FEBRUARY 23, 2006

Lilly had given birth to Nova three days ago.

Theo Majestic stood in a home he didn't own, holding baby Nova Majestic.

Moonlight glowed against the closed blinds.

Seated on the blue sofa was a man. Beside him was a woman. Theo had decided this married couple would raise his second child.

Cloaked in illumination, the baby was wrapped in a blue blanket.

Nova watched her father with blue eyes. Regardless, Theo wouldn't raise her. That would be the seated couple's job.

Thanks to Land Preachman, paranoia had slipped into Lilly, and it made her view Nova as someone who would be safer away from her biological family.

Perhaps the woman was right.

Nova's Watcher, selected by Theo himself, would help tend to the child's needs.

Goodness filled Ken Herman.

His older sister, Theo's wife, was a good woman.

"Please," Theo said. Liquid fled his eyes. "Please, be good to Nova. You have to give her a new name. But you have to promise me that you will be good to her."

"I promise," the seated man said. "We will love her forever, my High."

"I promise," the seated woman said. "We'll be good to her."

Theo put his trust in the couple.

"We won't disappoint you," the man on the sofa said.

"Pick a name for her," Theo said.

"Reese."