Chapter 50

Bryndísar Family Farm , Iceland

November 1st, 2050

The following days were filled with interviews from League Intelligence. We were restricted to the farm and cut off from social media, probably so the League could decide what the official line was on Mulciber, or as they kept referring to him, ‘Mol’. It seemed that my slipup had stuck as the official name for the living golems. After nearly killing us all, having Mulciber’s true name forgotten seemed like a suitable punishment.

The interrogations were much less hostile than at Fort Flamel. As far as they knew, Mulciber’s attack wasn’t my fault. More proof that military intelligence is an oxymoron.

The Smiths remained inscrutable behind their magical disguises as they did their routine of asking the same questions a dozen different ways, but I could tell they were disquieted. A flying devil? I got the feeling they hoped one of us would admit we’d made the whole ridiculous thing up so they could stop worrying.

I was disturbed myself, and it wasn’t even my job to decide what to tell the public. I wasn’t sure what the best option was. They could keep pretending it was crazies spotting flying reptiles, but risk being caught off guard if a hundred Mols suddenly showed up. If people suddenly found out about the black golems, it could cause a panic.

Hell, even in the League was a bit panicked. A dozen mundane soldiers camped out at the farm just in case Mulciber turned out to have friends. It struck me as a bit silly, but I did have inside information they didn’t. They set up camp near the ruins of Viktor’s barn, since it kept them near the house. We didn’t speak to them much, as their patrols kept them busy. Mr. Maki joined them. He cited a lack of beds in the house, but I was convinced it was for the exercise as much as anything else. Henrik practically locked himself in a small office back in the house, being our only line of communication with the outside world once we’d relinquished our technology.

I did make sure that he would tell Yukiko we were alright. She would be worried after we had put out the alarm with the Finding Device. No sense getting Ms. Sato on my case; I’d lived through being her enemy once, thank you very much. Kiyo and Rose too, while they were at it, though apparently Rose was still on her secret mission. I didn’t know much about it, but I figured that wherever it was had to be warmer. Lucky girl.

With the mundane farmhands banished, we cadets were pressed into service caring for the animals again. Shockingly, Heida pitched in this time. After the morning feeding on Monday morning, we were keeping an eye on one of the herds as they meandered about their pasture.

“You’ve been surprisingly on point lately. Not able to hide out with Henrik here, eh?” I asked.

Heida shook her head. “I’ve been living a pretty half-assed life for a long time. I figured it was time to carry my weight.”

I flashed her a smug smirk. “You’re bored, aren’t you?”

“That’s only some of it,” she said, grinning back at me. “I dunno, seeing Rafal and Mariko out there fighting when I’d run away was a wakeup call. If they could stand firm, shit, I’m at least twice as good as either of them. I need to step it up.”

I couldn’t help but roll my eyes. “Twice as good? You’ll understand I’m required to disagree with that assessment. At least for Ms. Yamada.”

It was her turn to eyeroll at me. “Yeah, it didn’t take you long to jump ship to Yamada, did it? Oh, and by the way, everybody figured out what you two were up to. The Zone of Silence and locked door just made it more obvious.”

“I’m sure I have no idea what you’re talking about,” I said.

“Sure you don’t, Mr. Blush,” she said, flicking my nose. It was a gentler flick than normal, though. “So, how was she?”

“It hardly seems appropriate to kiss and tell. Besides, there’s no answer you’ll like.”

“Tell me Mariko was a dead fish in bed and you regret it all. That’ll make me happy.” Her brow arched when I was silent. “Huh, you could get redder. Dang, you must be humiliated at the awful choice you made.” She leaned back against a fencepost. “I won’t take you back, though. You had your chance.”

“Such a stinging rebuke!” I swooned theatrically. “I suppose I’ll find some way to move on.”

“I bet you will,” said the blonde, her wistful tone at odds with her smug expression.

The sheep parted, bleating in panic as something dark and terrible ran through the center of the herd. Buddy’s amorphous, jagged form looked like a horse straight from Hell itself, though his riders didn’t seem to mind. Lilja in particular was occupied with clinging to Kowalski.

“Hey, Magpie!” Buddy skidded to a halt as he came close. A normal horse would have bowled over, though Buddy cheated by anchoring himself with shadowy tendrils. “They want you back at the house. You’ve got company.”

“Me or the two of us?” I asked.

