Chapter 37
KAIRO
Iwake up blindfolded. The fabric smells like old grease and smoke—like the inside of a freighter engine room left to rot. It’s rough against my skin, and the knot at the back of my head is so tight it throbs. My hands are bound, wrists aching from the angle.
But I don’t panic.
Because somewhere in this dark, stale room—I hear him.
A soft sniffle.
A hiccup.
“Ben?” My voice is hoarse, dry, like it’s been scraped over sand. “Baby, are you here?”
A pause. Then—
“Mommy?”
Relief slams through me so fast I nearly collapse.
“Oh, thank God. I’m here. I’m right here.”
I shuffle forward, letting my knees hit the cold concrete floor. I stretch my arms as far as the restraints allow. Something warm and small collides into me hard enough to knock the breath from my lungs.
“Don’t cry, don’t cry,” I murmur into his curls. “You’re safe. You’re okay. I’ve got you.”
“I was so scared,” he whispers. “They said you weren’t coming.”
“I’m here. I’m always coming for you.”
He presses his face into my shoulder and trembles. I wish I could take the blindfold off, but I won’t waste time struggling with knots. Not when what he needs most is my voice.
So I speak.
“Do you want to hear a story?”
Ben nods against my neck.
I settle into the floor, ignoring the chill, and begin.
“Once upon a time,” I whisper, “there was a boy with fire in his blood and claws for hands. But he wasn’t a monster. Not really. He just didn’t know how to be soft in a world that taught him sharp things.”
Ben stills, listening.
“This boy… he grew up in the stars, surrounded by people who used fear like a tool. They told him love was weakness. That kindness was a liability. So he got very good at being hard.”
I pause, swallow the lump rising in my throat.
“But deep down… he wanted to be something else. He just didn’t know how.”
Ben’s breathing evens. My voice steadies.
“One day, he met a girl. She talked too much. She laughed too loud. She saw past the claws, past the armor, and told him he wasn’t broken—just unfinished.”
Ben shifts.
“That boy was your dad,” I say softly.
He lifts his head. “Mr. Kuraken?”
I smile, even though he can’t see it. “Yeah, baby. Mr. Kuraken.”
“He doesn’t look scary,” Ben whispers. “He tells funny jokes and makes silly voices.”
“That’s how he fights now,” I say. “He uses laughter and kindness. But back then… your dad was dangerous. He was angry. And he got lost in a world that doesn’t care if you’re trying. It only cares if you win.”
Ben thinks for a moment. “But he did try?”
“He tried,” I say. “He tried for me. For us. Even when he didn’t know he had a son, he was trying to be the kind of man you could be proud of.”
Ben’s hand curls in mine. “Will he come for us?”
I press a kiss to his hair, breathing in the familiar scent of apple shampoo and fear-sweat and something uniquely him.
“He always comes back,” I say. “That’s the one thing he never forgets.”
The door creaks open with a metallic whine.
Ben stiffens. I pull him behind me, as much as the restraints allow.
Footsteps—measured, confident. A perfume of ozone and leather. Whoever it is, they want to be noticed.
My blindfold is yanked off roughly.
I blink against the harsh light. The figure in front of me resolves—tall, narrow-faced, Tilkan markings etched in silvery ink across her temple. She wears League black, polished and precise. Power radiates off her like smoke.
“You must be the mother,” she says with a mock-curtsy. “What a charming reunion. We almost didn’t bother bringing the brat.”
I say nothing.
She walks around me, eyes sharp, calculating.
“I wanted to see what made Redscale soft,” she murmurs. “Wasn’t expecting this.”
Ben clutches my hand tighter.
“Leave him alone,” I say, voice like gravel.
“Relax,” she purrs. “He’s the star of the show. Didn’t you get the script? This whole charade is just Act One. Redscale’s going to have to choose.”
She leans in.
“Power… or love.”
I stare her down. “You think he’ll trade us?”
She smiles. “I think men like Jav don’t survive unless they’re willing to sacrifice things. And you—” she gestures to Ben and me “—you’re the sacrifice.”
Something cold and ancient coils in my chest.
“You don’t know him,” I say.
She cocks her head. “Don’t I? He used to work for my father. I trained with him, back before he went soft. He’s good at death, bad at loyalty. He’ll sell you out to save the empire he’s built. Just watch.”
My eyes don’t leave hers. A single tear slips down my cheek, silent and unbroken.
“Then you never knew him at all.”
She leaves with a smirk and a tossed command. The door slams shut.
I sag against the wall, breathing hard, heart hammering. Ben’s face is pale, jaw set like he’s trying not to cry.
“He’s not gonna trade us, right?” he asks in a whisper.
I shake my head. “He won’t even hesitate.”
Ben’s eyes widen.
I smile. “I mean he’s coming. Right now. And they’ll wish they had just let us walk.”
Ben’s voice is small but steady. “Like a superhero?”
I lean close.
“Better,” I whisper. “He’s a storm.”