Theresa and Greene stay in my room. Michael and Veronica take the guest room. I'll I'm not happy about it, but it'll have to do until I find a safe place for everyone. Agnus and I sit in the sun room.

  I inhale. "Feel your diaphragm fall and imagine five threads unraveling. As you exhale, those threads extend beyond yourself."

  Agnus imitates my breathing. She holds a ball of light between her hands. Five threads reach out, but they're too short to heal someone from afar.

  I smile. "Very good, Agnus. You'll be a master healer in no time."

  Agnus tenses. "I'm not sure I can do it like you." The threads retract, then she rubs her knees. "You can heal several people at once. That's not something I've seen anyone else do. And the way you control it..."

  I chuckle. "I've had almost 200 years of experience! You're still young. I have much to teach you."

  Agnus drops her shoulders. "I suppose that's true. You are quite old."

  My brow twitches. "Not that old."

  She conceals a grin. "Maybe we should start calling you grandpa."

  I snort. "A great and powerful healer in the KTP trained me for 20 years. She told me that healing is something we can't force. There must be a mutual exchange of energy."

  Agnus smiles. "My parents wanted me to run their shop, then one day my mother was badly burned in a grease fire. I wanted to help her so much that a light appeared in my hand and I... I knew what to do."

  I nod. "That's a perfect memory to use when you heal others."

  Agnus sighs. "I could never fight, but my wish to heal others as you did—raising soldiers after they've fallen—is what brought me here. You may not see how you inspire others, but that doesn't mean we aren’t looking at you with admiration."

  My head hangs. "You admire a coward... For every one soldier I resurrected, another dozen were killed. The deaths became so overwhelming that I—"

  "Fled?" Veronica leans against the doorframe. "Heroes aren't remembered for the things they've done." She crosses her arms. "They're remembered for the reasons they did them." She saunters over and plops beside us. "Nebula spoke much about you. Never a lie! When you were in the West, so was I."

  My gaze falls. "That was—"

  "150 years ago!" She smiles. "Sector after sector fell beneath your armies! Nebula believed you were tracking Theodore. She figured the Southern Allied Defense would be enough to stop you."

  I shrug. "It wasn't."

  Veronica smirks. "No... At first, I thought that you would recognize me, then I realized you didn't remember anything at all. We believed it was a front—some charade to mask your true intentions."

  I raise a brow. "How old are you?”

  Veronica leans back. “Been around for a minute or two. Seen everything there ever was. Ever will be.”

  I glance at Agnus. "And Nebula… Is she older too?”

  Veronica’s scoffs. “Old? She’s been around for thousands of years! Survived 6 world wars. 2 of which were intergalactic takeovers. Those didn’t last very long! But there was another that went on for 500 years. It ended right before you came along. We called it The Blood War because most of the life on this planet was wiped out."

  Nebula isn’t just steps ahead of me. I’m a returning player to the board she designed. This isn’t about control, is it? She wants something specific. Something she can’t get on her own. It’s something she needs me alive for. Melody talked about my blood. Thought I was one of Nebula’s experiments. Veronica would know…

  Veronica bobs her head. "The thing that finally set her off was losing Theodore. You may not understand or care, but he was something like an offspring to her. Kinda sad when you think about it. Losing all 4 of her kids like that.”

  I swallow. "Did I… Was it because of me?”

  Veronica grins. "If I told you now, you wouldn't believe me. After all, you're a victim of favors. Passed around in service to those who seek eternal life. I'm surprised you haven't succumbed to it." Her eyes flicker. "Perhaps you have and this is the result. Aimless. Broken. Covert."

  I sneer. "What do you want from me?"

  She waves her hand. "With the Wyre reduced to a laughable proportion, you'll be handled in no time—but I don’t want that! The only reason you're still free is because they're looking for an angle and my surrender has narrowed the scope."

  Agnus stares at her. "You have a mark on your temple."

  Veronica points. "It's a brand. Nebula termed it Axe."

  Agnus reaches. "That's why you're called an Axehead."

  Veronica stops her. "Probably.”

  I scratch the seal on my hand. The black veins are spreading to my fingers. "And the other Axeheads... What'll they do?"

  Veronica stretches. "The plan was for me to come here under the guise of fleeing SAAF." She giggles. "But I know Nebula. She's already rewriting it. I doubt they'll all come.”

  I hug my knees. "And your abilities?"

