They’re going to turn my son into a headline. A cause. A pawn.
Not while I’m still breathing.
I push away from the counter and storm down the hall. Vex is sitting cross-legged on the floor, lining up his hover-dino toys.
He looks up when I walk in. “You okay?”
I kneel in front of him. “Baby,” I say, trying to keep the tremble out of my voice. “We’re gonna take a little trip.”
He blinks. “Like to the park?”
I wish. “No. Like a long trip. You and me. Just us.”
He frowns. “What about Takhiss?”
“I need him to stay here for now. Just to handle some things.”
His bottom lip sticks out. “But he’s part of the pack.”
I kiss his forehead. “And we’ll howl for him every night. But right now, we need to be smart, okay?”
Vex looks at me for a long time. Then nods. “Okay, Mom.”
I move fast. Grab my go-bag. Clothes. ID spoofs. Fuel credits.
I’m zipping Vex into his little jacket when the garage door creaks open.
Dad stands there, his face pale under the thick mustache.
“Ella. I saw it. It’s all over.”
“I know.”
“You can’t run.”
“I’m not running. I’m relocating.”
He steps inside. “Don’t do this, kid. We fight it. We get a lawyer.”
“He’s your grandson, Dad! They don't care about us. They care about optics. They’ll take him.”
Dad exhales sharp through his nose. “What about Takhiss?”
“I can’t wait for him. If I’m here when the tribunal guards show up, it’s over. Takhiss can handle himself. Vex can’t.”
The room goes silent.
I kneel again. “Pack your toys. Just the little ones.”
Dad leans in close. “If you run, they’ll say you’re a threat. That you’re unstable.”
I meet his eyes. “Then they’ll have to catch me to prove it.”
Dad steps aside. But not without grabbing my shoulder. “You come back to me. Both of you. You hear?”
I nod.
He lets me go.
