On their way to Morgan’s tower, Arthur caught up to Issa, Morgan, Olivia, and Bronwyn and, breathless from the short jog, said, “I hope we can count on you to come to the council meeting tomorrow night! We’d love to hear about your experience and fill you in on what’s happening around here.”

“Of course they will,” Issa said before Morgan or anyone else could reply. “I’ll be there, too, Arthur. Don’t worry.”

Morgan smiled at Arthur and was about to echo Issa’s sentiment when Olivia said, “Yeah, we’ll be there, Arthur, but I’m late returning to the academy, so it might be the only meeting I attend for a while.”

“Yes, of course. Very well, you all look quite road-weary. Have a good rest.” He waved awkwardly and then turned back toward the town center. Bronwyn giggled, still holding onto Olivia’s hand, and Morgan saw Issa’s eyes linger on the two women. She cleared her throat, let go of Morgan, and moved next to Bronwyn.

“Did you know they named the hill at the center of town? It’s Bronwyn’s Hill now.”

“What? Really?” Bronwyn’s eyes opened wide in surprise, and Morgan figured the woman might have been prepared for any sort of news other than that.

“Yes! They named it for you because you’re the one that planted the stone and named the colony.”

“Well, wow. I didn’t think I had enough support around here for something like that.”

“Don’t be ridiculous, Bron,” Olivia said. “You were famous before we even came here.”

“Yeah, but, well, never mind. I’ll take it!” She smiled, and Morgan was struck, again, by how much she’d changed.

As they drew near the tower, Issa said, “I’d like to make dinner for you all, but for now, I have a lot of catching up to do with Morgan.”

“Yes! That sounds nice. I need a bath and a nap,” Olivia replied, and Bronwyn just smiled and nodded. They entered the tower, and Tiladia was quick to greet them all, hovering with little agitated flips and dips while they gathered near the stair.

“Tiladia, thank you for keeping the tower in order and for being helpful to Issa while I was gone. I’m assuming you were helpful?” He looked at Issa with an arched eyebrow.

“She was wonderful!” Issa said, and Tiladia spun around, making a loop in her dragon form.

“Thank you, Issa! Yes, Morgan, things have been hectic here, especially with the new children!” Tiladia’s voice was clear and musical, like silver chimes.

“Children?” Morgan looked around.

“I’ll explain everything,” Issa said, moving between him and Tiladia and pulling Morgan to the stairs. “Let’s go to our rooms, and I’ll fill you in.” She looked him up and down and added, “And you can fill me in. Do I need to know about any other appendages? Are you sure there’s not a tail hiding in those trousers?” Bronwyn snorted in laughter, and Olivia’s eyes widened.

“You know, he was always careful to make sure no one was around the, um, potty hole when he visited it. I hope he’s not hiding any surprises for you, Issa,” Bronwyn said, and Olvia almost choked, slapping a hand over her mouth to hide her expression. Issa took it in stride, laughing and pulling again at Morgan’s hand.

“You guys are always in such a good mood when I’m the butt of the joke, eh? Well, don’t worry—I know this all stems from jealousy. Your barbs won’t tarnish these feathers, though,” Morgan spread his wings and made a show of preening one of his long, black feathers between his fingertips.

“All right, enough teasing. Come,” Issa said, walking backward to the stairs, pulling at Morgan’s free hand again.

“See you later, ladies,” Morgan said, folding his wings and following Issa onto the stairs. Just three steps later, they were walking onto the landing and down the hallway to their chambers.

“I really do have a lot to tell, you, Morgan,” Issa said as she opened their door. “You have to promise to stay calm and not be angry about any of it.”

“What? How can I promise that without knowing what any of it is? Are we talking bad news?”

“No, I don’t think it’s bad news, but some of it might be startling or alarming. I’m not worried about you being angry at me but at someone else, so will you trust me and promise you won’t be angry?” She closed the door and steered Morgan over to their bed, pushing Morgan to sit on the edge so she could look into his face more easily. Morgan had learned to tilt his wings slightly to allow for easier sitting, though it had taken him some practice.

“You know you just take it for granted that I can sit like this. I had to work very hard to figure out how to accommodate furniture made for wingless people.”

“Morgan! Be serious for a few minutes, please?” Issa leaned forward and kissed him softly, but before he could pull her in for a more passionate embrace, she pulled back and stared at him for a minute. “I’m going to start with the easiest news, I think.”

“Alright, relax, Issa. Nothing you say is going to upset me. I’m too thankful to be back home with you.” He reached out and took her hand, dread in the back of his mind because he still hadn’t told her about his utter failure with regard to finding her father.

“Okay, first of all, many people came here through the portal Bronwyn and Olivia made. They all told us how you attacked the invaders and fought their entire garrison, allowing them to flee to the portal. You saved a lot of people, Morgan, and you should be proud of that. I spoke to the Ardeni survivors; I know my father’s probably gone for good. I’ve come to terms with it, and I don’t want you to feel guilty about it.”

“How did you know that’s what I was thinking about?”

“I know you, Morgan, and of course, the only thing on your mind right now is how you think you failed me. You did more than anyone could hope for. Those invaders killed my father, not you!” She didn’t choke up or cry, and Morgan knew she must have faced those emotions already. Her apparent acceptance gave him the courage to add what he knew.

