Cane stood on the balcony, the cool night breeze ruffling his hair into his eyes.
"Been a while since I had it cut," he muttered.
Inside, Clara and Dhalia sat with Melina. Both were good with kids—
Clara for her easy warmth, Dhalia for her quiet insight. Fergis had stepped out to grab food for their guest.
Then it hit—an earsplitting klaxon that shook the city and sent every dog howling in harmony.
Cane flinched. "Damn. That's got our name on it."
He stepped back inside, offering Melina a calm smile.
"What are those alarms for?" Clara asked.
"I've got a guess," Cane said. "I'm going out front. If it's serious, Telamon won't be far behind."
Cane:Damn… it sucks being right all the time.
Clara:Wouldn't know.
Fergis: Truth.
Clara:Hey!
Outside, Telamon stood near the courtyard fountain, Brammel beside him.
"What's with all the racket, lad?" Brammel asked, voice warm. "We're staying put until the city guard gets here."
"Well…" Cane scratched the back of his neck. "It's about earlier. I stopped someone from harming a young woman."
Telamon's expression hardened. "Is she hurt?"
"No," Cane said. "She's upstairs. Safe and sound."
Without another word, Telamon vanished.
Cane glanced at Brammel. "Wish I could do that."
The professor chuckled. "Me too, lad."
Clara and Dhalia exited a minute later.
"Telamon asked us to wait outside," Clara explained, settling onto a courtyard bench.
"Melina definitely knew who he was," she added. "Smiled like he was her favorite uncle."
Fergis laughed. "That'd be nice."
"Right?" Clara grinned. "Uncle—I want a pony. Boom. Pony. Uncle—I want a unicorn. Boom. There it is."
Cane raised a hand, laughing. "We get it. Boom."
Clara nodded, mock serious. "Boom. Best uncle ever. I dare you to call him that. I'll do your History of Magic homework for a whole cycle if you do."
Twenty minutes passed. Cane began to wonder if Telamon had slipped away without a word.
Then the sound of horses and wheels echoed up the drive.
"Note to self," Cane said, rising. "Hire gate guards."
The carriages pulled up, polished and heavy with crestwork.
Brammel placed a hand on Cane's shoulder. "The Archmage is back."
Telamon stepped forward, holding Melina gently by the hand.
Then the carriage door opened—and a regal figure stepped out, robes flowing, a golden crown gleaming.
Cane recognized him instantly and bowed. "Your Majesty."
"Papa!" Melina broke from Telamon, running to the man and hugging his waist.
The King rested a hand on her head. "Are you all right, little flower?"
She nodded and turned, pointing. "That man saved me."
The King's gaze shifted, full of quiet gratitude. "We meet again, Cane. Please—tell me everything."
Cane glanced at Telamon, who gave a single nod.
He explained it all: how he couldn't sleep, how he used Pudding's bond to scan the city. How he spotted a man watching a lit window from the rooftop across the street, a long blade slung over one shoulder—no thief's posture.
"I raced back through the city, galloped the whole way. I arrived just as the man opened the window."
"The second floor?" the King asked, though it sounded like confirmation more than question.
"Yes. I immersed into my gear and shifted."
The King raised an eyebrow. "Show me."
Without hesitation, Cane immersed and vanished. A heartbeat later, he reappeared near the garden, then jogged back—careful not to startle anyone with another crash landing.
"Outstanding," King Hellion grinned like a boy discovering magic for the first time. "You shifted straight to the window?"
"I slammed him through it. Finished him before he could recover."
The King's face turned thoughtful. "Why come back here afterward?"
"I made a lot of noise. But no alarm. No shouting. No rush of boots. It took over a minute for anyone to reach the door, and when they did… they just rattled the knob. No kicking. No entry."
Suspicion hardened the King's expression. "Indeed. They should have burst in without hesitation."
"I thought so too. So I jumped down and brought her here."
After a lengthy discussion between the Archmage and the King, it was quietly decided—Melina would stay at the Ironheart estate.
Clara and Fergis left to prepare a room while Cane stood by the door, awkward and silent.
Fergis:I know the King only has two living children… and they're both sons. .
Clara:Melina called him 'Papa.' Did you see how she ran to him? That's how a girl runs to someone she loves.
Dhalia:It happens. Wouldn't be the first royal—or commoner—born out of wedlock.
Cane:Not our business. I'm just glad she's safe.
