding grounds. There had been something else. Not strong enough to command the planet, but deliberate enough to be hidden.
On both moons.
I lifted my hand and pointed toward the one on the right.
