I fell out of my chair trying to get up. Waking up had been terrifying, because I hadn't even realized I'd fallen asleep, and for a second I wasn't sure I was still alive. The cold, hard floor cured me of that right quick. I glared at the Demon Mentor, who was chuckling to himself over my clumsiness. He shrugged, unbothered by my anger, and helped me up.

Basil and Esmi – the real Esmi, not her card – were staring into each others' eyes like moonstruck idiots. Oh, good, that worked. It'd have been a real kick in the stones to go to all the trouble only to not be able to resurrect her. Privately I had wondered if we'd stirred up the hornet's nest for nothing, but I couldn't very well say that to my friends, not when they were both so obviously holding themselves together with hope and shoestrings. I wasn't quite sure what to make of the fact that something had worked out in our favor for once.

There were more immediate problems, though, and since nobody else seemed inclined to handle them, the kid who was currently dying had to step in. "You're not supposed to be here," I told Mother. I sounded half drunk with exhaustion and sleep-stupidness.

"No, I'm supposed to be in my rooms, and so are you," she said, arching an eyebrow. "All that noise about your old card, and then you don't even show up for your appointment with him. I didn't dare summon him; he's unbearable when he starts to pout."

My brain churned. That's right – it was morning now, and I was supposed to spend more time with my card. "How did you find us? I got rid of the Nether stone."

She put her hands on her hips. "I'm your mother. I know how to find my own boy."

"Weird that it took you ten years the first time," I muttered. She gave me a toothy smile, and I ignored it. "Really, though: how did you know we were here? We don't exactly want anyone else barging in."

"Nothing for free, you know that," she chided me. "Though I doubt the others have bothered to keep track of you like I have." She pointed at my Demon Mentor. "That one belongs to Xemris, though. He could sneak off and tattle on you."

The demon cleared his throat. "Honored Yveda, with all respect, you know better. I wouldn't be much of a Mentor if I held to former allegiances once I'm in a new Mind Home. Should I ever return to Xemris the Daughter's Mind Home, I will serve her as best I can. For now I belong to Hull. No true demon would do otherwise."

"True demon," Mother sniffed. "Say 'true idiot' and you'll come closer." Then, as if putting the demon from her mind entirely, she gestured to Basil and Esmi, who were in the midst of an intense, whispered conversation. "Did he talk the necromancers into bringing her back, or did the two of you nick Hestorus's resurrection staff?"

"Surprised you didn't cart it off yourself," I said. "You might has well have brought a wagon, with all you took."

"I only kill people I intend to stay dead," she replied lazily, reclining on one of the covered couches. "Resurrecting someone that couldn't keep themselves alive reeks of indecision." She pulled my Epic card from her pouch and waved it at me. "Now will you get your weeping session out of the way so you and I can get down to business?"

As always, I felt a jolt in the pit of my stomach as soon as I saw the card. It was a visceral wanting that having my hands on the card – even having it in my Mind Home – did not ease. After all these years, it was still a part of me, and I wanted to absorb it into me, to chew it up and swallow it down. Seeing the card brought out the hardscrabble gutter kid in me. I knew I would do anything to have it back. Eat garbage, walk over glass, slit throats. It was mine, it was me, and the most feral, untamed parts of me rose to the surface as soon as I saw it.

That's why I survived. I suddenly knew with a stone-cold certainty that the reason I'd lived after Mother tore the card out of me was because I'd had to fight for everything right from the start. Little Hull had been cagey about the time he'd spent in the Lows during our early years, but he'd let slip that even when Mother was with me, we lived hand-to-mouth and that she often left me to fend for myself. I'd known how to pick pockets and carry shivs long before she pulled her disappearing act. Yes, being young might have had something to do with it, and quite likely my parents' high rarity had helped, but at the core, I'd survived because I'd been a rabid mutt all along. I'd survived because I wanted to fight, and I'd endured because I wanted revenge. A stolen soul card was just more fuel for the fire of my hate.

I didn't need to test the theory; as soon as I had the thought it resonated inside me like a struck bell. I'd solved Mother's little mystery… and by Fortune's sweaty stones, I'd die like a dog before she heard it from my lips. Let her wonder 'til her dying day. It'd serve her right.

"Sure, hand it over," I said as casually as I was able, as if I hadn't just had my brain struck by lightning. "Maybe the little shit will actually say something useful this time."

"Don't hold your breath," she said dryly. She held out the card, still sitting at her ease, expecting me to cross the space and fetch it despite the fact that she knew every step cost me dearly. I stumbled over and snatched the precious thing, hating how weak I looked and hating that she got to see it. Once I had the Epic in hand, though, I found myself standing over her, staring. There was something else in her pocket, I could feel it. It resonated and pulled at me as strongly as my old Epic card did, but with an entirely different feeling. It pulsed like a heartbeat. It was warm and welcoming. It whispered of strength and protection.

