Jancel parked his motorized vehicle, which he insisted on driving himself, climbed out, and headed into the woods next to his residence.

The bunker was only a half-hour’s trek away. For him, at any rate.

It usually took Mother a good hour, but she claimed she didn’t mind it at all—she needed the exercise. Seeing how she spent all day on her feet, Jancel doubted she needed more exercise than she already got. But she was in good health, Aheya be praised, both physically and mentally. Jancel suspected it was her incessant activity that helped her maintain it.

When he entered the bunker, Mother greeted him with a happy smile. “He woke up.”

“What? Are you sure?”

The news was too unexpected, too good to be true.

“He’s awake, Jancel. Really awake this time. He’s been conscious for over two hours.” She grabbed Jancel’s hand and led him into the second room that had been converted into a field hospital. “I can’t wait to tell Reverend Goyyem about this. She’ll be very pleased.”

Mother’s best friend had tended Areg ever since Jancel brought him here. She’d gone to great lengths, almost performing miracles to keep him alive.

You bet, she’ll be pleased.

Breathing in the smell of medicine, disinfectant and Mother’s salves, Jancel hurried to the back of the room. Areg lay on his bed in the same position as last time. As almost every time Jancel had seen him over the last three weeks.

Except his eyes were open. Sort of.

“Areg,” Jancel said. “Can you hear me?”

His former major lifted his lids with visible effort.

As his vision focused, recognition flashed in his eyes. “Jancel?”

“Yes.”

“Where’s Nyssa?” Areg’s voice was hoarse, barely audible.

“She’s safe.”

Jancel filled a glass with water from the pitcher and brought it to Areg’s mouth. Areg tried to lift his head from the pillow but he was too weak. Slipping his hand behind Areg’s neck, Jancel helped him.

“Etana?” Areg asked.

Jancel weighed his words. “The carbonized female body found next to yours—”

“Wasn’t her. Have you heard anything else?”

Jancel moved the glass closer. “No, but I’d say no news is good news in this case.”

Areg slowly emptied his glass. “Can I see my sister?”

“No.”

Areg startled. “Do you still have her? Or have you passed her on to your friends?”

The question stung—until Jancel remembered to put himself in Areg’s shoes. It was understandable he’d ask that.

He placed the empty glass on the table. “She’s in my house.”

“You expect me to take your word for it?”

“No,” Jancel said. “I believe I’ve lost the right to ask it of you. You’ll have proof.”

Areg gave him a doubtful glance. “What are you planning to do with me?”

“We can plan that together,” Jancel said. “Officially, you’re dead.”

He went on to give Areg the full lowdown.

Jancel was about to ask if Areg knew whose scorched body had been taken for his, when Mother stood up suddenly.

She held her hand out. “Give me your commlet, Jancel. I can’t wait any longer—I must call Reverend Goyyem to share the good news.”

Jancel’s eyebrows rose. “Does she own a commlet?”

“No, but Prioress Aynu Eckme does, and she’s in Iltaqa to officiate at the harvest festivities. I’ll ask her to pass it to Hedensia.”

“Does Aynu know I’m here? That I’m alive?” Areg asked.

Jancel shook his head. “We kept the number of people in on this down to a strict minimum.”

He gave Mother the device, and she almost ran out of the bunker to make the call.

“How did you manage to get me out of there?” Areg asked.

“You passed out, so I had to carry you on my back.” Jancel tried to smile. “I must confess I also dragged you part of the way. It was a long way from Fort Crog to this bunker.”

“What about the shooters?”

“I killed them.” Jancel looked down. “Shot two cops from behind like the backstabbing snake I am.”

“You saved my life.” The statement was more of a question, incredulity palpable in Areg’s voice.

Damn. The Sebis really believed he was a jerk.

Areg frowned. “How did you know to be there in the first place?”

“A friend in the force tipped me off. Iyatt.”

“Samurai Martenn?”

