Vin woke to Kaveh pawing at his arm and felt momentary alarm until he recognized the agitation of the nima on the far wall as what was driving that feeling. Vin pushed Kaveh away with a hand in the lion’s huge face. He flailed at the bedside terminal with his other hand. The display woke up and flashed an entirely unreasonable time.

But the nima glass was swirling, and he was caught. The spirits knew he was here, and so would the person on the other end.

Vin groaned and sat up, letting the sheets pool in his lap. He was wearing pajama bottoms and nothing else, but he didn’t feel like dressing. Protocol could bite it. If people were going to call him in the middle of the night, they got what they got. With that thought, he opened himself to the mirror and sent feelings of acceptance. “What is it you need?” he asked the face coming into focus.

“Is this how you greet the lord of your clan?” Trying, and failing, to be stern. “Is this how you greet your mother?” Audrah, Lord Suri, appeared in the mirror, and even from a distance of tens of light-years away, Vin could practically feel the amusement oozing through the connection.

“When my mother calls at three in the morning, yes.”

“You’ve been difficult to reach at more reasonable hours,” Audrah said in a dry tone. “I suppose I should be grateful you haven’t simply stuffed this mirror into a closet somewhere.”

“The likelihood of that happening has just gone up.” More awake now, Vin was able to focus on his mother. He couldn’t remember the last time they’d talked. Had it been as long ago as the beginning of this interval? When he’d heard about the attack on Pax and wanted to make certain his family was all right?

She didn’t look any different. Suri Audrah was a woman aging not into gray, but into steel. Her close-cropped hair had fully silvered, but her face still held the vigor of youth. “You look well.”

“As do you,” she responded. “Even if it’s been years since I’ve seen you through anything but a mirror.”

Vin didn’t respond. Down that path lay a conversation he wasn’t interested in having. “What is it you needed to talk about so urgently that you couldn’t wait for a reasonable hour?”

Audrah sighed. “I need to ask one last time if anything has changed. If you think there’s any chance—any chance at all—you might come home.”

“No,” he said flatly. “How many times do I have to say it?”

“That was the last. Oh, my Naveen.” She lifted a hand, pressed it against the mirror. “I wish you would tell me…”

Vin shook his head. “If that’s all you need—”

“Wait,” she said soothingly, a counter to the edge that had crept into his own voice. “I’m sorry. But I had to ask. I had to give you this chance.” She sighed again. “Your brother has gone to his proving.”

Vin had lost track. It had been a while since he’d talked to Devitri, too. “He’ll do well. No one’s better in the field than Dev.”

“You were,” Audrah said softly. “But. I’m telling you this because your father and I have come to a decision. When Devitri returns, once he’s passed the proving, he can officially be named heir.”

What she meant was, from there, there was no turning back. Which was fine with Vin. “It’s what I’ve been asking you to do all along.”

“I know. Tariq and I, we just didn’t want to take that away from you unless you were sure.”

“I’m sure.” This time he managed more compassion. His parents had never understood his decision. Despite the fact they were two of the more powerful empaths in the Empire, they’d never understood him.

“You should come to this Shadow Court. Celebrate your brother’s engagement.”

“I can’t. I’m sorry.”

She nodded, as though that were the answer she’d expected. “Then at least I hope…” She cleared her throat. “Your father and I are coming to Terris. There are some matters we need to discuss with the Emperor before the coming court. I hope you’ll see us.”

The last time they’d been on Terris had been almost five years ago, at a Shadow Court hosted by the Swan. At that time, Vin’s wounds had been too fresh. He’d refused to go anywhere near his family.

But time had passed, and while Vin wasn’t Naveen anymore, neither was he still that scared, angry young man. “I would love to see you.”

“Tariq will be so glad to hear that. As am I.” A smile spread across her face, a bloom that quickly faded. “We worry about you. There, alone. Things have not been…”

He wasn’t used to seeing his mother hesitate. That, alone, was enough to get him to ask, “What is it?” Despite how dangerously close this was to the conversation he wanted to avoid.

“Politics.” She sighed. She sounded tired. That was another thing Vin wasn’t used to. “Lord Mathisen has been…” she shook her head. “No, I can’t imagine they would trouble you there. But still, do be watchful, my son.”

These were the politics Vin wanted nothing to do with. But his mother’s worry was clear. “I’m in the Golden Palace. I couldn’t be safer anywhere in the Empire.”

“Let us hope. At any rate, we look forward to seeing you.” The tiredness fell away in a sudden flash. “Oh! And your father and I are not the only ones—Hamilton is on his way to Terris as we speak.”

Vin’s entire body went cold. Then hot. “Hamilton?”

“Yes. It seems he was summoned by Lord Miyōshi. We offered that he could come with us, but we weren’t leaving for another couple days and he seemed…unsure…of Lord Miyōshi’s patience.” Her lips drew a line as she fell silent. Even in the middle of the night, in a private conversation with her son, Audrah wouldn’t speak ill of another clan lord. At least, not out loud. “Assuming darkspace is cooperating, he should arrive early tomorrow, your time.”

“Thank you,” Vin managed to force out. “For letting me know.”

“Will you see him?”

Vin honestly didn’t know the answer to that question.

As his silence dragged on, Audrah said, with compassion in her voice, “All your father and I have ever wanted for you is for you to be happy.”

“I know,” he managed.

“I’ve just never known how to…”

“I know.” Vin closed his eyes and willed the nima dark. Then fell back on the bed, his eyes closed, his arm across his face. “What do I do, Kaveh?”

But the lion had gone back to sleep during the call, and his tail barely gave a twitch at the sound of his name.