“What a waste of flesh,” Arma muttered.

Escott thought she’d meant Lander—he even set to automatically defend his former friend—but Lander was in that room.

“Who?” he asked.

Arma met his gaze then watched the floor again. “I almost pissed myself when I saw him fall,” she admitted. Eyes fixed on the charred fingertips of her left hand which refused to take on any color but black, she caught her breath. “What would have happened if you weren’t there?”

Deep down, Escott was sure she would have managed just fine alone.

“He went to get my hand.” She wiped her eyes. “It’s just flesh. I wasn’t planning to do more than go home.”

She talked as if she wanted to leave, something he was sure she didn’t.

“If you’re worried about them...if you wanna run...” Escott began.

“I’m a seedling. There’s nowhere to run. If I die, I go back to the E who created me.” She rubbed her head. “And she doesn’t like me all that much. Even less so when I stole her lot she created me to tend in her absence.” She swallowed hard. “But I’d resolved to go back. Blackwell’s injured Sasha.... That means he no longer cares what I have to say. Maybe I can...I can make a trade with him if he’d leave the boys alone.”

“Stop.” Escott said, “You’re not a piece of meat. You matter. You matter enough for Sasha to go back and try to win back your weapon.”

She managed to make a fist with her left hand. He’d guessed about the function of that limb, but her silence said he’d guessed right.

When she pressed her face into his neck and leaned into him, he extended his arms, confused at first. And then her arms wrapped around his waist and he felt both flattered and terrified. She was taking a leap of faith with him, but he was too stupid to know what to do in return.

He decided to mimic her action. Surely that would be enough.

Medics emptied out of Sasha’s room and rushed to the next one over. Escott frowned. How many medics could one person need? Sasha was just as critical, too. Lander exited and sat down in his previous chair.

The army of Elementals, Lilah’s father included, made Escott’s stomach drop. Something was up.

“Lilah.” Osbourne rushed to him.

Escott struggled to find something to say.

Arma sat up and Escott leaned away. He was dead meat.

Osbourne stared at them, jaw slack at first. In time, he asked, “Where’s Lilah?”

The man’s mounting rage stole Escott’s power of speech.

“Why isn’t she here with you? She should be here.” Osbourne stopped a rushing enforcer and demanded, “Find Lilah. Tell her to get her ass here now. She should be here. We need everybody. She of all people should be here.”

When Osbourne hurried away, Escott finally breathe easy. Not for long, though, over half of Sasha’s medics abandoned him to that other room.

Arma eyed Lander. “It’s worse than ours, apparently. I guess we shouldn’t complain.”

“Nah,” Escott said. “It’s not bad till you see family showing up.”

Escott wasn’t one to let his curiosity get the better of him. He resolved to stay out of it. He wouldn’t ask one person what the hell Lander’d gotten himself into this time.

“Isn’t he your friend?” Arma asked. “Everyone seems to love you. He can’t be any different.”

Escott considered her words. They made him suspicious. And then he thought about it and they made him wonder. He’d known Lander forever. He’d known Lilah forever, too. Lander never let him down. Yeah, Lander’d gotten him into trouble again and again but...never let him down otherwise.

Deep down he knew he’d forgive the poor bastard sooner or later. With all that went on today, he just wasn’t sure if tonight should be that night.

Against Escott’s better judgement, he decided to listen in. He tried to pinpoint one or two voices among the chaos.

“No one understands why. That’s the problem,” a medic said.

That was pretty much the chorus going all around. Escott lost concentration when Tine busted in and people rushed him.

“Oh shit,” Escott muttered.

Arma asked, “What?”

“Family. I guess it’s gotten serious...at least for Lander. It’s gotta be bad.”

Escott didn’t listen in on the conversation with Tine. He lost his chance when the aging imp lumbered to his son and sat by his side. Lander turned his face away. Tears streamed from his eyes, but he said not a word.

Eventually Tine had to give up. “He won’t talk to me. Is his...is his friend here?”

Escott slumped in his seat. “Oh shit. Don’t...don’t, please don’t.”

They did. They headed his way.

