Zane swore that once he had reclaimed his empire from Rigil, the first thing he’d do would be to help the people of the outer ring.He’d redistribute some of the wealth so that nobody was struggling to eat or stay warm during the winter months.
They checked to make sure nobody else was nearby, then crossed the paved street to a quaint house.Even in the dark, Zane could tell it was painted a bright shade—likely yellow.There was a garden out front that had seen better days, but even through an invasion and the cold winter, there were still some snowdrops and blooming primroses, creating a splash of color in the otherwise white background.
Talon spared a brief glance at Scuti before he bent over and lifted up a stone.Grabbing something from underneath, Zane realized it was a spare key, and Tal unlocked the front door.
The conflicting smell of multiple scents assaulted Zane’s nose—vanilla, lavender, eucalyptus, and spearmint.Underlying it all, though, was the familiar spiced rum and oranges that Zane had come to associate with Talon.It instantly made him feel safe and welcomed.
They had walked into a living space that appeared cluttered but homey.Unlike the castle, this was ahome.Somewhere a family lived and loved—actually coexisted peacefully.But it was dark and quiet; Zane’s heart dropped.
“They’re probably in the basement,” Tal murmured.He wound them through the living and dining areas into a modest kitchen.Drawing back a threadbare rug, Talon exposed a hatch hidden in the floorboards.He lifted it and it swung open on smooth hinges.
“Mom?Dad?”
Silence.Then…
“Talon?”
Tal’s face instantly relaxed as he sighed in relief.He dropped down into the basement, not even bothering to use the ladder.Zane climbed down after Scuti reassured him he would stay upstairs to keep watch, giving Talon a few precious seconds alone with his parents.
The scents were stronger down here, and Zane saw bottle after bottle lining shelves around the room.There were boxes full of wax, twine, and half-melted candles.A few lanterns lit the small space in a warm glow and, not for the first time, Zane lamented how different his childhood was from that of others.
Talon was wrapped in the embrace of a small woman with tight, red curls and a bespectacled, thin man, even taller than his son, with darker hair.When they broke apart, his mother put her hands on Tal’s face and looked him over thoroughly.
“You’re okay?You did what you had to do?”Her words came out in a rush, and once she started, it seemed she was unable to stop.“I know you said you were leaving for a bit, and not to believe any rumors that might be spread about you, but then our house was searched by the royal guard, and they said you were a traitor to the crown.We told them we didn’t have any idea where you were, but someone was posted outside of our house for weeks.And then the city was infiltrated with stars, and people have been kidnapped off the street and never seen again.We’ve been staying down here, hoping it would keep us safe, and, oh —who is this?”
With a grin large enough to split his face in half, Talon turned to Zane.“Mom, Dad, this is Zane.Zane, these are my parents—Perry and Nina.”
Nina blinked.“Zane.As in, Crown Prince Zane?”
“EmperorZane,” Talon whispered, still smiling.
“Uther is dead?”
Perry cleared his throat and nudged his wife.“Dear, we have royalty in our basement.”
“Oh, right!”She curtsied.“Very pleased to meet you, Your Majesty.”
“Please, call me Zane.”He smiled brightly, already loving them.
Talon’s mother tugged on his arm to whisper into his ear, although she needn’t have bothered, as Zane could hear everything she said anyway.“Why is the emperor in our basement?”
The grin had yet to drop off of Talon’s face.“He came with me to help evacuate you.”
“He came to evacuateus?Why?”
“Because I asked him to.”
“Because you—oh.”Nina’s eyes widened.“Oh.”
“Oh?”Perry asked, frowning.
“They’re together,” Nina whispered, albeit very loudly.Zane chuckled, and Talon’s smile widened further.
Talon’s father strode forward with his hand outstretched.When Zane took his hand, he shook it enthusiastically, dislodging his glasses.“Peregrine Strom, and my wife Nina.It’s so nice to meet you, son.”
“Perry,” Nina gasped.
“What?”he asked, confused, as he pushed his glasses back onto his nose.
