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"We can use the portal to sneak the babies out," I said "All I have to do is open it in the nursery, and we can wheel the cribs through before the leyworms can stop us"

She quirked her ood idea, but I don’t think it’s the right one"

"Why isn’t it right?"

"Because we need the leyworms They’re the only ones who can feed the cupids without us resorting to offering ourselves or others to do the job" She sighed "Until we have a better place to move them, we’ll have to hope the leywor once Slitheren and the younger leyworer Maybe Kassus wouldn’t be able to get past the leviathans In any case, his presence would be a golden opportunity for et his blood and free my mom

I had lunch with Elyssa, and then travelled via the portal to see Mom She didn’t respond when I knocked on the side of the trailer I knocked again,sick orry What if she’dshe could last?

"Moain

"I’h of relief "How are you feeling?"

"Tired," she said "I considered putting ht cost tooreserves"

I should have taken the chance with Kassus earlier, I thought Damn it, why didn’t I try?

"I’m sure my health isn’t the only reason you’ve coer and took deep breaths to center myself on the task at hand Then I told her about the cupids

Her incredulous gasp echoed froain? How is this possible?"

"I think it’s the sa to the last thing she remembered at the destruction of the Grand Nexus "It’s why you were raised as a child by the Conroys"

"It’s unbelievable, but it makes sense," she said, wonder still in her voice

"Yeah, as if anything about life makes sense," I said "Well, Kassus found out about the to the relics with Alabaster Arches and clearing them of cherubs That’s how they stumbled across the cupid nursery We may need to move the babies, but we’re not sure how to feed the soul essence at this age?" Mom said "They shouldn’t require that for the first few years, at least not until they learn to channel"

"Channel?" I said

"Yes, that’s e call it e use our ?" I pulled out ined how Shelton and the others did it "Arcanes channel through staffs and wands"

"That’s actually casting," Moic, and there are many differences The source remains the same, but the method is much different"

"Explain," I said

"Arcanes use an internal well to hold their aether When they use h a staff, wand, or other instrument to enact the spell Our kind have the ability to channel aether directly from the source"

"But we have an internal well," I said

"We do, yes, and it’s er than an Arcane’s On the downside, we don’t utilize it as efficiently as Arcanes do, possibly because they’ve had centuries to perfect casting from smaller reservoirs"

I still wasn’t too clear on the difference between channeling and casting, except for hoe utilized the aether I could appreciate the strength we had, na able to draw directly from a ley line and into a spell But ere off subject

"Back to the cupids--you say they shouldn’t be feeding off soul essence yet Why do you think these are?"

"Perhaps they are different since they’ve been reborn They are not normal Seraphier, but she didn’t have el infants breastfed like humans Our brief conversation only raised more questions, which I didn’t ask since Mom sounded so tired

I pressedI could touch her hand, or bring her co picked up the faint sounds of crying from within "I love you, too, son I’h"

I leanedmy eyes shut to dam up the tears "It’s okay," I said, ht was faht Dad would buy pizza, and ould all watch a rown older, I’d wanted to hang out withwith the parents

What I wouldn’t give to have that back right now