“Just you,” he replied.

“Typical,” said Heida, snorting derisively. “Don’t worry, I’ll keep the flying demons away from our precious, wooly fleabags.”

“You shouldn’t talk about them like that,” chided Lilja. “They paid for everything we ever owned.”

Heida waved at the heard. “Look, I’m actually watching them instead of running off. Baby steps, sis.”

I whistled, summoning Viktor from where he’d been grazing. He still had a slight stiffness in his step, but he was good for a light trot.

Buddy came up alongside, easily matching the leisurely pace. Viktor didn’t care for the shadow golem at all, but I kept a firm grip on the reins. Like most rebellious mackies, he secretly wanted somebody worth obeying, and I was happy to be that for him.

“Care to tell me who it is?”

Buddy shook his head. “He said he wanted it to be a surprise. It’ll be a big one; no way I thought he’d show up.”

I didn’t have the heart to tell Kowalski that basically gave the whole game away. I’ll have to act stunned when I see him.

“I hope they aren’t taking you away from me,” said Lilja, resting her head on Kowalski’s shoulder. “It’s been so nice having you around.”

“I-I’ll call every night,” he stammered, earning him a satisfied grin from Lilja and an annoyed glare from Buddy. “Twice on my days off. Visit every chance I get.”

“I’ll hold you to that,” she replied, smiling broadly. “We need to check out the north pasturage, Skjor. See you both later.”

“You heard her, Buddy. Let’s go!”

I shook my head as they galloped away. If they keep that up, it’s going to be Kowalski’s farm one of these days.

I tied Viktor to an old hitching post near the front door. I considered leaving it at that, but I threw a blanket on the mackie. It was a nippy day, and I didn’t want him catching a cold. I noticed he was testing the knot with his prehensile trunk. “Oh come on, don’t be like that.” I patted him on the shoulder. “I promise it won’t be long, and we don’t want you wandering off.” I switched over to a hushed High Demonic, pacifying him. He tried to hug me with his trunk, but I managed to slip out of the affectionate ungulate’s grip.

I was a tad sore as I strode into the house. We’ll need to get him a proper mackie saddle later.

Just as I’d expected, a familiar figure sat in an easy chair by the smoldering fireplace, opposite Bryndísar on the couch. “Mr. Marlowe! It’s fantastic to see you.”

Headmaster Tachibana shifted to his feet with the help of a metal cane. He was a heavyset Japanese man who favored three-piece suits and bowler hats. This seemed to be a new set; these were a navy blue, instead of his normal black. He ought to have stuck with the black, since it was more slimming, and the dark lord knew he needed the help.

I kept my thoughts on my teacher to myself. The dark circles under his eyes spoke of a redeye flight across the Arctic Circle to see me, and I already didn’t understand why he tolerated a devil in his midst.

“You’re looking well, sir.” I returned his polite bow deeply enough that I could be accused of brownnosing, an old habit from dealing with demonic superiors.

“That is a dirty lie. Now I know you’re flattering me,” he said with a chuckle. “Bryndísar was just catching me up on how he’s been adjusting to… how to put it delicately…”

“Joining the tripod club.” Bryndísar tapped his leg with an entirely mundane cane. The fabricata model had been claimed by reclaimed by League Intelligence when they realized how dangerous it was. The way he glared at me, I still don’t think he’d forgiven me yet.

I frowned. “I see. I’m afraid I won’t add much to that conversation.”

“That’s just as well,” said the Icelander. “I’m done with the topic anyway. No sense dwelling on things we can’t change. Besides, you didn’t come out here for me, Yosuke.”

“Call it a side benefit,” said Tachibana. “I do not get to visit my old friends often enough.”

“Speaking of, I’m surprised Mr. Maki isn’t here to see you,” I said. “Or Henrik.”

“Asahi turn up soon enough,” said Tachibana. “Henrik’s been and gone back to work. It’s just as well; we need to have our chat anyway. I’m fascinated by your firsthand report of Mol’s attack.”

I kept my lips sealed. I’d be chatting up a storm soon enough.

“Do I hear Kasasagi?” Mariko emerged from the kitchen with a tea tray holding a steaming kettle and a small pile of sugar cookies. This time, I noticed that it was supported by her good hand. I still took it from her; it seemed the polite thing to do.

“You did,” I said, giving her a peck on the cheek as I relieved her. “Morning, my dear.”