“Oh fuck,” Escott said. He surveyed the hall, trying to find a means of escape.

“Essy,” Tine said. The quiver in his voice was hard to bear. “Lanny’s.... Lanny’ll talk to you. Can you talk to him? Please. Get him to...to tell us what happened?”

Escott covered his face. “Sir, I....” He gestured to Sasha’s room. “I’ve kinda got my hands full.”

“Essy, please.” The Chief seemed ready to cry. “Please.”

That unexpected reaction made Escott straighten up. This was serious. What the fuck had Lander done?

“There’s no getting out of this one if he doesn’t talk,” the Chief muttered. “None.”

Escott rose to his feet, unintentionally dragging Arma up with him. She seemed reluctant to go but now, instead of her clinging to him, she looked like she wanted to guard him.

Sooner or later she’d have to find out that whenever Lander got in trouble, it was rarely just his own problem.

“I’ll talk to him. Everybody stop with the doom and gloom,” Escott muttered.

He barely made it to Lander before his friend jumped to his feet and hurried to him.

“I didn’t bite her. I swear. I didn’t bite her, Essy. You’ve gotta tell ‘em that I didn’t bite her. It was just stupid. It was stupid. It was stupid.”

Escott caught hold of him and pulled him into a hug. That seemed to be happening a lot tonight. Holding him tight, Escott whispered, “They’re trying to help. I’m trying to help. Bury the hatchet with your dad, let him help you. What’s going on?”

Forehead pressed against Escott’s chest as he cried, Lander gave his confession. Hearing it was equally hard as it was for Lander to get the words out. He stuttered through most of it.

How he didn’t kiss the girl, even when she’d offered. And how he’d made sure with her again and again it was okay. And even how everything was fine until she begged him to stop. But when he got to the part about the blood when he did and how they tried to contain it until she was too weak to even stand...that part was hard. And then when she begged him not to take her to the medics because her parents would find out...that part was hard, too. And the guilt he felt for waiting so long to finally bring her. That part was the roughest.

Escott tried to pat Lander’s shoulder as his friend—hands fisted in Escott’s shirt—bawled unabashed.

“But I didn’t bite her. I swear. I didn’t bite her. And I checked and made sure. I swear.” Lander whispered, “I swear. I swear.”

The Chief had a hard time speaking for once. “That doesn’t tell us anything we didn’t already know.”

“It tells us one thing,” Tine said, “he didn’t finish.” He turned and made his way back into the room. “He’s left an impression. Is there anyone who can force it away?”

Before Tine could enter completely, the Chief dragged him by the throat. “What the fuck are you saying, cunt?”

Escott gasped. “Dad. Dial it back.”

“You shut the fuck up.” His father turned on Tine. “Huh? What are you suggesting?”

Tine seemed equally as beaten up as his son. “I meant without...I meant without that.”

The Chief shoved him aside and stepped within the room. When Tine followed, he was considerably slower.

Silence lulled around them—silence that made Escott queasy. He didn’t want to guess if he was right. He couldn’t meet Lander’s gaze when Arma stepped closer to him.

“Let’s go for a walk,” she said.

“Essy...” a familiar voice called.

Escott was less than pleased to see his Eza there, not with questionable shit like this happening. “Hey. What are you doing here?”

Eza didn’t answer at first but said, “Came to kick your ass. What else? You should get your family. We’ll—they’ll take it from here.”

When Eza and Arma traded a glance, Escott swallowed hard. He wanted to introduce them but not at a time like this.

“Go on,” his Eza said, “I’ll come by and make you guys breakfast. Promise.”

Rather than endure any more of this, Escott nodded. Arma took him by the hand and dragged him out instead.

When she tasted the night air, she sucked it in. Escott caught a glimpse of Lander as the door to his would-be girlfriend’s room opened and Eza shoved him in.

For a split second, Escott considered going back.

“Is it far from here? You know they’ll worry,” Arma said.

She had a point. When Escott let her drag him, though he pointed the way, he felt lighter.

“That was...your...?”

“We say Eza,” Escott explained. “My mother. The only female imp I’ve ever met.”