  Veronica raises her hand. Flames crackle between her fingers. "I'm not much for abilities as I am for strategy. Theodore relied on me for positioning his armies and predicting our enemy's movements. Fair to say, I was good at it."

  Maybe I can use my earlier plan to derail her. I smirk. "We're actually looking to capture an Axehead."

  The tale has been taken without authorization; if you see it on Amazon, report the incident.

  Veronica purses her lips. "Isn't me, is it?"

  I shake my head. "The twins."

  Veronica tenses. "Them? You fought them once and let them live."

  I look at my hands. "I didn't... They died many times... I brought them back until I was satisfied."

  Agnus touches her mouth.

  Veronica snorts. "A hilarious mistake! Life means nothing to them. They saw your mercy as weakness."

  I growl. "Then why wait? Why not attack me when I was incapacitated?"

  Veronica licks her lips. "Nebula has the final say on what we do and where we go." She taps her temple. "But her influence is based on perception whereas mine is...conventional."

  Agnus shivers. "You told them to wait?"

  Veronica pops her neck. "They only listen to me because of Theodore."

  That must mean... I straighten up. "You and I were friends, too. Right?"

  Veronica opens her mouth, then bites her lip. "We have many friends. Some posing as enemies and others sitting in front of you." She winks. "The real question is, do you want to be my friend or my enemy?"

  Either way, she's not going to fight me. If she wanted to, then she would have in Moonlight. We were something like friends. Maybe we tolerated one another for the sake of Theodore. He's at the center of all this. The only thing I don't understand is my role in his life. Veronica was his General. The other Axeheads... They must've been part of his army, too. Viscounts. Monarchs. And Nebula... Were we really friends?

  What if she was trying to stop something? What if she was trying to keep it away? She wanted to make a deal with Theodore...but I came in. Why didn't he take it? Or did he? What if Theodore and I... What if I used to be... That means my memories... His real identity... But Nebula is certain he's out there somewhere. Or maybe... A piece of him died... And Nebula... She wants to use me to bring it back...

  Veronica waves her hand. "Hey! The orders were to capture all of you and the best outcome is Nebula uses you as test subjects."

  Agnus grips her knees. "And the worst?"

  Veronica shrugs. "She makes another deal."

  I snarl. "I won't make a deal with her again!"

  Veronica laughs. "Who said you were the only one? Do you really think that daughter of yours wouldn't want a taste of Nebula's awesomeness?"

  Melody... "She wouldn't!"

  Veronica scoffs. "Be for real, Zachariah!" She crawls closer. "Nebula has everything you'd want. An army. Power. Influence. All it'd take is for the mole rat to offer herself up. Mind, body, and soul. Nebula could give her anything in the world." She knocks me back. "Screw immortality! She could promise an apocalypse. A seat by her throne! Abilities you can't even dream of."

  I gulp. "If she does...She'd betray me—betray everyone!"

  Veronica hisses. "And how will she pay for such a crime?"

  My lungs deflate. I hold my stomach. Could I punish her? Melody's doing what she thinks is right. Joining Nebula isn't about betraying me... It's about protection. The only way for either of us to survive is to be on separate sides. What'll happen if she pretends to be a villain for too long?

  "Eat the weak."

  Not that voice again!

  "Eat the vain."

  GET OUT OF MY HEAD!

  "Eat the decrepit."

  I squeeze my eyes shut and hold my head. Agnus moves closer and covers my ears. She gasps. "There's another voice inside you!"

  Veronica holds the amulet. "This'll help."

  Agnus listens. "The voice is being transmitted from the amulet." Her hand hovers above it. "They're very insistent! Maybe you should see what they want."

  I tremble. "You don't understand! He wants me to do bad things! I can't listen to him!"

  Veronica smiles at Agnus. "Let me handle this. Might wanna get back."

  Agnus scoots.

  Veronica climbs off me and her eyes glow. "Brace yourself!"

  A milky golden window forms between us. Symbols spread across the surface. She lifts the amulet. "You need to put this on."

  I shake my head. "I don't want it!"

  She lunges through the window. "Do you want to die? Nebula is one deal away from making that happen! Suck it up and put the damn thing on before I strangle you with it!" She pelts it at me.

  I rub my head. "What if Theodore comes out?"

  Veronica settles down. "He won't come out if you focus."

  The window warps into a dark gold void. There's something thudding inside. Is it alive?

