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Again, Thammah found herself peering intently into the space between the doors, but she saw mostly darkness. Hot air whooshed through the opening. She lifted an arm to shield her eyes. She blinked away irritated tears as the doors finally thunked into place.

Ahead of them was something far different than what they had seen so far. There was a gangway surrounding the outer edge of a gigantic circular shaft. There were red lights at intervals of over twenty-feet stretching along the sides of the shaft. Air rushed out of it.

“Gehenna is down there?” Thammah asked.

Davies strode onto the gangway and leaned against the metal railing to look down. Instead of answering her, he asked, “What was that final theory about the Altaeth?”

“Ah, you want to know that now?” Thammah laughed.

“Yeah, I do,” Davies answered.

Davies continued to lean over the railing, staring intently at something below. Matzen went over and joined him, but Thammah hung back. She wasn’t sure why. There was a hum as heavy machinery moved things down below. A hum growing louder and louder.

“The last theory is that the Khul are the Altaeth,” she answered. “An evolved form of them. Or a devolved form. Something like that.”

“Is that–that movement on the lift?” Matzen pointed down into the shaft.

“There’s a lift?” Thammah forced herself over to the railing, too.

She hung her head over the side and saw that a lift that filled the entirety of the shaft was rising from the depth. And there were red lights all over the width and length of it. When she squinted, she saw that the lights were moving. Not just getting closer. But moving. Individually.

“Those aren’t lights,” Thammah said. “Those are eyes.”

Love And Betrayal

The landing pad for the Moturin Compound was filled with people. Even before Khoth set them down he could identify Typhon, Amana, Colonel Parker, General Intoshkin, Dr. Isa, Dr. Kerr, Matias, his father, his mother, and, of course, Chili. The tiny pig was not in Matias’ arms, but was instead romping around the feet of the meeting party. His father kept casting amused glances down at the pig while his mother studiously ignored it even as Chili sniffed her boot assiduously.

Over the whine of the engines, he heard Jace say to his father, “Dad, that’s not going to happen. Don’t worry. I want you to be happy for me.”

“Of course, I’m happy for you, son. Just the Osiris–”

“Is likely jealous and out of sorts. I should have realized it would be. And, I think, though the Osiris does not say it, that it misses Gehenna, too,” Jace’s voice was filled with amusement. There was a little strain there and Khoth wondered where that was from.

What is going on, Izail? What has disturbed your father? Khoth asked as he turned off the canceaux’s engines.

It’s nothing. I mean it’s not nothing, but it’s nothing we need to discuss now, Jace assured him.

“Look, Mom’s here!” Jace’s excitement was real this time without any strain.

“I admit I’m a little jealous you told her all this first! And she didn’t immediately tell me,” Jack laughed.

Khoth turned around in the pilot’s seat just in time to see Jace embrace his father fiercely. “If it makes you feel any better, Khoth’s parents have no idea.”

“Jace! You can’t keep them in the dark,” Jack said, sounding worried on his parent’s behalf.

“Mating is a personal matter. It is not something announced. So you need not concern yourself on my father’s behalf, Flight-Commander Parker,” Khoth said as he slid through the seats and came into the back section of the canceaux.

“I think you need to call me Jack tonight. And I know you’re not a hugger, Khoth, but can I give you one?” Jack asked.

Khoth made a brief head tilt. Jack’s firm arms came around him and hugged him tightly. It was strange to have someone other than his Izail touch him. He had hugged Thammah, but this was different than that, too. Jack was accepting him into their family.

Jack pulled back and clapped Khoth’s shoulders firmly. “I know you just mentioned your father, but Nova is out there, too. I know what she said about disowning you, but…” Jack rolled his lips and shook his head before refocusing back on Khoth. “I’m pretty sure she didn’t mean it.”

“But I did,” Khoth answered simply.

Jack studied him. Thinking of how Dr. Hayter had been able to see him and his mother so clearly, Khoth wondered what Jack saw when he looked at Khoth. But Jace’s father merely gave a nod. Whether he agreed with Khoth or whether he was allowing the matter to sit as it was, was unclear. Humans were surprisingly good with ambiguity.

“I think some people are a little anxious to have you back, son,” Jack said as he gestured towards the group that were now clustered outside where the canceaux would open.