Arma nodded. “So the other girl imps are still underground?”

“As far as I know...nah. She’s the only one.” Escott found himself slowing until Arma pulled him to a halt.

He glanced back to the tall building.

“Worrying about your friend?” Arma asked.

“Yeah. I don’t know enough about mating to be of any use to them. What I need to do is find Gwen. She knows every damn thing.”

“He left an impression,” Arma explained.

Escott hurried after her, intrigued. “You know what happened?”

“No. But I know how E’s fight. If we make a wound, if we leave an impression, it’ll bleed indefinitely. A stronger E might be able to stop the bleeding.”

“Oh good. I was worried.”

She didn’t say anything at first but confessed, “But not forever. Only the one to make that wound can stop it. But with how scared he is, I can’t imagine how he can convince himself to stop it. He’d have to think of safety and feel safe. I don’t think that’ll happen now.” She glanced back at him and said, “But your Eza seemed so cool and collected.”

“She’s got enough panic situations she’s had to fake calm for. The closest thing Lander’ll get to a mom at this point.”

Arma tried to smile, but it didn’t reach her eyes. She slowed in time and asked, “Do you want to go back?”

Escott shook his head. He honestly didn’t. From Lilah to Lander, it was just too much now. “No. The kids’ll worry. Besides, they’re gonna love it, I know. It’s really huge. My area’s the corn. Did I tell you?”

“You’ve mentioned it.”

They arrived at the enforcer’s HQ in time to see Karen Blackwell take off her gloves and try to imprint a form.

“How long before I get an answer?” she asked.

Jan sighed with relief. “Well, you can ask right now. There they are.” She met Escott’s gaze. “Essy. Down at the medical section....”

“Yeah. I just came from there. No worries. They’re handling it. What’s going on here?”

Karen Blackwell took a step back. “Just extending a generous offer to adopt a few of your brood.”

Escott caught Arma before she could step forward. He turned to face her. “Cool it. She can’t do anything without us.” He told Karen Blackwell, “Thanks for the consideration, but we want ‘em all. Every last one.”

She stared him down for a moment and raised her head high as she walked away.

He called after her. “Lander’s—”

The door closed before he got another word out, not that he was all that surprised. Lander was never a topic she ever broached or acknowledged.

Arma trembled. “Was she trying to take them as payment? I thought you guys didn’t do things like that.”

“Calm down,” Escott soothed. “No one’s gonna take them. Look.” He gestured at the paper. “It’s just a formal request. See?”

Escott had never gotten such an enthusiastic greeting in all his life. Even his own family was never this happy to see him. He spent the next ten minutes prying children off his leg so he could try and walk.

Arma looked relieved, though worried. Escott wanted to convince her that he was serious about letting them get a place to stay. The grim look on her face most of the night convinced him she’d no doubt walk away before he woke up—taking the kids with her. And why not? She had a plan before Escott came into the picture. And she was safe. She didn’t hurt them, and even though his father—and even Gwen—accused Ice of being a whore, nothing Escott saw indicated that. Arma had gifted her with the ability to take a hit...for fights.

Escott wasn’t sure why, but he wanted Arma to stay. He was used to a big family—hell, he still lived with his own even though he had that free space on the farm. There was no point being there without someone else.

Each time he focused on her, he knew trying to convince her was useless. Still, he did what he’d set out to do, and maybe for once it was okay not to be looking after someone—not Lilah, not Lander...and not Arma and her ‘lot.’

He wasn’t sure what he’d do now, but there’d be something. Besides, he had a feeling Lander needed a friend real soon. Escott decided not to enable him like before but to be there to talk him down from any ledges.

“Come on,” Escott said, “we’ll catch a few taxis and head up there to my spot on the farm. I want to show it to you before you change your mind.”

Arma hesitated. “Listen....”

“Nope. Just look at it first. Come on.”

Jan made the call but relayed the price for the taxi and Escott’s spirits sank.

“Okay. I guess we’re walking.”

“We’ve got a wagon, but it’s Newbreed powered,” Jan said.

