“You see why I have to keep him,” Morningstar was muttering in the corner, facing Vitus, Marlina and Grimsaine. I could hear him perfectly, and he was making only the most limited attempt to talk quietly.

“Of course, my lord,” Grimsaine replied, softly, eyes on me, “he could be what saves us all.”

“Though I still disagree with the decision I bring him into your small council, sir,” Vitus murmured, “You are correct. He is one particular being you cannot let out of your hold.”

I leant back, staring at the finely patterned, white washed and chandeliered ceiling. Still, I was attached to the thrice-damned chair, and after my exploit Morningstar had dug the chains harder in, so that there was no give at all, just the manacles and the side of the seat. With my legs up on the table I gazed upwards, breathing slowly and counting the seconds go for the time by that we had said we would be back for Selena. So far we were at an hour and fourteen minutes.

“All you said was true?” Hemera whispered.

Glancing down I saw her, fingers wrapped around a mug of tea. She was on the edge of her seat, eyes wide in her pretty features. For a moment I paused, hearing Morningstar respond to his more mortal advisors before I answered her.

“Yes, I am sorry to say I believe it is,” I nodded, “I'm not sure when still, or where the best place to go is, but I believe my research trips will allow that.”

Hemera pursed her lips, before nodding. “I'll persuade Lord Morningstar that they should,” she smiled. “Nyx and I will.”

“I want to get out of here,” I grumbled. “Get back home.”

She smiled slightly, “brother, you're smarter than all of us. You could be the single most important thing that has ever happened to any of us. We could survive an apocalypse because of you … why do you think brother is so passionate about keeping you around?”

“Because of my charming good looks and my excellent sense of humour,” I grinned.

She laughed, “I missed you, brother.”

The last time I had seen her was one my rare exploits out of the underworld of Rahl and into the mortal realms. I had seen her, Nyx and some others, at an impromptu family gathering in a secretive moment Sephora had managed to give me. I had seen Morningstar then as well, but only the back of him, before he moved away and I had had to go, back to my cruelty of a life.

“Where do you live now, on the mortal realm?” I asked.

She smiled. “Not too far away from you actually. Eluceliniel - Nyx and I share a home and manage a few operations within the city for Morningstar. We keep his favour within the court.”

My brows rose as I looked from her to Nyx. My other sister was staring into a glass of wine. When drinks had been offered I politely refused, privately deciding so on grounds that I would look like an idiot, with my hands bound as they were.

“Nyx?” I asked, “you alright?”

She glanced up. “Hmm? Oh,” she stared at me, then shook herself. “Yes, I am fine. Sorry brother.”

“You were staring into space.”

“Oh,” she paused. “I was thinking about Geras actually.”

I glanced back over to Morningstar, who was still talking, although lower now, and staring at me. My eyebrow raised at him, and he paused in his speech, before looking away.

“Geras is strong,” I commented.

Hemera nodded, agreeing. “He is indeed, he'll be fine, Nyx.”

“Do we know anything about his intended … what was her name?”

Keeping my eyes still on Morningstar's conversation, I paused. “Brigette. I …” smiling, I realised I could do something, “I can ask Selena about her.”

Hemera and Nyx began to agree, with small gasps. “Oh that would be a good idea …”

My concentration though had drifted to the other conversation. “Sir, it would be beneficial simply keeping him here, permanently,” Virus was leaning in, speaking in a low voice. “Forget the other work he does.”

“Indeed, sir. He refuses to serve, he refuses to serve. Take back his powers, control him, use him.”

My jaw tightened, heart beginning to thump hard. The magic within me, so long not in my body began to writhe, angry and violent. Swirling at my heart it hissed and growled, telling me that it would not go without a fight. I would not be a slave again.

Morningstar looked over at me with a thoughtful expression. “It is … possible.”

“Fuck this,” I hissed, and I pulled down my feet from the table, letting them land on the floor with a solid thump. I had made a deal with him - my power, and my freedom for teaching, in exchange for helping him. For saving his stupid world, and his idiotic ass.