She had my living soul card in that pouch, too.

"Something on your mind?" Mother asked pointedly. She made a shooing motion with one hand, her brow creased with annoyance. Seemed she didn't like having folks look down on her.

Could I pick her pocket? It's been a while. Maybe if she were distracted. I had the Epic in my hands; if I could get the Uncommon back I could just go and figure the rest out myself. Penkmun would help me with the details. For now, though, I needed to stop staring and think of something to say. If I just said 'nothing,' I feared she'd get suspicious.

"I don't like you being here when I talk to him," I said, putting on a hint of sullenness as I walked back over to where Basil and Esmi were.

"Beggars and choosers, darling," she smirked.

"But I'll have to entirely reimagine my whole approach," Esmi was saying quietly. She and Basil will still holding hands, but there were tears in the girl's eyes, and I could feel the tension between them. "I've refined that deck for years, and now not only do I not have that deck, I couldn't use half of it if I did!"

"I had no idea this would occur, dearest," Basil said helplessly. "It's a terrible blow, and I'm so sorry… but my love, you're Epic now. Is that not a significant upside?"

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"An Epic without a deck, in the middle of a war, with an entirely untested Source and no coherent battle strategy." I'd never heard her sound so bitter. "Honestly, I don't even know what to say."

I stumped over to them. "How about starting with 'thank you forever for not leaving me dead'?"

She blushed and frowned at me. "Don't think me ungrateful–"

"Don't act like it, then," I snapped. "This man has been through literal torture for you, and you're bitching about your missing deck?"

She went even redder. "It's not that! Hull, my card has been changed."

I rolled my eyes. Even that hurt. "I'd cry for you, except a couple of days ago my mother ripped my soul card out of me. For the second time. As an experiment."

"An experiment I need to collect more data on, if this horribly boring conversation could ever end," Mother murmured, picking at her talons.

Basil bristled, but it was half-hearted. "Hull, I hardly think–"

"No, you shut up too," I ordered him. "You two have it in you to be the happiest, best people this world will ever see, and I'll let Fate take me if I let you bitch and hurt each other over little things. And as I see it, you both as good as died in the last short while, and now you've got each other back. Everything is little things for you now. Treat each other right, or Twins help me, I'll…" My righteous ire dimmed, and I realized how stupid I sounded. "I dunno, I'll do something."

Everyone in the room stared at me, dumbfounded. I felt like an idiot.

That was when Afi popped into existence next to me. "Oh, you're all here! Wonderful!"

Mother was suddenly on her feet. "I thought you didn't want visitors, Hull."

"Wasn't talking about her," I said, waving her off. To Afi, I said, "I thought we'd have to wait until tonight to see you. What's happening?"

"Lots," she said warily, eyeing Yveda. "Who's this?"

"My mother," I said, feeling tired. "You met her at the Gala, but she didn't look like this."

"Still fooling around with this one?" Mother said dismissively. "You should be careful with whores."

Tired or not, half-dead or not, I was in Mother's face before I even realized I'd moved. "Say that again and it's the last time you ever see me," I said coldly. "Card or no card. Afi matters."

Mother's eyebrows shot up. "Well–"

I took her by the arm. "Mother. I mean it."

She peered at me curiously and then shrugged. "My apologies, young lady. My son appears more taken with you than I expected."

"Uh," Afi said, looking from one person to the next, "that's fine, I suppose. Could the rest of us talk privately for a moment?"

I had a flash of inspiration and crossed back to her, taking her hand very intentionally. "Yes. Very privately, please." Once she was looking at me, I flicked my eyes to Esmi and Basil, trying to put as much meaning into the glance as I could.

Afi nodded decisively and put her other hand on Basil's and Esmi's where they touched. "You got it."

My mother twitched, looking suspicious. "Wait–"

It was too late. The storeroom disappeared, and we were suddenly in Afi's Mind Home.

"Amazing," Basil said, eyes wide. Esmi, speechless, nodded her agreement.

I laughed and it made my knees buckle. With a yelp of surprise, Afi found herself supporting me.

"Son of a bitch, we did it," I said. "I even got the card." I waggled it in front of Afi. "My old card. Isn't it beautiful?"

"What about your other one?" Afi asked as she eased me into a comfortable wingback chair. I could see her Souls congregated in an adjacent chamber peeking in on us in concerned curiosity. Apparently they were no more used to having extra people in their Mind Home than we were to being inside of one.

"Still have to get it from her, but I think I know how," I sighed, relaxing into the chair. "One problem at a time, please."

"We're in your Mind Home?" Esmi asked, awed.

"Hold on, you're alive!" Afi blurted. "You were dead!"