Escott sighed with relief. “I’ll take it.”

“We can push it together,” Ice said, walking out of the hall, Darla ready with the keys for the cuffs. “I knew you’d save us.” She focused on Arma and seemed torn. “How long can you stay with us?”

Arma hesitated but said, “I don’t have to leave. I’m...I’m okay, too.”

As soon as the cuffs were off, Ice rushed her, lifting her off the ground. Once Ice put her down again, she asked Jan, “Do I have to sign anything?” Her face reddened, which made her skin shine bright. “I’m not sure how this all goes.”

Jan raised an eyebrow at her.

“Mouse,” Arma began but paused. Escott looked between her and Ice, waiting for her to offer the good news.

Slowly it dawned on him; Arma couldn’t.

Escott did the honors, keeping his tone level when he said, “I married your Arma. So everybody under her care gets to stay.”

He expected the same excited chatter as the other kids gave. What he got was a look of confusion.

“What?” Ice asked. “Wait. What?”

Arma swallowed hard. “Let’s talk about this later.”

“Talk about this?” Ice said. “You married him. You knew how I felt...and you married him? What’s supposed to happen now?”

Escott tried to step between them. “I’ve got a nice place. I have a big family, too, so don’t worry, you can bunk alone. I would have killed for that chance at your age.”

“Great,” Ice said, meeting his gaze before focusing on Arma again. “When you two sleep together, I won’t be able to hear it.”

Escott shut up.

Arma’s expression hardened. “It wasn’t my idea, but it’s done. So let’s talk about this later on. Please. Besides, this is not all that easy to explain. He can’t...he couldn’t return any feelings for you. It’s...it’s complicated.”

But while she motioned toward the door, Ice didn’t seem capable of moving.

“You knew how I felt...” she whispered. “You even thought he was weird. Didn’t you say he was stupid and simple?”

Arma met Escott’s gaze. He was less concerned with her previous opinion of him, and more so with this showdown.

There was no sense in arguing. Escott ushered the kids outside. He found the wagon without trouble and they climbed in.

When Arma didn’t exit, he opened the door. “Are we going?”

“Wait.” She waved back at him. “Wait. I’m still talking to Mouse.”

Funny, Ice wasn’t talking to her. She only watched the floor, her face twisted into a frown.

“You knew how I felt.”

Arma whispered, “It wasn’t my idea and what’s done is done—”

“And what do you care about him? The only use you’ve ever found for men is to beat them up. And don’t tell me you don’t. I see you and the way you operate. It’s like you seek them out so you can humiliate them. Now your humiliation’s extending to me.”

“No.” Arma shook her head. “No. I came here to give you a fighting chance. I gave you my rejuvenation, a piece of my tongue and until recently I took off my left arm to give you a fighting chance, Mouse. We’re out here because of you. Don’t. Don’t throw this chance away.”

Within the foyer they argued, but in the wagon, the other children tried to calm the young ones who cried. There weren’t any dry goods at the farm, but they’d be surrounded with more than enough Newbreed mothers with big families all but too eager to meddle and help out.

“Arma. They’re hungry. We can’t wait any longer.”

“I know, but...but you talk to her.”

Escott didn’t think that was fair. It would be unfair to convince Ice at a time like this. She was hurting, and more than just a little confused.

“I’m leaving,” Escott said. “Meet you up there, then. It’s the only damn farm in town.”

He set off. Judging from how badly Arma wanted Ice to join them, he expected her to stay. He was not even halfway down the road before she ran to catch up.

“Can I help you carry them?”

Escott shook his head. “Nope. Might be best if you hop on, too. That way I can run.”

She walked beside him, instead. He thought that was defiance and a stubborn decision at first, but with each step, he could see that maybe it was something else.

“She’ll come around,” Escott said. “Don’t worry. She’ll come around.”

Arma wouldn’t meet his gaze. “About what I said...about you being simple....”

“Hey. If you forgive the wig thing, I can forgive this.” He tried to nudge her, though that was hard from this low positioning. The ring around his throat hurt, but there was no helping that.

