Nod was locked in a fixed orbit around a supermassive black hole. The radiation it exuded burned half the planet and left the other side frozen. The loci’s ship had to enter Nod’s atmosphere from the dark side to avoid being burned. Hormiz had strapped himself against the wall since the artificial gravity stopped spinning.

  The only habitable area on Nod was underground at the equator between hot and cold, beneath fiery skies. So the loci’s ship flew into a tunnel and had to run on emergency power for a while before it entered Lilith’s City. This was the center of all life on the planet, beneath an expansive underground dome that went on for days. The burning line of fire was far above them, casting a warm glow over everything.

  Finally, the loci’s ship landed on Lilith’s yard, where she was waiting to escort Samaal to his new bright box. Without starlight, the loci’s ship would enter hibernation soon; and without the lights to contain Samaal’s power, he could destroy everything. So Lilith would personally handle the transfer using the Bone Gauntlet.

  Hormiz unstrapped himself from the wall and waited until the ship rotated his room to the exit. But he waited a long time. Lilith wanted to transport Samaal first. When he finally leaped out of the damnable ship and breathed in fresh Nod air again, Lilith had already escorted Samaal to his new cell and was waiting in the Grand Dais to receive Hormiz.

  First, Hormiz washed himself in his bathroom. His time in the ship had not been easy or enjoyable. Loci made very little waste and had simple systems for recycling it. Water was tightly rationed on the ship, so Hormiz hadn’t bathed since he left Nod. That felt like a long time ago. But it was the anxiety of being alone in space with only a bunch of bugs, plants, and his prisoner that Hormiz wanted to wash away. He chose his natural form and dressed appropriately. Then he presented himself to Lilith. Cainkin attendants opened the doors as Hormiz walked up the stairs to the Grand Dais. There was no ceiling, only a long table, and thousands of cainkin flying overhead; thousands more roosted like famished gargoyles along the rooftops.

  She stood beneath stone arches, composing the cainkin flying overhead. With a twist of her wrist, dozens of dark-winged demons danced on the breeze. Lilith’s wings were wrapped around her body like a black, shimmering dress. Her bare grey arms were directing the cainkin. A sparkling crown rested on two elegant horns. She looked magnificent. Composing the cainkin was an art on Nod, or a pastime, that only Lilith and Hormiz played. Most cainkin were nearly thoughtless and highly suggestible.

  With a flourish of her arms, Lilith dispersed the cainkin and turned to receive Hormiz.

  He knelt. “Queen Mother, I brought you the traitor Samaal. Many loci lives were lost. Fewer than twenty survive. We remain ready to strike again at your command,” he said passionately.

  Lilith’s voice was velvety and threatening. “You were supposed to retrieve the Ivory Blade; instead you bring a broken traitor. But you did well to break him. With your intelligence, I found the Ikon. His name is Ezekiel, and he will come to us.”

  Hormiz’s heart started pounding in fear and excitement. Ezekiel. His parents’ favorite. He hated him already. He was coming here? Might they be friends?

  “You did well, Hormiz,” Lilith declared proudly. Her wings unfurled magnificently, revealing silk panties and full, naked breasts. She stepped forward to give Hormiz his reward, slipping her nipple between his lips, and said, “Drink and be full.”

  Her wings enveloped Hormiz like warm blankets, and he fed.

  Hormiz felt safe. He felt rejuvenated. He felt loved. Lilith’s fingers caressed his face and she asked, “Does anything trouble you, my child?”

  Hormiz finished his meal, put his chin on her chest, his arms around her waist, and said, “As you predicted, the traitor pled ignorant of my existence. He pretends to care about me and tries to trick me into letting him escape. I don’t believe him, of course. But he is my father, and I might like to visit him again one day. Could you see it in your heart to show him mercy?”

  Lilith moved her other breast into Hormiz’s lips. He drank deeply.

  She sighed and said, “You were ordered not to reveal yourself to Samaal. I understand accidents happen but this softness worries me. You’re such a sensitive boy. You still need me to make the hard choices. Samaal is too dangerous to be left alive. But he will be given the chance to repent. He is our bait, after all. And let his fate be a lesson to you, my love. I feed you and I raised you to where you are. Your loyalty belongs to me. Everything around you and within you belongs to me, your Queen Mother. Don’t ever disappoint me.”

  Lilith sighed. “That’s enough,” she stepped back and wrapped her wings around her, looking paler than usual. “You must be tired after such a challenging endeavor. Rest in your own bed. Welcome home, Hormiz. In two bell chimes, we will meet again.”

  Hormiz rose and exited the Grand Dais the way he’d come.

  For some reason, Hormiz felt unsettled as he walked to his sleeping quarters. It wasn’t his place to question the Queen Mother. He was loyal. He followed orders. He went to bed and counted the troops to fall asleep.

