Page 297 of Interion

“That’s more than any of us had.” He spun the golden ring on his finger once more and thought of all the people who had been part of his life but were gone long before the first gray hairs appeared.

“Did you know I have a son?” Julius asked, his eyes shining with affection.

“You do?” Serguei frowned, unsure whether that was good or bad. “I never knew that. Is he outside the walls?”

The seer sighed.

“Actually, I have two sons, but they don’t know me. Unlike you, I didn’t have enough time to fix that mistake. Maybe one day I will.” He stretched, settling into the chair and examining his cracked nails. “They’re good boys, and their paths will be linked to Zion and Kyller. One day, one of them will make a difference in this battle.”

“Your sons and mine?” Serguei arched an eyebrow.

It was strange, seemingly random information, but he knew it was important. Julius wouldn’t share something unless it was useful.

“My sons and yours.” A shadow of doubt crossed his eyes. “There are at least five different paths in the future where this happens. But before it becomes real, they’ll face difficult situations, and their journeys begin tonight. One of them might die along the way. Predicting the future is hard precisely because other people are connected to it. The more people, the more choices—and choices make the future unstable.”

“Can’t you do anything to change what you see?” Serguei would move mountains for the children in front of him—would do anything to protect them.

“No,” Julius replied with a sigh. “What I could do to help them, I’ve already done. And the price was high. The guilt over the life I sacrificed trying to protect them keeps me awake at night. In fact, I lied about their levels: one of the boys became special, and I hid him from Elitium.”

Serguei shifted in his chair, deeply intrigued. Without even noticing, his gift reached out toward the Sonar, but found the mind blocked, as it always had been. If there was one thing that frustrated the psychic, it was Julius’s mind.

“It’s rude when you do that. Four hundred years, and you’re still ill-mannered.” The Sonar drummed his fingers on the armrest.

“Some things never change, do they?” The other shrugged, not at all ashamed of his attempt.

“Not at all, especially bad habits. They tend to die with us.” The seer smiled at the psychic, who clicked his tongue in annoyance. “You’ll find this improper of a father, but that’s the way of life, Serguei. Bad things need to happen for good things to come about. There are no victories without sacrifices.”

Serguei fell quiet. He, more than anyone, knew the weight of sacrifices—and it was immeasurable. He stared at the bed for a long moment, fearful of the man’s prophecy. For the psychic, one thing was certain: he wouldn’t sacrifice anything more. And if that entity dared to hurt Kyller, he would turn her immortal life into a blend of Fae Abyss and human hell.

There, in that room smelling of champagne, blood, and flowers, Serguei couldn't say whether it was the nostalgia of seeing someone from his past, or the relief of having laid bare his secrets minutes before, but before he could hold back the words, they escaped him, giving shape to what, for Serguei, still wasn't so obvious.

“These two are all I have, all that's left of anything good in my life.”

“I know.” A tear that wasn't red rolled down from the Sonar's eyes. “I know.”

“What will it be like after? Will Kyller still be the same?”

“I can't tell you about the future.”

“Stop being a killjoy. What's the use of a seer who doesn't talk about the future?”

“More useful than a dead seer, I'd say.” The two held each other's gaze for a long moment. “Despite everything, you were the luckiest of the leaders.”

The psychic rolled his eyes and propped his elbow on the arm of the chair, resting his chin on his hand.

“Look at me, Julius. I'm a shadow of what I was. Don't talk to me about luck.”

“You have a home, Serguei. You've known love, and loss. But look at you—you survived it, and now you have people who love you…”

“No…” the psychic interrupted, raising his head.

Julius smiled ruefully.

“People tend to forget what love is when they grow old. Perhaps you've truly aged.”

“Perhaps,” Serguei said, with a half-smile that didn't reach his eyes.

“Look around you, Serguei. Existence is beautiful and complicated. I don't understand minds, but I'm an expert in paths. I can tell you that the paths we take aren't always the best, and often the darkest place is exactly where we should be.” The Sonar rose and walked around the room. He dragged a finger over the stone fireplace near the bed and studied the sword mounted above it. “You were the most feared man in Jupiter. You loved and were loved, lived to see your son grow up and taught him to be strong. You fought for your people, were the Pillar of a nation, deceived the king and sheltered a city. You were great, Serguei.”