"She wants to see you."

Lana stepped into the living room with a frown, turning on the light to find Meir with head between his hands.

"She wants to see you," he murmured.

Lana smiled softly. "That's—"

"You need to tell her that can't happen," he glanced over at her in despair. "It can't come from me. it has to come from you. She won't listen."

Lana sat down next to her. "She's just a baby."

Meir shook his head. "I can't...she needs more than me. I take care of her. Put the same beads in her hair that you would. But she needs more than me. And she won't stop crying."

Lana squeezed his hand, his breath giving out as he frowned.

"Is there no...way?"

Meir stood. "No one has seen my face in 20,000 years because I was arrogant. And I thought...I don't know what I thought. I want you to understand...they took my face. No one has seen my face for longer than this continent has been here, Lana."

He scoffed. "I hadn't seen the sun in 20,000 years. Do you know what I did to deserve that?"

He turned around. "I did something. For love. One rule. One rule I broke. Just one, Lana, and they stole from me, the sun—what do you think they will take from you?"

He looked at her over his shoulder. "From her? Her existence is already a rule I was not supposed to break. If you see her..."

He wiped his face, clearing his throat. "It will be the last thing we do. My power has its limits, Lana. This is one of them."

"Why can't you?"

He frowned. "Lana—"

"No, Meir I mean literally. What about Lily prevents you from letting me see her? What is the rule?"

Meir swallowed. "She's yours. She's dead. Once someone has died, if a reaper revives them, they cannot contact their old life anymore. That's the rule."

"Okay...so because we're related, I can't see her( right?"

He nodded.

"What if we weren't?" She whispered. "You're the king of loopholes. You saved her once. By turning her like you?"

He nodded. "I went in...made half of her mine so she can live on my side."

"Change her all the way. Can you change her all the way? So we be together. All of us?"

Meir frowned. "If I change her into a reaper, you won't be able to see her until she's powerful enough. And you cannot go into my realm, you're human. She won't be powerful enough for a hundred years at least unless..."

Lana smiled, taking his hand. "I understand, Meir. You've done the best you can. Don't put yourself in danger—"

He stood. "Don't say that. I can hear your heart breaking, Lana don't you lie to me. You'll be miserable to your last breath won't you? The both of you. I thought I could make it work."

"I'm happy knowing she's alive and being loved, Meir. You love her. Look at you. You're just about in tears. That's enough for me, do you hear me? That's what...being a mother is."

She stood, holding herself. "Maybe you should make her forget me."

"No," he shook his head.

"It might be best, Meir. Let her forget me. Both of us; even. Let her live normally?"

Meir grabbed her shoulders. "She is mine. She is yours. I will not leave her to some random humans to be preyed on by every other creature that roams this forsaken plane. I will figure out a way. I always do."