  -8-

  Meanwhile, Zeke dreamt a meeting with Lilith.

  “I have considered your offer, and I accept.”

  Lilith smiled and clasped her hands together. “Wonderful! I’ll be so happy to welcome you home.”

  “I have conditions,” said Zeke.

  “Of course. Let’s hear them,” Lilith looked tolerantly annoyed.

  “You let Papa go.”

  “Denied. Samaal is my son and my prisoner. He stole you from me and must answer for it. Next condition.”

  Zeke shouted, “He has answered for it! He is my father. I love him. Let him go!”

  Lilith sighed. “I give you my word he will not be harmed further. And you can visit him when you get here. Next condition.”

  Stolen from Royal Road, this story should be reported if encountered on Amazon.

  Zeke’s heart was pounding. He feared he was about to overplay his hand. “Free the Ikon trapped in the Bone Gauntlet.”

  Lilith laughed in surprise, then she recoiled, realizing Zeke was serious. A tense and silent pause lingered between them. “I will consider your request,” she finally answered with a flick of her wrist. Then she and the dream vanished.

  But Zeke fell into another dream. He dreamed of a dark tunnel, like the ones back home. It had the same unsettling nature as Lilith’s hallway door. It was calling out to him, inviting him. Something about it felt hopeful and familiar.

  So Zeke stepped into the tunnel, turned a bend, and walked onto a grand stage surrounded by an army of cainkin. A fiery line streaked across the sky. And a dark-furred kitsune sat center stage next to a grand harp.

  Confused, Zeke asked, “You’re a kitsune, like Mama, right? I thought she was the last. Does she know you’re alive?”

  The dark kitsune twitched a little and then began to play the harp. He was quite skilled and made beautiful, haunting music. Zeke was enchanted. He sat on the floor and listened to the kitsune’s sorrowful song.

  “So they never told you about me,” the dark kitsune asked. “About the son they had before you?”

  Zeke was dumbstruck.

  “We are not brothers. I am their son. You are their… instrument. Understand?”

  Zeke shook his head in shock. “Wow, that was rude! Fine. We’re not brothers. Maybe we could be friends?”

  The dark kitsune’s tail twitched and he started a different song. He said, “You would not like me if you knew me.”

  “I disagree. Let’s find out who’s right. I dare you. I’m Ezekiel, but you can call me Zeke. What’s your name?”

  The song changed again to something softer. “I’m Hormiz. You can call me Hormiz.”

  “Glad to finally meet you, Hormiz. I wish it could have been sooner.” Zeke looked around at the army of snarling, winged cainkin. “And perhaps under different settings.”

  Hormiz seemed only now to notice the cainkin. “Hm? Oh, them. This is where I relax and count the troops. You can choose the setting if you like.”

  Zeke thought a bit and then imagined the cave he grew up in. A beam of light was shining on a cherry tree. The lightning bugs and glowing mushrooms were in full effect. They sat by a fire on the porch.

  Hormiz still had his harp. He played a new tune and said, “This is beautiful. I’m sorry I destroyed it.”

  Zeke stood up. “That was you?! You’re the one who took Papa!”

  Hormiz said, “I told you, you wouldn’t like me.”

  Zeke said nothing. He looked out over the comforting vista. Finally, he asked, “Does Mama know?”

  “Stop calling her that, you boy! She is not your mama!” Hormiz stopped playing. “And yes, she knows! She gave me up! She’s just feigning ignorance.”

  Zeke was stunned. “Okay, what is your damage? That is an unhinged response.”

  Hormiz took a breath and continued playing. “Rowan and Samaal both claim Lilith stole me as a baby. This whole time, they believed me dead.”

  “Well, there’s your answer. There’s no way our parents would give you up willingly. But Lilith set her own son on fire. And she sent you to brutalize him. She would definitely steal a baby.”

  Hormiz played a thoughtful melody.

  Zeke was pondering out loud, “I wish we could have grown up here together… like brothers.”

  Hormiz fumbled a note. “We should wake up,” he said, and Zeke woke up.

  -8-

  Rowan was kneading dough for a pie crust when Zeke stormed into the kitchen.

  “You failed to mention you had a son before me!” he said in a tone somewhat accusatory.

  Rowan continued kneading the pie dough. “Hormiz contacted you.”

  “Yes!”

  “As you said, we have a lot to discuss. Hormiz was born ten years before you, but he looks almost your age. Time seems to pass more slowly on Nod. I did not know Hormiz was alive until recently. I didn’t tell you about Hormiz before. I had my reasons. But now you know. And with your help, I intend to rescue him and Sam at the same time.”

