ZADE.


    It''ste at night, and Sebastian and Zaia''s older three kids have now gone up to bed and I''m relieved.


    For some reason, the Menace refused to stop looking at me all evening. The oldest, Zion, is pretty


    mature for his age, and he''s grown a lot from thest time I saw him. Sia, she''s decent and tried to get


    the Menace away from me. Even though she did fail.


    The youngest, Kaia, is under a year and she''s walking by holding onto things but not alone yet. She


    kept crying when she saw me at first and the Menace had to give his input. ''She''s scared of your face.


    You do know your eyes are weird?''


    I can still hear himining upstairs about how he doesn''t want to sleep.


    "But why?"


    "Xander please, Mommy''s a little tired now."


    "So Mommy, go bed then, Xander''s not tired."


    That kid...


    "He is a handful. He''s not even scared of you." Valerie chuckles, looking at Sebastian who is working


    on hisputer.


    "Yeah, he''s got a mouth on him." He agrees as he lifts his daughter into hisp, allowing her to grab his


    tie and begin chewing on the edge. He kisses her forehead as Atticus looks over at Valerie. "Did you


    find anything?"


    "Nothing new yet," Valerie sighs, massaging her temples.


    I lean over, running my hand down her back. She smiles over at me.


    Zaia and Valerie had been discussing how they would try to heal Shelby and Ada. For some reason,


    ording to them, trying to do what they did with Sia on a few patients over the years had never


    worked again, not the way it had back then, almost as if it was a miracle in itself.


    "Hmm..." Atticus remarks.


    Hugh is with Shelby. He had spent most of the evening beside her. She seemed to be awake longer


    knowing he was there, but the women were worried she''d overdo it.


    Guess that''s just how love works.


    "Healing hasn''t worked for us again," Sebastian remarks. "There''s got to be a reason."


    "Who knows..." Valerie says as she sits back, cuddling into my side as she skims through the book. I


    put my arm around her, kissing her lips as I slip my fingers under her top, massaging her hip. "We''ll find


    the answer, though."


    My gaze goes back to Atticus. I still n to ask him about Adriana... when I get the chance.


    "I''ll have the detail sent over to you when I get it, Zade," Sebastian says.


    Atticus nods. "The government won''t take well to the fact that we will block all the microchips. Have you


    got a n on what you will tell them?" he asks Sebastian.


    "That''s my problem to deal with," Sebastian replies.


    "Then are you two leaving tomorrow?" Zaia asks as she re-enters the room. Somehow, she obviously


    managed to get the Menace to bed.


    "That''s the n," I reply, as Valerie nods.


    "Mama!" Kaia calls her and Zaia goes over and picks her up.


    This content ? N?v/elDr(a)m/a.Org.


    "She''s ruined my tie," Sebastian says, removing it and passing it to his daughter, who epts it


    happily.


    "Say thank you, Daddy," Zaia coos as Kaia babbles something that sounds only a little like thank you.


    "She''s so adorable!" Valerie says as Zaia brings her over, sitting on the other side of Valerie.


    "I don''t know about you guys, but since the battle, does anyone else feel their powers are fading?" Zaia


    asks quietly as Kaia climbs onto Valerie''sp. "I''ve not felt any weaker," I remark.


    "But you were also in prison for a long while. You might not even remember the extent of what your


    powers were." Atticus remarks. “I feel it a little.”


    "Something Zion said a while back, that since the Goddess''s work is done, her essence will fade too.


    It''s up to us to keep our beliefs alive. I wonder if that meant our powers as well." Sebastian murmurs


    now looking at all of us, the light of hisptop reflecting on his face.