They reached the house late. A few Newbreeds must have told their mothers because a good five women with big pots awaited them. Escott appreciated the reception. He would have liked his own Eza being there, but this was okay, too.

Other farm Newbreeds came, most to point and laugh at Escott, but he didn’t care. Mostly because they also helped wash and feed the children and set the house up. The place was filthy. He hadn’t remembered leaving it like that.

“It collects dust over time, Essy. Your engagement started two years ago, remember?” someone reminded him.

Every fussy piece of advice, every time someone bumped him aside and took over the housing needs, he gladly let them. The house was finally livable around midnight or so.

He put out all the candles and stepped out onto the mound to look up. The entire Fan sat shrouded in the Veil at all times; everywhere but the farm. From here they could see the sun...and especially the moon.

“They’re such an imposition,” Arma said. “I’m so sorry.”

While he watched the sky, pleased as hell with how things turned out—it could have been much worse—she watched the city.

Escott wasn’t sure why until he saw the once sleeping Guardian rise.

“Wow. I’ll never get used to that,” Arma said.

“I can do without it,” Escott muttered. The giant imp...was chewing something. “They’ve fed it.”

Arma looked at him, doubtful. “I thought they only ate people.”

“They do.”

“I guess they found some dead bodies somewhere,” she said, hopeful.

Escott shook his head. “No. It was alive. I’d bet you anything it was alive. Let’s pray it doesn’t try to feed more.”

Three other Guardians rose and Arma’s breath hitched.

“Don’t worry,” Escott said. “Look. Their leader’s calling them awake.”

It was a wonder to behold. One by one each Guardian rose. Jerret stood on a building, fanning them back. The imp leader was big, even bigger than Escott’s six-foot-five frame, but he looked so insignificant standing there in front of all these giant imps lumbering back.

The regular sized imps were out and about, rushing here and there when a Guardian tried to grab someone.

Escott’d never seen anything like it—he might never see anything like it again. With all the imps roaming the streets, Escott took special interest when they gathered and headed toward the farm.

“They’re coming here,” Escott observed.

Instead of answering, Arma took him by the hand. “This marriage isn’t real, and I know what’s coming is rough. I should have let you stay there instead of taking you out. But I did what they wanted.”

Escott looked down at her. “What?”

“Your...your Eza asked me telepathically to take you out of the medic hall. So before anything else happens, know that I thank you. Know that I’m grateful for what you’ve done. And know...if you need us to leave when the sun comes up...we’re gone.”

He puzzled about her words but before he could inquire for more, Darla’s pale figure, riding on the back of an imp, rushed toward them.

Without thinking, Escott stepped before Arma to guard her.

“Essy.” Darla jumped before the imp had time to stop. “Essy, you have to come. You have to come now. Right now.”

Escott blinked at her. “Auntie, it’s so darn late. Can...can this wait?”

But Arma already rushed back into the house to wake up the two older boys to let them know they were leaving.

“Can someone stay with them?” she asked as she hurried back to them. “Even one person?”

Darla nodded. “I’ll stay. I’ll stay just please get him back there. Get him there now. Lander... couldn’t. And...and it’s about time now.”

Escott looked between them. “Whenever either of you two care to shed a light, I’d really appreciate it.”

And then Darla said it, the only one word she needed to say. “Gwen.... It’s Gwen. And you need to go.”

Something inside Escott shut off. He started to fall, but before he hit the ground, he turned on his hands and feet and raced toward the city.

No. This wasn’t happening. Escott felt the same as he always did as his claws hit the cobblestone. He should have taken it easy; he didn’t want to damage the street...or himself. He broke into a run though, one that was hard to maintain without a bike. He had to rip open the first manhole he could find and travel the tunnels that way. The medical building felt a lifetime away. He surfaced again, barely missing a racing car as he checked his location.

Partway through the running his mind shut off. He couldn’t think of anything. Not even as he surfaced one last time to the sight of the big building.

Some idiot stood outside, wringing his hands. It was Lander.

He jumped in front of Escott. “I tried, Essy. I really tried. I tried. I couldn’t, but I tried.”