“Not in front of the headmaster,” she said, her half-hearted protest ruined by a giggle.

Tachibana’s eyebrow raised. “Interesting.”

We both froze. Technically, fraternization wasn’t entirely discouraged in the co-ed Wizard Corps, but some of the activities we’d gotten up to would get us written up.

“Don’t hold back on my account,” said Tachibana with a warm chuckle.

“Hold back on my account, please,” said Bryndísar. “It’s going to give me diabetes faster than these cookies. You don’t know what these two have been like. It’s enough to make me half-remember what it was like being their age.”

“For you, Bryndísar? Anything.” I set the tray down on a coffee table, and Mariko set about pouring.

Tachibana help up a hand. “Save mine for now, Ms. Yamada. She’s been keeping our cups full since I got here, and I’m fit to burst.”

“She doesn’t believe in portion control, does she?” said Bryndísar, patting his own belly.

“Ara.” Mariko turned red. “I-I wanted to make sure nobody felt left out.”

“Don’t listen to them, my dear. You keep a wonderful house.” I resisted the urge to kiss her again. It was a struggle, since she looked so adorably concerned.

“Easy for you to say; you still have a metabolism!” Despite the rebuke, the Icelander wasn’t shy about grabbing a small handful of the cookies. “It’ll be the death of me, but what a way to go.”

Headmaster Tachibana cleared his throat. “Mr. Marlowe, let’s find somewhere private.”

“Yes, I imagine you didn’t fly halfway across the world for Mariko’s cookies,” I said. Seeing that Bryndísar’s attention was firmly on the plate, I snuck a quick kiss on her cheek. “I’m sure this won’t take long.”

“I will survive somehow,” she replied. “Hurry back.”

Headmaster Tachibana tackled the stairs well enough, though the wood boards protested a bit under his weight. He chose Mariko’s still wide-open bedroom, wandering over to the charred edges of the blast.

“Corpswoman Bryndísardóttir did a good job putting out the fire,” he observed, rubbing the residual soot between his gloved fingers. “Would you mind casting the Zone of Silence? I’m a bit tired from the flight.”

I followed his orders, casting a bubble that went wall to wall. “I hope you’ve been well.”

“Not especially, with the state of the Nagoya Tower,” he said, his tone free of reproach.

“Do we know when you’ll be able to open back up?”

He shook his head. “The school is still being inspected, and the repairs will take a few more months. You managed to blow some rather large holes in my baby.” There was a generous dose of reproach that time.

“I’m still sorry, sir.”

“I know you are. It’s why your secret is still a secret, Malthus. I do have some good news, though. League Intelligence did manage to track down all of Holy Brother Ratte’s little cell. A few members from other cells around Japan even turned over evidence on their fellows. If there are any Holy Brothers left, they’re probably going to keep their heads down going forward.”

“Wait, the Tower Attack shamed them, but the Taiwan Incident didn’t? The Holy Brothers there were selling slaves to the Horde!”

He let out a long sigh. “My countrymen can be extremely insular. An attack on our soil hits home, if you’ll excuse the pun. It was a moment of clarity for them. Under better circumstances, I’d be here to tell you that you were safe from reprisal.”

“I never did get to tell you about the Starlight. They whisked us away too quickly for that.”

“And I don’t want to have any conversations with the word ‘Malthus’ in them unless we’re in person. I don’t trust anything touching the cloud.”

I nodded. “The Beckers were demonkin.”

“I knew that much, Malthus. Who corrupted the Beckers?”

I shrugged. “I have suspicions. Somebody in the employ of Grand General Girdan, I suppose. Maybe his daughter, Fera. I can’t say, since Hans bled out before he could answer my questions. They knew my true name, but didn’t feel like destroying me by exposing it.”

“Do you have any idea why?”

“Probably because they want the satisfaction of ending me themselves. Girdan was always direct like that.”

Tachibana nodded, a glum look on his face. “Hopefully it stays that way. Speaking of that, does Ms. Yamada know?”

I shifted uncomfortably. “Yes; I learned my lesson with K-Kiyo.”

“Good, you can learn. I’m sure your secret is safe with Ms. Yamada.”

“What’s that look for?” I didn’t care for his knowing smirk.

“I have a theory about you, though I’m sure it won’t make you happy. Do you care to hear it?”

