“Yes, we are,” Kailani said. “But this collar is burning up.”
“You know the drill,” I replied.
She gave me a faint nod, pursing her lips. Once we were all in here, Derek included, we’d use the codes Amal had given us to disable the collars while the bilocation spell was performed.
Ben had taken Vesta, Kailyn, Bogdana, and a couple more fae to the northwest edge of the dome, where they’d use their earth manipulation abilities to crack through the diamond floor and force a tunnel to open up between two rows of beds. Vivienne, Sofia, and Liana had managed to create a canopy of sorts over it, after they dismantled a couple of beds and used the metal frames for a makeshift structure. They’d thrown bedsheets over it, and, as one of the Perfect guards looked through the outer wall to see what they were doing, they’d lain down, pretending to chill in the shade.
Needless to say, it didn’t take much to divert the Perfects from what we were doing. Most of the guards couldn’t care less about what we did. According to Xavier and Lucas, the change in their demeanor had become visible from the moment that Cassiel had first been introduced as an Arch-Perfect, supposedly superior to them.
“Are you ready?” Nevis asked me, a deep shadow drawn between his pale eyebrows. His skin had caught a slight tan since we’d arrived on Strava, and I had to admit, it made him look even better, especially in contrast with his snow-white hair.
I nodded. “Ready as I’ll ever be. If only Derek were back here to—”
The doors snapped open, interrupting my train of thought. As if summoned by my frayed nerves, Derek walked in, accompanied by Ta’Zan. The way they both looked made me wary. Ta’Zan’s aura was a jumble of emotions—fear, anger, and threads of gold prevailing over everything else. I couldn’t see Derek’s aura, but his expression said enough. He was worried.
“He must’ve said something to Ta’Zan to get himself back here so quickly,” Sofia murmured, unable to take her eyes off her husband.
Ta’Zan stopped in front of the crowd, measuring each of us from head to toe. He was looking for someone. I found myself praying to the universe itself that he wouldn’t see the chalk drawings or the concentration of fae on the northwest side of the dome. He didn’t seem to care, though. I followed his gaze, and my heart stopped for a moment.
He’d found the person he’d been looking for.
“Bogdana,” I whispered.
“I’m sorry, Bogdana. I had to tell him the truth,” Derek said out loud, for everyone to hear. “I hope you understand.”
The old fae gasped, before she cast a quick glance toward Ben and Vesta and moved unevenly toward Ta’Zan, who was utterly speechless and downright stunned. Tension in the dome rose to almost unbearable limits, making it difficult for me to even breathe.
The entire crowd was anxious about what came next—most of the emotions I could see were in deep shades of yellow. Fear. All kinds of fear…
“It’s okay, Derek. I’m sure you had good reasons for doing that,” Bogdana replied, her voice trembling slightly. Out of them all, she was the most scared, but she kept a straight face, nonetheless, as she advanced through the hall toward Ta’Zan.
Only then did it fully hit me what had happened, as if my brain was working in slow motion. Derek told Ta’Zan about Bogdana. But why?
“Ta’Zan knows she’s his mother,” I murmured. “Why would Derek do that?”
“What better way to get himself back in here, with us?” Sofia replied.
Nevis shook his head slowly. “He sold her out, then?”
“We don’t know that yet,” Lucas replied. “Wait.”
Now facing Ta’Zan, Bogdana kept her chin high. She was practically crumbling on the inside, torn between fear and some kind of affection, but her expression was remarkably calm. Ta’Zan, on the other hand, wore his emotions on his sleeve at this point. He was beyond shocked.
“You gave birth to me,” he said, his voice barely audible.
Bogdana took a deep breath. “Yes.”
“You’re… You’re my mother?”
She shook her head. “I only carried you in my womb, as a favor to Mudak.”
Ta’Zan frowned, then looked around at the prisoner crowd again. None of us moved. We all stood our ground and looked straight at him, tall and unwavering, unwilling to show any kind of weakness.
“How did you end up here, with these people? Where did you go after you gave birth to me?” Ta’Zan asked. He’d probably settled for these two questions. He must’ve had hundreds more, gathered over the years. No matter what he said about himself, Ta’Zan had to have a weak spot. I had a feeling that we’d just found it.
“I left as soon as you were born,” Bogdana replied. “Mudak didn’t want me anywhere near you. So I went back to my people,” she added, then motioned around at us. “These are my people you’ve imprisoned.”
Ta’Zan crossed his arms, keeping his chin between his thumb and index finger. He frowned, watching Bogdana carefully, as if checking every inch of her. As if making sure she was real.
“My father didn’t want you in my life?” he asked. “Why? Did he ever tell you?”
“He didn’t tell you?” Bogdana replied. Ta’Zan didn’t answer. We all took that as a no. She offered a shrug in return. “He didn’t want me to love you. He didn’t want you to love me, either. He wanted you all to himself, so he could raise you and shape your personality as he desired.”
“Mudak must’ve thought he could develop you without the nurturing of a mother,” Derek interjected. “A fool, if you ask me.”
“No one asked you!” Ta’Zan snapped.
I instantly covered my mouth to stop a chuckle from coming out. We’d definitely gotten to Ta’Zan, and I regretted not having revealed Bogdana sooner.
“And you never wondered about me? You never thought to object to my father’s demand? You just… left?” Ta’Zan asked, a nerve twitching in his temple. He was furious.
“The creature I gave birth to is dead,” Bogdana replied stoically. “The creature I’m facing now is a monster. I could never love or wonder about a monster who seeks to thrive on others’ misery. From the moment Mudak took you away from me, I knew you’d never be complete. He was a scientist, not father material. And I knew, when they told me about what you’d done, that you were—that you are a monster.”
“You carried me in your womb for months. Our souls were practically connected. Yet you stand here, today, and call me a monster?” Ta’Zan murmured, as if not believing a single word she’d just said.
Bogdana nodded. “You were gone. Dead. I said my goodbyes then and moved on. Mudak never would’ve let me be a part of your life. It’s too late now, anyway. You’re irredeemable, and there is nothing I can do about that. Honestly, I feel sorry for you.”
“Don’t,” Ta’Zan replied. He grabbed Bogdana by the wrist and dragged her out of the dome. “You and I have a lot to talk about.”