Ancelin froze at the top step."Not the basement.Please."Her voice caught."I can't go back down there."
Krevan's expression softened momentarily."The bedroom then.Though the basement would be safer."
"Safer?"She shook her head violently."They found me there before.That place feels like—" she swallowed hard, "—like I'm already dead."
Before she could finish, his arms were around her, and suddenly they were back in the bedroom.
"Don't leave this room.I'm staying in the house."Then he was gone, the door clicking shut.
Ancelin stared at the empty space where he'd been."Be careful," she whispered uselessly, pulling the covers over herself like a shield against whatever might come.
Krevan burst back into the room before Ancelin's panic could fully take hold."They're here!"His face lit with a smile she hadn't seen since before the attacks began.
"Who?"Ancelin clutched the sheets to her chest, heart still racing.
Krevan knelt beside the bed, taking her trembling hands in his."My parents.Military transport brought them from Silos."
"Your parents?Now?"Ancelin's fingers flew to her tangled hair."I'm not ready to—"
"You're perfect," he whispered, pressing his lips to her forehead."And they've brought reinforcements.Triaxen military, government officials.The communications blackout kept them from warning us, but they're here now."His eyes held a certainty she desperately needed."It's over, Ancelin.Come meet the people who gave me life.They can't wait to meet the woman who's given me reason to live."
Ancelin tugged at her wrinkled shirt."I'm a mess.Your parents are almost here, and I look like I've been dragged through a hedge.Five minutes for a shower?"
"We've got killers tracking us through a snowstorm," Krevan said, the corner of his mouth lifting, "and you're worried about bedhead."His expression gentled."My mother spent the last eight hours bouncing through drifts in an all-terrain crawler.Trust me, she's seen worse than you."He brushed his thumb across her cheek."But if it helps, go.I'll stall them."His mouth found hers warm and reassuring.
"I'm being ridiculous, aren't I?It's just...I'm overwhelmed.Thank goodness they're here."
"Not ridiculous.Just wonderfully you," Krevan said with a gentle smile."Now come meet them.They've brought news about our situation."Ancelin followed him down the staircase into the kitchen.The living room bustled with activity—snow-crusted outerwear being shed, boots being removed with sluggish movements.On the sofa sat a striking dark-haired woman, her exhausted face still remarkably youthful for Krevan's mother.A broad-shouldered man knelt before her, wrestling with her ice-encrusted boots.Around them, at least ten men filled the space, their imposing frames making the room seem smaller.Weapons rested on every available surface.Ancelin had never seen such a concentration of male beauty—all unmistakably Triaxen like Krevan."Mother, Father," Krevan announced, guiding Ancelin forward, "this is my mate."
The man kneeling before the woman abandoned the boot he'd been wrestling with and approached Ancelin.Something in the angle of his jaw, the set of his eyes—like looking at Krevan in twenty years."Welcome to our family," he said, his voice a deeper version of his son's."The hologram transmissions didn't do you justice."
Ancelin's throat tightened."I'm grateful you came all this way."
"I'm Vida," the woman said, rising from the sofa.Her movements were fluid despite her obvious fatigue."We've been monitoring the situation as best we could."She embraced Ancelin, her arms surprisingly strong."You've given our son something we thought he'd never have.”
The warmth of the embrace unlocked something in Ancelin's chest.Her vision blurred as tears spilled without warning."I—" she managed, her voice breaking."It's just—I miss my mother—my family, and Krevan nearly died—" Each word seemed to release another flood.Vida held her tighter while Krevan's hand traced circles on her back, a gesture that only deepened her trembling.
"She's not usually like this," Krevan said quietly."I've treated her well, Mother."
Ancelin straightened at that, wiping her cheeks."No, it's not him.He's saved me more times than I can count.He took a laser defending me."Fresh tears escaped despite her efforts."I don't know what's happening to me.I'm not normally—this isn't me."
"Oh, my dear," Vida said, reaching for Ancelin's hand."Your eyes tell me everything you've endured."She squeezed gently."But you're safe now."She gestured toward the towering figures around them."These men—Triaxen soldiers—answer directly to our government.They've traveled with us specifically to ensure your protection."Her voice softened."Aiden will brief you both on the details.For now, come sit beside me."
Ancelin lowered herself onto the sofa next to Vida.The twelve men—Krevan and his father among them—formed a semicircle before them, their gazes fixed on her.Despite their imposing presence, with Krevan standing guard, Ancelin's racing heart began to steady.
"Ancelin, this is Tray Kelick, government representative of Triaxe," Krevan's father said, gesturing to the tall figure beside him.
Tray stepped forward, his insignia catching the light."Mrs.Vallex, as mate to a Triaxen, you are now one of us."His voice carried the practiced cadence of diplomacy."Your father's crystal—this power source he created—has changed everything.Small enough to hold in your palm, yet capable of powering cities indefinitely.The corporations hunting you fear their obsolescence."He traced a small circle in the air with his finger."Imagine spacecraft traveling without the need to refuel.Colonies established in weeks instead of years.An end to energy poverty across worlds.We’re here to take you to Triaxe to live more comfortably and to protect you."His eyes locked with hers."What you possess is the only working prototype.We've secured agreements with Earth's authorities—protection for your family, recognition of your father's genius, and fair compensation for his work.By entrusting this to our joint governments, you'll be saving countless lives across both our worlds."
Ancelin listened, tears welling in her eyes as the magnitude of her father's legacy became clear.
"What about Krevan?I won't go anywhere without him," Ancelin said, gripping his arm.
"You won't have to.The Triaxen High Court has exonerated him completely."Tray's voice carried a formal authority."The evidence never supported a conviction.Gillian's death was clearly self-defense, possibly even accidental.The original judge's ruling has been deemed an abuse of power."He nodded toward Krevan."Your record is clean, Mr.Vallex.The government will compensate you for your wrongful imprisonment.You're free to return home and reclaim your position."
Ancelin pressed herself against Krevan's side."Finally, some justice," she whispered, "even if it took forever."
"The appeals process is...complicated," Tray admitted."Our system has its shortcomings."