Fergis:Brother… she's safe because of you. You stepped up—like some kind of hero.
A short while later, just as the carriages began pulling away, Telamon returned, leading Melina gently by the hand.
"Melina will be staying for a while," he said.
"It's no problem, Uncle. She's across the hall from the master bedroom," Cane replied.
Silence.
Three pairs of eyes turned and stared at him, mouths open.
Telamon didn't blink. "Very good. Generosity is a noble trait."
He continued inside, Melina at his side.
Clara jabbed a finger at Cane, half-whispering, half-shouting. "You… you called him Uncle."
Cane just grinned. "Looks like someone's doing my History of Magic homework for the rest of the cycle."
The next morning brought a surprise.
Cane was still half-asleep when his door creaked open.
Then Sophie launched herself onto the bed, tackling him with a kiss.
"How did you get here?" he asked, laughing as she knocked him flat.
"It's kinda strange," she said, eyes sparkling. "I was finishing the morning announcements when the Archmage walked in. Told me I'm being given a few days off."
Cane blinked. "Why?"
"Because," Sophie said, trying not to giggle, "his nephew is lonely."
Cane stared at the empty doorway. "No…"
"He did," she said, laughing now. "Called you his nephew. I almost choked."
They lay back on the bed, close and quiet, catching up.
Cane told her about XO Brea—how close she came to escaping. Then about the rooftop and Melina, who might be the King's daughter.
Sophie listened with quiet focus.
"I saw the Brea report," she said. "Put it in the announcements. I even gave your team credit for the capture. I'm so proud of you."
Cane grinned and pulled her close. "I'm glad you're here."
"Company…" Cane glanced over Sophie's shoulder and smiled. "You can come in."
Sophie turned, eyebrows lifting. "Oh my…"
Melina stood in the doorway, curls tangled into a chaotic beehive.
"Do you have someone to help with that?" Sophie asked gently.
Melina shook her head. "I know how. It just takes a while."
Cane sat up, rubbing the back of his neck. "Sophie, this is Melina."
Melina waved. "Mel is fine."
"I was just bullying my boyfriend," Sophie said with a wink, making Melina smile. "Want help with your hair?"
"If you don't mind," Melina said, voice small but warm.
Cane blinked. "You're stealing my girlfriend?"
"I'm just borrowing her," Melina said sweetly.
"I'm gonna tell my uncle about this," Cane muttered, flopping back onto the bed.
He activated his psi-rune.
Cane:No training scheduled, but I'm gonna work out.
Fergis:Me too.
Clara:I'll grab Dhalia.
—
They left the estate in single file, winding through the slums and exiting the city through the west gate.
Dhalia:Are we repeating our first training run?
Cane:Yeah, but no bags of rocks this time.
Dhalia:Or bleeding feet…
Fergis:I have a theory.
Cane veered off the main road, jogging past snowpea fields still dusted in frost.
Clara:Let's hear it!
Fergis:I think Melina's the King's granddaughter. I called my grandfather 'Papa' growing up. Still do, actually.
Dhalia:But the King only has two sons. Neither of them seems old enough to have a child that age.
Fergis:His eldest died over ten years ago—drowned during a Black Legion ambush. He could've had a daughter before that.
Cane: Damn… that's a theory. How does succession work?
Fergis:Technically, it's up to the King. But usually, it's firstborn child. Their child comes next.
Clara:Not the next oldest sibling?
Fergis:Only if the firstborn left no heir.
Cane muttered a curse under his breath. The King had work to do—starting with guarding his bloodline better than this.
Clara:You're a hero, Cane. Everyone who was supposed to protect Melina failed. She'll remember what you did for the rest of her life.
Cane stopped at the base of the big hill—the same one they'd hauled stones up on day one—and waited.
A few minutes later, Clara and Fergis caught up, Dhalia close behind.
Clara shoved Fergis with a grin and took off running, sprinting toward the imaginary finish line behind Cane.
Fergis bolted after her. He passed her easily, but Clara didn't seem to mind—her wide smile said it all.
"This doesn't feel anywhere near as far as it did that first day," she panted, catching her breath.
Dhalia nodded, pulling her hair back. "Helps that we're not dragging half the hill with us."
"True," Cane said, placing a hand on her shoulder. "But you've all improved. That's the whole point."
They walked the rest of the way up, breathing steady in the brisk afternoon air. Then, with wordless understanding, they began carrying the same stones back down—symbols of where they'd started, and how far they'd come.