I sighed. “Well, now I have to.”

“You told me that your people used to tempt people as spirits, prey on the weak to corrupt them with their vices. You’re only a half breed, though, so I think you’re still drawn to the weak and struggling, but you have a soft heart. You can’t help but try and fix them. There’s a reason I had you stationed with Ms. Yamada and Mr. Kowalski, after the bang-up jobs you did with Mr. Takehara and Ms. Cooper.”

“That’s an… interesting theory.” It had the ring of truth, as much as it irked me. Then again, who likes having their personality boiled down to a single point? “Though, let me tell you all about Mulciber, or Mol, as they’re calling that beast we fought. We’ll see if you still agree.”

I launched into the sordid tale of the painting and the frame-job, the chance meeting with the wayward golem, and even a quick explanation of what a golem even was when the world’s foremost human magical expert looked at me blankly.

“Magical robots… I never thought of it.”

“They’re hardly worth the effort,” I replied. “Mulciber only performed as well as he did because he was a Frankenstein. A devil twisted and mutated into a living weapon platform.”

He stroked his chin thoughtfully. “If he was having to expend magical energy to fly… running through the runic stanzas in my head now, that would be an exceptionally expensive spell, to say nothing of the healing, jamming, and fireballs.”

“It explained his taste for whole sheep,” I said.

“Even then, his lifespan would probably be measured in years, maybe even months.”

“An army of him wouldn’t need that long to overwhelm our defenses for the regular forces,” I replied. I still felt a weird pride at my homeland’s ingenuity, tempered by the realization that I’d be at the business end of it.

“It’s a stroke of luck that he broke out and escaped north,” he said, before shuddering. “Now we can prepare.”

“With all due respect, sir, we didn’t feel especially lucky.”

“Not at the time, though you were able to beat him. How did you manage it?”

I looked down my nose at him as I got to the final encounter with Mulciber, down to his wretched death. Naturally, I left out the next day’s chores, or my extracurriculars with Mariko.

“So, do you still think I’m some bleeding heart?”

Tachibana shrugged. “I’ve already made up my mind about you, Soren, and I use that name on purpose. Remember, you’re the frog raised to be a scorpion. I know you’ve stung more than your share of people. Besides, you clearly regret what became of Mulciber, or you wouldn’t have described the fight to make yourself sound worse. That was a confession, not a boast.”

I couldn’t help but glare at him. It’s Hell letting people get to know you. You don’t have any surprises left.

He continued. “I cannot decide which would be worse: if Mulciber had been attached to the attack at the Starlight, or the fact that it was a coincidence.”

“As the one in their sights, neither alternative is comforting. What’s to become of me now? I still have a target on my back.”

“There aren’t that many demonkin in the corps,” insisted Tachibana. “Holy Brothers are one thing; people who become demonic because of their hatred of demons are inevitable, human nature being what it is. Demonkin are switching sides completely, and too many of us have too many bad memories to do it easily.”

“That doesn’t mean I’m safe to be around,” I said.

“Then you’ll have to be all the more vigilant. Besides, you won’t be out in public for a while. You’ll be far too busy.”

I cocked my head at him. “What do you mean? I thought the school was still under repair?"

"It is," he replied, reaching into his pocket. “The Wizard Corps has taken some awful losses in the last year. You would know that better than anyone, considering you inflicted so many of them.”

I winced at the rebuke. War was war, and I had fought valiantly, in my own estimation. However, it felt different standing in front of a man who had so many of his students never come home. “I cannot deny that.”

“That’s why I’ve been told that anybody from my second-year classes who is combat ready is eligible for immediate promotion to Junior Corpsman.” He flicked me a Wizard Corps insignia pin, a stylized, angular fist clutching a wand. “You’re near the top of the list.”

I frowned. “Only near the top of the list?”

“Your grades were good, but not stellar,” he said. “Ms. Sato was top of the list.”

I shrugged. “I suppose that’s only fair.”

“Either way, it’s amazing how many of you from the remedial classes ended up in my list. It goes to show that wizarding is more art than science.”

I studied the pin, turning it over and over in my hand. Another step away from who I was before. It’s bad enough I’ve been wearing their uniform, but now I’ll actually be one of their soldiers!

“I don’t suppose there’s much choice in the matter,” I said, pocketing the fateful bit of metal.

