Chapter 24

CHAPTER 24

T he room emptied out, leaving me alone with Lionel, as if everyone sensed that we needed to talk privately.

We took seats in the lounge. "I apologize if you felt blindsided tonight."

"No. I understand. It needed to happen, and I'm truly sorry, Cameron. For the lies. For…everything."

"I believe you. And I want us to have a relationship, but it'll take time."

"You need me to prove myself, and I will. I swear to you, no more lies. Once this is over and we've neutralized the faction, then…I want us to be a family. A real family."

"You know we may not be able to save Romi. Serath is a special case because of our bond. There could be a chance that the infernals that the faction is using in place of shedim are leaving space for the host soul to linger, but we have no proof of that."

"Hope is enough," Lionel said. "We can hope until we have no choice but to abandon it."

I nodded. "I'll do everything I can to bring him in unharmed so we can try to save him. Ivor may be able to help. He knows much more about the infernals than we ever will."

Lionel pressed his lips together. "I understand. He's your father, but he's not mine. Mine is dead. It's a complicated situation, one I hope we'll adjust to in the future."

"We have to make sure we have a future first."

His smile was solemn. "I believe in you. Believe in the elite and our cause. And as much as I dislike Ulrickson, I don't believe he would go against the goyle code without serious reason. If we can show him a way out, then I'm certain he'll take it."

"I hope you're right because, right now, he's our only hope at nailing the faction."

I found Serath in the observatory stargazing. My mother was with him, a wistful spectral form bathed in moonlight.

"You okay?" Serath asked as I entered.

"I'm fine. Are you okay, Mum?"

She smiled, and her form flickered brightly for a moment. "I don't think I'll ever tire of you calling me that."

"I'm sorry that I didn't warn you that Lionel was coming over."

"Don't be. Everything worked out. Everything will work out. I'm going to help you as much as I can, but to do that I might have to go away for a little while. I need to gather energy, and I don't want to do it here."

"What do you mean?"

Serath answered for her. "Melanie was explaining how she needs energy to manifest. Energy she takes from the atmosphere and the living beings around her. She doesn't want to take it from us."

"You've been drawing from us, and it hasn't had any ill effects."

"Yes, but it's not enough to sustain a manifestation. Not without hurting you. But I've discovered a possible way to store energy, and I need to practice siphoning and storing until I perfect it. I can't do that here."

"Then where will you go?"

"I suggested the cliffs and chasm where the terror hawks are," Serath said.

My stomach dropped at the thought of her in such a dangerous place.

"I'm already dead, Cameron," she said with a light laugh. "I'll be fine. And I'll be back soon. I promise."

"I wish I could hug you."

"Me too," she said. "Me too. Goodbye for now, sweetheart."

She misted into nothing.

"She'll be fine," Serath said. "She's an amazing woman, just like her daughter."

He hooked an arm around my waist and pulled me in for a kiss. "Let's go to bed."

"I don't think I could sleep."

"Who said anything about sleeping?"