Aria grabbed the railing behind her, fingers closing around the cool metal. She was spinning. Churning like the sky above.

“You were in Reverie. I know that’s how you met my mother. ” Lumina had said that much. “Why did you leave her?”

His attention moved to the funnels flashing in the distance. His eyes narrowed, his black hair tossed by the wind.

Black hair like hers.

“This was a mistake,” he said.

“I was a mistake?”

“No,” he snapped. “Telling you was. ” He glanced at the door. “I need to get you back. ”

“Good. I want to go back. ”

Loran winced, which made no sense. How could he be disappointed? He’d just said he regretted telling her.

“You’re confusing me,” she said.

“That’s not what I wanted. I wanted to explain what happened. ”

“How can you ever explain?” Instantly she regretted her outburst. This was an opportunity. She should be trying to convince him to help them escape. To give her information.

She did nothing. Only stood there, breathing in and out. Nauseous and numb and shaking.

Loran turned to the door, his hand hovering over the access panel. “I have one question to ask,” he said, speaking with his back to her. “How is she?”

“Dead. My mother is dead. ”

For a long moment, Loran didn’t move. Aria stared at his profile over his shoulder. She took in the way he stood there, shoulders shifting with ragged breaths, and was terrified by how much the news seemed to affect him.

“I’m sorry,” he said at last.

“You’ve been gone for nineteen years. Sorry isn’t enough. ”

He pulled the door open and led her back into the Komodo, where there was no wind, and no sound, and no flash of Aether.

She moved without feeling. Without thought, until raised voices up ahead pulled her out of the fog.

Standing by the door to her chamber, two Guardians were engaged in an argument with someone inside.

“Detainees are under Hess’s jurisdiction, not Sable’s,” said one of the Guardians. “Their transport and relocation can only occur at his orders. She should be here. ”

Aria couldn’t see beyond the Guardians’ backs, but she recognized Soren’s voice when he answered.

“Look, you can talk to me about protocols all day long. I’m just telling you what happened. She left half an hour ago with one of the Horns. ”

She glanced at Loran. Her father. And was suddenly afraid for him. Sable had proved that no matter who crossed him, he punished ruthlessly. But Loran was stoic, all the emotion she’d just seen on his face moments ago gone.

“Where are you planning to take her?” he asked as they walked up.

As the Guardians whirled, Aria caught a glimpse of Roar and Soren watching worriedly from within the room.

Loran’s question surprised the Guardians, putting them on the defensive. They answered immediately, and in unison. “To the infirmary. ”

“I’ll take her,” Loran said smoothly.

“No,” said the shorter Guardian. “We have orders. ”