The next little while was all explanations and catching up, and I may have nodded off for part of it. At the very least, I was having a hard time keeping track of the conversation. Finally, though, Afi said, "Now we have to get you all back to the Queen and Lord Hintal. I know their doors as well as my own at this point, but I've never tried to take anyone else outside of my Mind Home, so I don't know how it will work. We need to be very careful. Everyone has to keep touching me the whole time. If you let go… well, I don't have any idea what would happen. Maybe you fall back into the real world in some random place, but maybe you cease to exist entirely. Let's not find out, okay?"

"Mistress, is all well?" a new voice said. I looked up and saw her snake-person Soul standing in the doorway, looking protective.

"Better than well," Afi said with a smile. "Thank you, Sparks. Best get used to some new faces popping in every now and then."

The Soul bowed and withdrew.

"You give your souls nicknames?" Basil asked, sounding relieved.

"Doesn't everyone?" Afi responded. "Come on now, let's go." She moved to a stout, iron-studded door in the far wall, putting her hand on the latch and taking a deep breath. "Everybody hold tight. Make sure you're touching my skin."

I shuffled over. With a look of concern, Afi let go of the door and draped one of my arms over her neck. I tried not to lean on her too much, but I definitely wasn't standing upright. My other hand still clutched my Epic card. I stuffed it into my pouch. I had a feeling if I dropped it out there in the wherever-we-were-going, I'd never see it again. Esmi took Afi's free hand, and Basil crowded in to grab her wrist right above where Esmi held on.

"Oh wait, I think I have to be the one to open the door," Afi said, laughing nervously. She shook free of Esmi and Basil and opened the portal. Endless gray mist twisted beyond it. She held out her hand to the others. "Here we go."

We were a nervous, quiet group as we shuffled out, turning awkwardly as a group so we could file out of the door without letting go of Afi. I couldn't see a damn thing. The mist seemed alive, churning and billowing on all sides.

"You said there are other doors out here?" Esmi asked. Her voice sounded muted, as if sound didn't carry right in this unreal space.

"All over," Afi said. "You don't see them?"

"I can't even see my own feet," Basil admitted.

I said nothing. The mist was swirling around me, and it felt as if it were growing colder. Everything was going gray.

"Why are you shivering?" Afi asked me.

"How are you not?" I retorted weakly. "Worse than a winter night out here." I looked over and saw only a shadow where I expected her face. "I can't see shit."

"Something's wrong," Afi said, sounding scared.

"Why does he look like that?" Esmi said distantly.

"Like what?" I murmured. So sleepy.

"You look like mist," Basil said, sounding like he was a million miles away. "I can see right through you."

"Back!" Afi barked. I heard real terror in her voice, but I was having trouble caring. Or feeling much of anything, for that matter. "We have to go back!"

Everything went fuzzy for a while. I wondered if I'd drifted off to sleep again. No, that can't be right. I wasn't in the chair anymore. We were walking. Weren't we?

A sharp slap shocked me back to wakefulness. We were back in Afi's Mind Home somehow, and all three of them were staring down at me in concern. Afi was rearing back to hit me again.

I raised a weak hand to ward her off. "What the hell?"

She sagged against me. "Thank the Twins."

"The mistiness is gone," Basil said, clasping hands with Esmi.

"What's going on?" I asked. I tried to stand up, but my legs weren't having it.

"You started merging with the mist," Afi said. "I think you're too weak to go outside."

"I'm fine," I said. "Just don't slap me anymore."

"You are not fine," Esmi said flatly. "A few more seconds and you'd have disappeared entirely."

"Shit," Afi said. "Now what do we do?"

There was a knock at the door.

Afi whirled around, her face painted in shock. The rest of us froze.

"Does… that happen often?" Basil whispered.

"Never," Afi said, her voice shaking. "There's nothing alive out there. It's an empty city."

The knock came again, polite but insistent.

"Apparently not," Esmi said.

"What do we do?" Afi repeated.

The knock sounded again.

"I think you have to answer it," I said. I didn't know why I said it. It just felt right.

She edged forward. "This is impossible," she whispered. "Twins protect us."

Basil stepped in front of Esmi. I thought about pulling Source, but when I reached into my soul for it, I found nothing but a glass wall. No summoning inside of Mind Homes, apparently.

With a white face and shaking hands, Afi pulled open the door. A tall, shadowed figure stood in the mist.

"What a lively little gathering!" a cheerful voice boomed. "I wondered what my next step would be. I suppose I ought not be surprised that it would involve some of you."

I stared. I knew that voice. We all did. The man stepped forward far enough for the light from inside the Mind Home to shine on his face.

Hestorus the Sun King, my dead father, stood there smiling at us. "May I come in?"

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