Jancel nodded. “He’ll be here shortly.”

“I had no idea you were friends.”

“Very few people do,” Jancel said. “And we hope to keep it that way, for everybody’s sake.”

Mother came back in and handed Jancel his commlet. “Reverend Goyyem said I’d made her day.”

She smiled.

His chest clenching, Jancel realized he hadn’t seen Mother smile in years. Possibly, not since Hawina’s death.

There was the special knock on the door. Jancel opened it to let Iyatt in.

His friend’s eyes lit up when he saw Areg fully conscious and greeting him with a weak smile. Over the last three weeks, Jancel’s ex-major had vacillated between life and death, regaining partial consciousness for brief spells. But this time was different. This time gave them real hope he’d pull through.

“I’m so sorry for your loss,” Iyatt said to Areg, after greeting him and sitting down at his side. “Etana was brave and pure of heart. May she find peace in the Eternal Garden.”

Areg shook his head. “Etana is alive.”

Iyatt stared at him, blinking. “How? Her remains were found next to whoever they mistook for you.”

“I was going to explain that part to Jancel, before we got sidetracked,” Areg said. “She didn’t die at Fort Crog. She was whisked away by a LOR enforcer named Yaggar.”

Iyatt pulled his chair closer. “As in Colonel Yaggar? The head of the Enforcer Corps? He was on Hente?”

“Yes, on a covert intervention with another cyborg to exfiltrate both of us.” Areg’s eyes clouded. “But it didn’t quite work out as planned. Yaggar’s lieutenant was killed. It must be her body, not Etana’s, that Ultek’s men found.”

Color drained from Iyatt’s face. “What did you just say?”

“I said—”

“Who was the other cyborg?” Iyatt’s face contorted as he struggled to utter the next bit. “Was it Unie Thraton?”

Slowly, Areg nodded.

Divine Aheya. Iyatt’s Unie, the love of his life, had fallen in line of duty. That explained her long silence and not returning his calls.

“I got through to Colonel Yaggar last night.” Iyatt’s voice shook. “He said Unie had resigned from the Enforcer Corps, and he didn’t know where she’d gone.”

Areg gave him a look filled with sympathy. “She was killed in a covert op, so Yaggar couldn’t tell you the truth.” He glanced at Jancel, then at Iyatt again. “Did you know her well?”

Iyatt didn’t respond. Jancel doubted if he’d even heard the question. His friend sat in his chair with his eyes closed, his face ashen, and his body stiff.

Jancel gave him a brief, firm hug. That was what Iyatt had done when Hawina passed. It had helped—just a tiny bit—but even that tiny bit had been precious.

A single, smothered sob escaped Iyatt’s lips before he drew back. “I need air.”

He stood, nodded to Mother, to Areg, and to Jancel.

“Iyatt, are you sure—” Jancel began.

“I’ll be fine. I just need some time alone,” Iyatt said before turning to Areg again. “Excuse me.”

And then he rushed out the door.

Mother wiped her eyes. “Poor boy.”

The three of them remained silent for a long moment, each engrossed in their own thoughts.

Jancel expected Areg to ask who Unie was to Iyatt.

But he didn’t. He must’ve guessed. At length, Jancel forced himself out of his dark, worried thoughts about Iyatt.

He turned to Areg. “How are you feeling?”

“Been better.” Areg skewed a feeble smile. “My legs hurt.”

Goddess help me.

Jancel opened his mouth to ease Areg into his own bad news, but words evaded him.

“You no longer have legs, my boy,” Mother said softly. “The blast had ruptured your arteries, and that stopped the blood flow to your legs. Infection set in… Reverend Goyyem had no choice but to amputate both.”

She pulled the blanket aside and nudged his head up a little so he could see.

Areg took in the stumps and the empty space where the rest of his legs should’ve been. His face tightened. Then, his features relaxed and his head fell loosely.

He’d slipped out of consciousness again.