Page 27 of Monster's Secret Baby

"Because you're one of us now." Her voice is gruff with emotion. "And that child?—"

"Mama! Look what I made!" Brooke's voice cuts through our conversation as she barrels toward me, brandishing her drawing. It shows what appears to be our little family—me, Brooke, Marda, Eira, the Ferrises, Ansel, and Joss—all standing in front of the restaurant. Above our heads float tiny specks that look suspiciously like golden sparks.

"It's beautiful, love." I take the paper, noticing how the charcoal seems to shimmer faintly where she's pressed hardest.

"I put in our sparkles," she whispers, eyes gleaming with conspiracy. "But it's just a picture, so it's okay, right?"

"Of course." I swallow the lump in my throat. "Why don't you take this to show Eira? I bet she'd love to see herself in your art."

As she skips away, Marda sighs. "That child glows from the inside out, Harmony. It's not just magic—it's her spirit. The whole village sees it."

"And loves her for it," I say, watching my daughter through the window as she races across the square, trailing faint golden light that most would mistake for sunshine.

"Yes," Marda agrees. "But love may not be enough to keep her safe forever."

13

ADELLUM

Isqueeze the blue geode in my pocket until its jagged edges draw blood. The pain is welcome—a small, bright clarity in the fog I've lived in for five years. Five years of searching, of chasing ghosts and rumors. Five years without her.

Some people say it's been five years without my sanity.

I think that's what happens when a part of your soul is ripped away and you are desperate to find it. And I would doanythingto find her.

"Magnificent work, truly magnificent," the gallery owner purrs, circling my latest piece. "So much... anguish. The collectors will fight over this one."

I stare at the canvas without really seeing it. Swirls of crimson and black threaded with silver—a storm with no center. Like me. I've created seventeen pieces in this series. Each one darker than the last.

"When does the exhibition open?" I ask, my voice flat.

"Three days. And we've already had inquiries from Lord Verran and Lady Nimue. They're both desperate to add to their collections." The gallery owner—Merrick—adjusts his spectacles and peers at me. "You look terrible, by the way. Are you sleeping at all?"

I turn away from him, flexing my wings slightly. They've grown dull these past years, the once-glossy feathers now ashen at the tips. "Sleep is overrated."

"Genius requires rest, Adellum. Even tortured genius."

"I'm not a genius. I'm just—" I pause, uncertain how to finish that sentence. What am I now? A shell. A shadow. A man consumed by a single purpose.

"You're the most sought-after artist in New Solas," Merrick says. "Your work commands prices that would make emperors weep."

"And yet," I murmur, "I can't find one human woman."

Merrick's expression softens with pity. I hate it. "Still searching for your muse?"

My hand tightens around the crystal in my pocket. Her birthday present. Five birthdays come and gone, and I still carry it everywhere, its rough edges a constant reminder of what I lost.

"She wasn't my muse," I say. "She was myeverything." The word is rough and raw, coming out so tortured that I think it's a glimpse to the turmoil inside of me.

I leave without waiting for his response, pushing through the gallery's ornate doors and into the crisp mountain air. New Solas sprawls below, a gleaming tumor of wealth and privilege perched on the mountainside. I spread my wings and launch myself into the empty sky, letting the sharp currents carry me away from the suffocating city.

Sior is waiting when I return to our estate at dusk. His dark wings are folded neatly behind his back, his expression somewhere between concern and exasperation.

"You missed your meeting," he says without preamble.

I brush past him. "Send him a painting."

"He doesn't want a painting. He wants to commission a sculpture for his new wing." Sior follows me into the studio, his footsteps measured and precise. "Adellum, this is the third appointment you've missed this month."

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