“Issa, I think I was about a day too late for Roald. I saw what they were doing to the captives in their base, or hive, or whatever you call it, and none of them survived, but it was fast and, hopefully, without much suffering. I’m sorry, Issa.” She leaned forward and hugged him around his neck, and he held her like that for several long moments, and then she pulled back, wiping at her eyes.

“Now, the next subject: Ykleedra lied to you.”

“Huh? Ykleedra?” That caught Morgan off guard; the young Yovashi hadn’t been on his mind at all. Though he supposed it was a little strange that she hadn’t greeted him when they’d returned to the tower.

“Yes, Morgan. Her siblings’ eggs weren’t destroyed or dead, or whatever she told you. She snuck them into the tower under her robe when you first brought her. What’s more, they’ve hatched, and she now has four little sisters living with her in the atrium.”

“Four! Sisters?” he asked, hoping he’d heard right regarding their gender.

“That’s right!” Issa’s face stretched into a smile. “Isn’t it wonderful that she isn’t alone? I’ve met them, too, Morgan. She’s very protective, but she needed help feeding them. When I insisted on meeting them, she brought them up out of the burrow she dug, and I saw them. They’re actually kind of cute, Morgan, and they won’t have any bad influences—we can see to that!”

“Alright, alright. Now I see why you made me promise not to be angry. Don’t worry—I won’t hold it against Ykleedra. She’s a child herself. How could I expect her to trust me right away when she’d seen what I did to the adult Yovashii in her family? I’m glad she came to you for help, Issa, and I’m sure you’re doing the right thing.”

Issa smiled and hugged him again, this time more briefly, and then she pulled back and said, “Now, the biggest news. Are you ready?”

“Yes.” She stared at him as though he hadn’t convinced her, and he repeated, “Yes!”

“Alright. I’ve spoken to a lot of humans while you were gone, and I’ve learned some things about your customs. First of all, I want you to know that I’m very happy about this news, and if you aren’t happy about it, that’s okay. We’ll figure things out, but I want you to be happy, Morgan. Please tell me you’re going to be happy.”

“What is . . .” Morgan wasn’t a stupid man, and he connected the dots before he could finish the question. A huge smile spread on his face, and he leaned forward, pulling Issa into a hug. He stood, still holding her tight, lifting her off her feet. “Of course, I’m happy, Issa. Oh my god! I didn’t dare to hope it was possible!”

“I haven’t even told you what it is,” she said softly, nuzzling into his neck.

“You gave me enough clues.” He set her back down to her feet, turned her in his arms, still hugging her back against him, and gently caressed her stomach.

Issa sighed, resting her head back into him, then she grinned, squinted her eyes in amusement, and said, “Morgan, they’re twins.”

#

“Brother, I wish you’d let me introduce you to Miss Issa.” Ykleedra nervously glanced at the dark figure of her newest sibling. He crouched in the furthest corner of her burrow, clinging to the shadows and glaring out at her through dark, fathomless pools of his eyes.

“No, sister. You’ve done well, but you must have faith in my judgment; I was entrusted with the memories of our people for a reason.” His voice was harsh and sharp, and though he spoke softly, it grated on Ykleedra’s mind, stirring some deeply buried memory and causing her to wince. When he’d come out of his egg and started speaking to her, she’d thought she was going mad, but then he’d begun to explain things to her.

Yovashi males were born with memories. Not their own memories but those of their people. He’d been careful to explain that every male Yovashi did not have all the memories of their people, but they were born with a selection of them—enough to carry on their fight against their true enemy: the System.

The prospect terrified Ykleedra, and his insistence on keeping him a secret deeply troubled her. He’d encouraged her to ask Issa for help with acquiring food but sworn her to secrecy about himself. Ykleedra felt like she’d come clean and been forgiven for one lie, only to dig herself deeper with a much bigger one. “How long will you hide here? Aren’t you worried about going mad as our father did?”

“I’ll hide until I’m strong and until the opportunity arises when I can slip free of this tower without incurring the wrath of all these Energy users you consort with. As for madness, it is subjective, and you can believe our father wasn’t as mad as people claim. I know I never met the man, but I have plenty of information up here,” he caressed his head with one of his long tentacles, “that explains the so-called madness and all the other lies the System has propagated about our kind. I don’t want to harm these people you call friends, but their suffering or lack thereof is irrelevant in the context of the great war.”

“What if they could help you? Morgan is very powerful, brother!”

“Power and the perception of it is another subjective matter. You have a very limited frame of reference and know so little of what our people have worked toward. I must find my contemporaries, few though they may be, and continue the great work.”

“But you won’t hurt anyone here, right?”

“Not unless it cannot be helped. You must begin working on your plan as well, sister. It’s imperative that you and our siblings, as soon as they’re able, remove yourselves from this lair of foreign Energy users. You must make your way to an isolated location, set up a proper brooding burrow, and await the sires I send your way.”

“Yes, you’ve said as much, brother. How long, do you think, until you’re ready to make your . . . exit?”

“Sister, do not seek to hasten that which is beyond your control. The answer is, and shall remain to be: when I’m strong enough. Now, I could use some more meat. Did that woman give you anything with some bones in it?”