“Brother …” Hemera said, shocked, her eyes widening.

“I'm fucking going home,” I spat, my hands twisting into fists, “before anyone else controls me. I'm not a fucking puppet and-”

My anger came in a brilliant wave. Rising from my core it responded to my intense, sudden desire it flooded my system, yelling out to me as two lovers long lost, not reunited. Indeed, it had been within me already for some weeks, and I had called onto it when calm, but now my fury summoned it instead of my will. Unexpectedly it rose, the fine black darkness from which I was born, denied to me fully for a thousand years. First, Morté had taken a little. Then, more, and finally he had used his wretches to steal every core of divinity from me until not even my strange empathy, nor my strength. I had been so weak, so invalid, and it had taken me years - years! - to learn how to cope. But now …

Now, I had more power than I had needed. Destruction indeed - unbidden, in a storm of power, it rose to my palms. BOOM! It exploded into life, small black pebbles of magical energy. My eyes widened as I said or willed nothing, and it fled right towards the source of my current anxiety - the restraints.

The sound of chairs rapidly scraping away came from beside me as the magic slid underneath them, going into a liquid state. A second passed. Then there was a SMASH as the unbreakable manacles suddenly burst into a thousand pieces.

“What the-”

I was as much aghast as the rest of them. My heart pounded as I stood there, watching the smashed pieces fall to the ground, and then begin to disintegrate as they did. Fine metal dust floated upwards as I looked down to see still rivulets of fine, black, crackling energy that looked like it opened to a good encircling my wrists - just where the manacles had been. It was blinking out of existence, its purpose spent, as all my magic did. I left out a slow breath, my lips parting, and more importantly it seems, my anger subsiding.

I reached for my magic. It came to me this time at will, bursting out my palms in energy surges. It folded and condescended from my pores, and zoomed into one small ball that landed into my right palm.

The same wrist was caught. Partly I was dragged as he yanked me away from the table, then pulled me around to face him. As shocked as I was he stared at the small, slowly rotating ball of energy at my palm, happily doing nothing.

“That should not have happened …” he murmured.

Folding my fingers around the energy I quickly yanked my hand out of his hold. The rest of the room was dead silent, I was not going to be. On his right palm, I knew, was a feature that looked like a wound. Through it he could steal people's life source, energy and magic, store it for his own use, or give it to others. It was what he had used to at first give me back my abilities. Give me back this oddity that had just struck.

“Char!” he barked.

I glared at him, “I don't know what the fuck just happened, to start. Secondly, you are not taking it from me, I've been too long without it.”

“It's never … done that before?”

I ran my tongue over my lips briefly, and then admittedly shook my head. “No. I was furious, and it just dealt with the matter at hand. Maybe you shouldn't talk so openly about going back on our deals and enslaving me again, like he did.”

“Brother-”

“No. And this time, Morningstar, I'm actually going to defend myself.” I seethed into his face. “You want me to save your multitude of little kingdoms. Fine. I will, but not as you slave. Currently I'd rather die than be what I was. Which was nothing.”

Morningstar's lips pursed as he considered me. Slowly he breathed as around us the world was frozen, a framed painting, a view of one scene of time. I kept the ball of energy in my palm, ready to literally aim it at myself. Even though I'd be awake again in six hours, and in that time he'd be able to do what he wanted, he knew he would have the most reluctant part of me than has ever been.

No more Charon used to being a prisoner. I would be cold, silent, frigid.

“Everyone leave the room,” he said quietly.

“But my lord …”

“Just do it, Vitus,” he barked. “He cannot kill me. I am far more powerful still than he.”

Of that I had no doubt. Steadily, I kept my eyes on him, and him on mine. We heard shuffling of feet, scraping of chairs. A gentle hand touched both of our arms and Hemera simply said:

“You're both my brothers.”