  Zeke sat at the table and Hinata gave him a plate with meaty-eggs and toast, with a kiss on the head. Hinata was the nicest person in the house, always taking care of people.

  Zeke spoke between bites. “There’s still the issue of getting to Nod in the first place. I can doorway to places I’ve been to or I can see, but I’ve never been to Nod. I don’t know what it looks like.”

  Rowan nodded. “I’ve been thinking about that and I may have a solution. Mirrors. Years ago, Adam used mirrors to travel distances using the Ivory Blade. Each mirror is engraved and designated an opposite. Legends tell of a mirror in Adam’s castle with a designated opposite on Nod. It’s the portal God used to banish Cain after he murdered Abel.”

  “So how do we get to Adam’s castle? And, assuming we get there, how do we find this legendary mirror to Nod?”

  “Getting there is the easy part. Adam built a church here on Safo. Somewhere inside it, we’re sure to find a mirror portal to Adam’s castle. We just have to sneak in.”

  “Assuming we sneak in, I’ve never worked a mirror portal before.”

  Rowan nodded and laid out the pie dough in a pan. She wiped her hands against her apron and said, “You’re right.” Then she hurried off to the bathroom. There was only one mirror on the farmhouse, so Rowan felt bad she would have to break it. It was medium-sized and portable. She brought it into the kitchen and put it on the table. Zeke picked it up to inspect it. There had been no mirrors in the home Zeke grew up in.

  Rowan said, “Designated mirrors are nearly the exact same size, and they are engraved the exact same way. Deviate too much, and the mirrors will be rendered inert. Sadly, we only have one mirror, so I need to break this into two nearly identical sizes. So as soon as I’m done with this pie, I will take the mirror down to the river. It will break more cleanly underwater.”

  “There’s already engravings on this mirror,” Zeke said, inspecting the back of it.

  “What? Let me see that. There’s no way…” Sure enough, in tiny etches behind a thin strip of leather were words of power and destination.

  “Who would…” Suddenly it all made sense. Gwen sleepwalked. Lilith must have used Gwen to spy on them, to kidnap Hormiz and conceal his abduction. Gwen was a traumatized little girl when it happened. Lilith would easily have manipulated her. Rowan started to shake with rage. She set the mirror down carefully.

  “We won’t be needing Adam’s mirrors,” she said softly trembling. “This mirror will take us to Nod.”

  Hinata gasped and cried as they realized what this meant.

  Zeke watched, confused, “What am I missing?”

  Hinata said, “Excuse me,” and left to inform Morgan, who was harvesting greens in the garden.

  Rowan answered with simmering rage. “This is the mirror Lilith used to steal Hormiz when he was a baby. Gwen must have carved these incantations, or rather Lilith did, using Gwen.”

  Zeke blinked several times. “You’re saying there’s already a mirror on Nod, connected to this mirror.” He reached out to touch the mirror. “So how do I activate it?”

  “I’m not sure,” said Rowan. “When I saw Adam and Sam use the Ivory Blade, it seemed to work on thought and intention, so try that. Think of your destination and will yourself to reach out into that place.”

  “So meditate is what you’re telling me. The answer is always to meditate. Fine.” Zeke found a comfortable sitting position and put his hand on the mirror. A moment passed, and then suddenly, Zeke’s hand reached through the mirror. He fell over and was sucked into the mirror.

  Rowan shouted softly, “Zeke! Zeke, are you okay?”

  His voice came from the window on the floor. “Yeah, just a little bruised.”

  “Okay, step aside. I’m coming in after you.” Rowan called the three pixie spies to her, changed form into a small cainkin, dove into the mirror, and flew out the other side into a spacious bathroom with a flowing underground river. Rowan had to bank and circle to avoid smashing into the stone walls. The pixies all recovered easily.

  She landed and drool fell down her cainkin fangs.

  “Ew, Mom, that’s gross.” Zeke said. “Do mirrors always pull you in and throw you out like that?”

  “No. I think it had something to do with the time and gravity differences of our two points. Time pulled us in to quickly compensate.”

  “Huh,” said Zeke. “That’s interesting, but let’s assess. We’re in a bathroom. Lilith probably wanted to keep this mirror closeby, so we can assume this is Lilith’s bathroom. Which means Lilith is probably outside that door or not far from it. Do we have a plan?”

  Cainkin-Rowan shrugged. “I’ll hide in plain sight. You’ll have to play along with Lilith until I find Sam. Then do you think you can doorway us all out of here?”

  It was Zeke’s turn to shrug. “I don’t know. I’ve never doorwaed other people before.”

  “Well, no pressure, but you’re our only way out of here. And maybe that mirror, but you’re the only one who can activate it,” Rowan squeezed his shoulder encouragingly. “Go. You’ll know what to do. I’ll be right behind you.”