“No, there is not,” he agreed. “Speaking of which, I want to talk to you about Ms. Yamada.”

“What about her?” I asked, sounding cagier than I intended. It felt like a sudden shift of topic, designed to catch me off guard.

“I have a pin for her, too,” he said.

I cocked an eyebrow. “Wait, her? The pacifist who doesn’t know a single offensive spell? What sense does that make? Unless the League’s budged on letting her be a dedicated medic or the like?”

He smiled sadly at me. “No, and… well, unfortunately, you four might have been too free with your reports to the Smiths.”

My eyes widened as he explained what had transpired. “I… see.”

“Since you two were always close, I wanted to ask you the best way to let her know. She’ll be devastated.”

“To put it mildly.” I took the second pin from him. “I’ll handle it, sir.”

“Good man,” he said. “It will be better for her in the long run; we only got her into second year classes by claiming being on the front lines of the Tower Attack was her final combat exam. We wouldn’t be able to pull that trick twice.”

“Unless…” I smirked at him, but it vanished under the weight of his angry glare. “Too soon?”

“Much too soon,” said the headmaster. “Anyway, I’ll leave that duty to you. Consider it your first assignment, Junior Corpsman Marlowe.”

“Consider it done, sir.” I still didn’t care for the sound of my new title, but I knew somebody who’d like it even less.

Epilogue

Coward that I was, I didn’t rush right down and tell her the awful news. I told myself I wanted to wait for the proper moment, which was true enough, but also an evasion. I promised myself I would take her aside after lunch, then sometime after the sheep were back in their pens, and then when the headmaster left after dinner. Each time I punted the choice out further. Mariko seemed content in a way that she hadn’t been for a while, and I couldn’t bear to snatch it away from her just yet.

I waited until later that night. After our tryst, we had agreed it was best to not try and share a bedroom, if only because it would completely throw off everyone else’s sleeping arrangements. After losing a bedroom to Mulciber’s Fireball and gaining more boarders, I was forced to share with Kowalski, and Mariko had moved in with Heida and Lilja.

It took a little doing to get her alone, and I’d owe Kowalski another favor. Buddy made a decent doppelganger of me in my sleeping bag, just in case Mr. Maki got it in his head to do a bunk check.

“You aren’t going to be too long, right?” He let out a loud yawn, which I involuntarily mirrored. “Buddy worked hard today, and I’m kinda low on magic.”

“No, this isn’t a… what did Kiyo used to call it? A boot call?”

“Booty call,” he said, suddenly not wanting to look at me.

“Stop being bashful, it isn’t one,” I said. “And it isn’t spying this time, either. I learned my lesson there.”

He nodded. “Sure, I’m glad to help, Magpie. Lord knows I still owe you some favors.”

How Kowalski could possibly think that was beyond me, but I wasn’t going to question his poor accounting. I thanked him, though.

I’d suggested earlier that Mariko might want to check the fire sometime after curfew, and I was pleased to see she’d taken the hint. She was dressed in a plain, white nightgown that covered her from neck to ankles. Heida had called the look sexless before, and she wasn’t entirely inaccurate. Still, I found Mariko breathtaking as she stoked the fire. Part of it was knowing what lay underneath the nightgown, but the greater part was in knowing what I meant to her. I was sorely tempted to put off my dour message and enjoy our time alone, but I’d put it off long enough. Fun would have to wait for another time… if she still wanted me when I was done.

Bryndísar snored loudly in the convertible bed, completely missing our presence. When Mariko spotted me, I nodded towards the kitchen and quickly set up a Zone of Silence.

“Good evening, Kasasagi.” She beamed up at me, warming me up more than the fireplace could manage. She wrapped her arms around me, resting her head on my shoulder. “This was a delightful idea; we have had no time alone.”

I’m not made of stone. A kiss or two, then business. Or three.

Eight turned out to be the proper number. That was when the heavy pin in my pajama pocket poked into my side, reminding me what we were really there for.

“Soren? Is something the matter?”

Besides the new puncture wound in my thigh? I brushed that aside and reached into my pocket. “My dear, some… interesting things came up while I was talking with the Headmaster earlier.”

“Oh? Was it Malthus-related?”

I nodded. “Yes, though let’s not get too comfortable with the m-word, hm? We wouldn’t want it to slip out at the wrong time.”

“Ara, you are right.” Her brow knit with concern. “What is the matter, Soren?”

