Nocturne

38. Hellfire

Waiting for us on the other side of the door was a large room, one made for presentations and company meetings, with a stage against the back wall that showcased something awful. Five people were lined up, their hands bound behind them with burlap sacks over their heads, one smaller than the rest as she cowered in fear. Seth was holding Sable back as she writhed in his arms, desperately attempting to reach the child in the middle. She kept screaming the name "Delilah" over and over again and a man to the girl's right was squirming within his confines. Meanwhile Aeric and Osiris were still, the blood coming from Osiris' arm. They must have put in a suppressor and she ripped it out.

Behind them were maybe twenty agents, all armed to the teeth and holding their guns to their chests. Vayne and Áine stood there, with nothing in Vayne's hands and a gun in Áine's. His fingers, or what was left of them, were bandaged tightly. Áine was staring at us, her eyes filled with a hard edge that belied her fear. I clenched my jaw and cocked my gun, aiming it right at her head. The gesture made her recoil and my confidence hid my trembling soul.

"This is where it ends," I growled, "you're going to untie them and then I'm going to put a bullet right in your skull."

"You and what army, Agnes?" Vayne sighed, his usual snobby attitude seemingly having vanished.

"The one outside that's going to destroy this place the moment I'm done with you."

"Agnes..." Áine's voice distracted me for a second, "look around you. You're surrounded."

"I've been in the middle of worse." I snorted, narrowing my eyes as I looked between them. Fawkes suddenly held a hand out in front of me, gesturing to lower the weapon.

"If I may," he began, looking up at the pair of them, "Áine, I've known you for years now. I watched the stars rise and fall in your eyes every day and every night. You knew, you've always known. I was scared and lost and you found me and made me feel like even the most expansive desert could be home."

"Stephen..." her raspy voice was shaking as she said his name.

"I know she's mine, Áine."

My narrowed eyes suddenly widened, the gun lowering as I stared between them. The realization hit me and my lips parted in shock and awe; of course it was him. You dumbass. The ginger hair, the telekinesis, the fascination with the stars; he was the stardust that ran through my veins and she was the fire. The regret I saw in her eyes only confirmed it for me and my stomach twisted like it had been hit with a physical blow.

"I wanted to tell you," she whispered, "but I knew it would be better for both of you if you never knew."

"I followed you to the facility Áine," he revealed, her eyes widening, "I did just the same as you; I knew if you were going I had to go too. I got transferred while they locked you up in S Class." Tears had overflowed over his cheeks and were now falling down in torrents as he spoke. "If I had known, if I'd had even the slightest inclination-you were carrying my child for God's sake-I would've fought to tear that facility apart."

The silence that hung in the air between them was so thick with unspoken feelings that I could taste the turmoil. Áine looked like she was trying not to cry as she took a deep breath, the uncertainty in her eyes more than she could ever say. I realized he was swaying her, bringing her back to us.

"Well, what a heartwarming family reunion," Vayne interjected, that snobbish tone returning to his voice, "I'm sorry to cut it short, but Áine and I have places to be, and it looks like your time is up."

"Mom..." I breathed the word loud enough for her to hear, her eyes flickering to me and filling with something else. She took a deep breath and stood up straighter, a fire burning within her that grew into her strength. It was love.