Escott shoved him aside and nearly ripped the door off as he stormed in. A sea of familiar faces wet with tears greeted him. Everyone down to his newborn baby brother was there. His mother took up root on a chair; the Chief stood by the door.

Nobody said a word. Someone should have said something.

“What’d he do?” Escott asked, barely managing a whisper. He didn’t wait for a response before rushing into that room.

Gus-Gus stood from his chair and sighed with relief. “Essy.”

Escott told his feet to move, to walk, but he could only stand there.

Whoever lay in that bed didn’t move a muscle. The blood on the floor was the worst part. Why didn’t anyone try to stop it? Or...or clean it up? Several stained rags and buckets against the wall might have meant someone did but why didn’t they do more?

“Essy’s here,” Gus said, sitting again. “Look. Look, he’s here.”

That familiar chuckle, though weak, sounded hollow. “Did he bring my wig?”

Escott trembled as he tried to approach.

Gus stared at him, willing him to come closer, hating him for not finding the courage to even move. Escott could only stare at them.

Ignoring him, Gus held Gwen’s face. “I’m gonna let go just for a minute, just for a minute and get your family to come back.”

But Gus didn’t let go. He stood as if he wanted to leave, but he didn’t.

Her tight grip on his hand loosened.

“This wasn’t how I’d imagined the first time to go. I knew if I didn’t wait on you something bad would happen.... But he noticed me.” She sniffed. “I’m not invisible again, am I, Gus?”

“No, sweetheart. You’re not invisible,” Gus answered.

“Because I don’t hear Essy. So I figured....”

“No,” Gus assured her. “You’re not invisible.”

“Oh, good. I hope he comes.”

The Chief stepped in. Nobody else did. And they stood there. They all stood there a good twenty minutes before Gus stifled a sob.

When Gus held her face and started to pull it this way and that, the Chief took one step then two, tears in his eyes.

Gus blocked him. “I have to do this now before she turns to stone.”

She won’t turn to stone, you idiot. She’s not an E.

When the Chief stopped moving, Escott’s feet finally obeyed him. He walked. He moved. He stepped forward. Gwen did turn to stone, albeit slowly. The serene expression Gus fashioned for her looked fake. Gwen never looked like that. It should have been a grin. Her big fat grin that she always wore.

A chorus of sobs all around, but Escott couldn’t focus on any of them. It felt like a dream, a strange dream he couldn’t shake.

One cry stood out above the others. Escott turned to see who. He finally noticed how unkempt the idiot looked. He was covered in blood, too.

Escott marched to him, took him by the back of the hair and dragged him down the hall and out the door. He tossed Lander down.

“Essy. I’m sorry. Essy. I didn’t mean to hurt her. I swear.”

“Stand up,” Escott said, feeling cold. “You should stand up like a man and say that to my face. You want to apologize, then stand up.”

Lander stayed on the ground, crying.

“Stand up!”

Arma was slow to dismount the imp that let her ride on his back. Karen Blackwell arrived, too. Inside and out of the building, the crowd was insurmountable.

Escott calmed himself. “If you want to tell everyone...then stand up.”

Lander whispered through the tears as he struggled to his feet. “She agreed. And I didn’t bite her. This was my first time and I messed up and I couldn’t...I couldn’t again after...they even asked me to try and—and finish. But how—how could anyone ask that? And I couldn’t.”

“Because you didn’t love her. She was just something for the moment. I get it,” Escott said. “I get it. I bet you any money she followed behind you trying to save you like she’s always trying to save everybody. Never staying out of trouble, never minding her own business. I get it. So apologize to me, Lander, if you want. But stand up and do it.”

Trembling, Lander met his gaze finally. “I’m so—”

Escott whipped his claws against Lander’s throat. The cut was good and clean. Lander’s eyes held shock as the blood shot out of him.

He didn’t try to hold it or heal like it eventually would.

Escott waited for him to work up the nerve, the actual fucking nerve. The second Lander tried to approach, Escott punched him with all his might, knocking his head clear off. His body turned to stone and as it collapsed to the ground, Karen Blackwell let out a cry and collapsed with it.