  Agnus reaches. "What is this?"

  Veronica snarls. "Paws off, healer!"

  I slip the amulet around my neck. Shapes form in the window and I'm staring into a house. I stand up. This is...a portal! To where?

  Veronica pokes her head around. "This is where you want to go?"

  I shrug. "What is it?"

  Veronica moves back and looks inside. "It's a memory.

  But... That can't be... I don't remember... What if it's his memory?

  Veronica steps through and stands inside the house. "Come on before it closes!"

  I look at Agnus. "Don't let anyone else in."

  She nods.

  I step inside. This house is...big! It's beautiful. Wooden furniture. Stone walls. We walk down a hallway. A long row of windows to our left. Nothing out there but darkness. Everything is tinted in black, gold, and silver. Reflective tiles beneath our feet mock our every step.

  Something tells me to... What's behind this door? It's narrow. Plain faced. Iron handle. I reach for it.

  Veronica grabs my arm. "You sure about that? It's a closet!"

  I raise a brow. "How would you know?"

  She looks around. "This is the place I met Theodore. His childhood sings within these walls. If you listen, you can still hear him playing."

  My hand clasps the door handle. "Am I Theodore?"

  Veronica swallows. "Theodore was many things..." She pushes me forward. "We're running out of time!"

  I look over. The portal is shrinking. I pull the door open and...this isn't a closet. There's shelves. With rings. Necklaces. Jewels. Knives.

  Veronica picks a knife up and laughs. "The blade of Ceronull!" She tucks it in her pants.

  I feel strange. "If this is a memory, then how are you moving things?"

  Veronica picks up a crystal ball. "It's a glimpse of the space you have access to through Theodore's mind. Memory isn't the right term for it. Select dimension? Hmm..." She sorts through artifacts.

  A select dimension? This does feel like another world. These accessories aren't materials. They have voices. Hard to distinguish. Small.

  I touch my chest. The amulet is gone! I tap Veronica's shoulder. "The amulet..."

  She scoffs. "What'd you expect?" She knocks over a large jewel. "Oops! It took you where you needed to go. Besides, that wasn't even the amulet you'd need to find Theodore." She bites her lips.

  I grab her. "What? You tricked me?"

  Veronica shakes her head. "No! He's not really gone. He's just...missing."

  I push her into a wall. "What aren't you telling me?"

  Veronica grins and shoves me off. "Better hurry and grab something."

  She's deceptive. Just like Nebula. Never a straight answer. Long winding truths that drop off. I think I am Theodore. Or I was. That's the only way any of this... No... Not fully. There's a piece of the truth that we're missing. Nebula can't figure it out. Veronica seems to know more than she admits.

  The shelves begin to fade. Shit! What do I take? None of these feel right! They're all pieces of a larger puzzle. Why would Theodore have a closet full of things like this?

  Veronica stuffs her pockets, then bolts out the door. "Zachariah!"

  My eyes dart between them. Do I really need to take one? I don't want to find Theodore. I'm scared that he'll be worse than Nebula. Child of a monster! The shelves disappear. I've got to go!

  I spin around and head into the hall. Veronica forces the portal open with her hands. "Come on, slowpoke!" She strains. "Can't hold this forever!"

  I run towards her, then I hear a small laugh. I glance at a vent. Something sparkles inside. I pause.

  Veronica growls. "You wanna get left behind?"

  I kneel and tug on the grate. It pops out. Inside is a ring. Blue. 13 circles. Tiny details. Tears rush to my eyes. Why am I... Sensation of being rocked by waves.

  Veronica climbs through the portal. "See ya!"

  I clutch the ring and sprint. My arms lock around Veronica's waist. She clings to the portal's frame. "You're gonna pull me in!"

  Agnus grabs my arms and they yank me through. The portal closes. Veronica snickers and taps her pocket. "Not a bad haul!"

  I huff and hold up the ring. "Know who's this is?"

  Veronica furrows her brows. "Who?" She stares at the ring. "Can't you read?" She gestures to the small markings. "It was made by the same man whose journal you have sitting on that shelf over there."

  I jolt. "Pluto?"

  Veronica nods. "He used to rule Pelaris for a brief thousand years, then Nebula regained control."

  My head hurts. "There's so much I don't know."

  Veronica laughs. "Maybe one day I'll tell it all to you."

  I hum. "So this ring... What's it do?"