“Some of us are being graduated early,” I said, pulling my own insignia from my pocket. “There are an awful lot of holes in the line to fill, and some of us Second Year students are being promoted based on perceived combat ability. As of this afternoon, I’m a Junior Corpsman.”

Mariko’s dark eyes widened. “Oh no.” She gripped me tighter. “Who else is being moved up? Yukiko? Hiro?”

“And a few others,” I said. “Those of us who have had repeated brushes with the Holy Brotherhood and Horde. It sounds like there’s going to be some intense training to fill in the holes in our magical knowledge, but they think we’re ready for the front lines.”

She bit her lip thoughtfully, before smiling up at me thinly. “Of course the League would take you away now.” She must have seen my pained look because she caressed my cheek. “I do not care how far away they take you. I can wait for you, even if I am alone at that school. It will be like Rafal and Lilja.”

I cringed internally. “That is the problem, isn’t it? We aren’t going to be separated, Junior Corpswoman Yamada.”

I handed her the pin, which she handled like a scorpion. “What? There must be some mistake. The staff at the school was always saying I would never graduate! How did this happen?”

“Part of it was your poor luck,” I said. “You were at all three fights with the Holy Brotherhood, even if you were only casting support magic. Helping in the fight against Mulciber sealed the deal. Between filling the barn with gas and firing off that spell with the cane, the Wizard Corps thinks you’ve reneged on your pacifism.”

Her eyes widened again. “No, I thought I would miss, or that it would bounce off his wings! That was not an attack!”

Her eyes wounded me. “Mariko, I know that. That’s even what we told the Smiths, but the League needs bodies to fight.”

Tears flowed down her cheeks as she sobbed openly. “I will not learn those spells.”

“You will not have a choice,” I said, hugging her close. I started stroking her hair. “They could simply hold you back at the school, but insubordination in the field would be harshly punished.”

We stood like that a while. I’m not sure how long.

“I shouldn’t have had you be part of that trap,” I said. “I shouldn’t have relied on you. I didn’t think of the risk.”

“I agreed to it,” she said in a choked voice. “Soren, you could not cast at all. If I had not fired off that spell, you would not be here right now. I will not do it again, though.” The last part was spoken with utter conviction.

“Let me promise you something, Mariko Yamada,” I said, cupping her chin in my hand. “First, I promise you that you are not your great-grandfather. You are no danger to anyone who would not deserve it.”

“That does not matter,” she said. “He thought he was right until it was too late, too! I do not want that power, to decide who lives and dies!”

“All the more reason you could handle it,” I said. It was just as well I’d waited for this revelation; it gave me time to practice my words. “Better than me, at any rate. Let me tell you my second promise: I’m not going anywhere. You bent your principles to save my unworthy hide, and I will pay you back every day of your five-year enlistment. Even if you must learn the spells, I will do everything in my power to make sure you do not use them. They will issue you a weapon, but you will not draw it. I will be your sword. This I swear.”

“Soren,” she said, still crying, but now they were joyful tears. “You cannot know what this means to me.”

“Oh, but I do, Mariko,” I said.

She clutched my nightshirt tightly. “You are right; if anybody understands me, it is you.”

“Good thing we like each other,” I said. “Back home, nobody ever gets this intimate. You know all the skeletons in my closet. It’s bloody terrifying! It’s a pity you gave up your chance to back out.”

“No, it is not,” she declared. “I love you. I do not care what you were. I know who you are.”

Love. The Enemy’s great lie. My pride had kept me from acknowledging it when I was with Kiyo, even when it was the very air I breathed.

No more of that. I was done hiding my heart. “I love you too, Mariko Yamada. You’re stuck with me now, until you regain your senses. You’re dating a damn devil. Mark my words, you’ll wake up one morning and realize the mess you’re in.”

“Never going to happen,” she said, our lips meeting for a fleeting moment. “Just like you are stuck with me.”

I smiled down at her silently, before returning her kiss more ardently. Poor, insane girl. It’s a wonder she gets by day to day. Oh, well. If she needs a caretaker, I’m glad to carry that burden.

It wouldn’t be so easy, of course. The time would come to test my vow, my love, and even my tenuous grasp on humanhood.

However, that would be another day’s battle. For right then, we had our little pocket of quiet and peace, and I was content.

End Book 5: Misfit