It’s been one of those weeks. Momentum for the cause has picked up. Twelve new Dalafaem have come to La Sombra and each of them needed basic conditioning before they could settle down. It’s terrifying without support.

Sylus and I have both been working day and night to make sure they could acclimate. That the nightmares would subside and the visions could be more useful than mind adding.

Once the basics were settled and they could think straight, we’d start working on conduits. For now, they needed food, lodging, and Voidal therapy.

Sylus found himself largely handling the younger Dalafaem and I the older. It made sense. He was a father and I feel like they saw that in him. It wasn’t by choice. We had no intention of dividing up age groups, but these kids? They must have seen what I saw in him and felt safe.

We worked day and night to help them get their powers under control. Their first peaceful sleep was a great reward to us all.

Still, he and I? We rarely slept. We had to be watchful. Regardless of age, they were our wards. They trusted is with their lives. Lives so many things wanted to control or destroy.

We were tired.

We had to keep up strong facades. We knew what was going on. We could help. We were the only ones who could.

Being a Lord meant Sylus really didn’t need sleep, but being part human, his exhaustion would skitter across his face from time to time.

I couldn’t control the growing bags under my eyes. My body was starting to revolt. Joints ached, muscles stiffened. I felt like I was falling apart.

He’d insist I rest, but I wouldn’t. Not without him. I drew my power from his core and unless we both rested, neither of us would feel any better.

We knew what we’d committed to and both of us took commitments very seriously. We’d rest when every one of our charges was free from torment. Right now, the needed us.

But today was different.

All 20 of our charges showed up in the diner for breakfast. I was both happy and mortified. Sylus peeked out from the kitchen and stifled a groan. We weren’t up to cooking for 20 at once.

But they weren’t sitting. They stood gathered in the dining room, shuffling in place.

“Have a seat.” I motioned to the booths behind them, but they didn’t respond. “Is everything alright?”

A teenager stepped forward and cleared her throat.

“We’ll be okay.” She spoke clearly.

Sylus shambled out of the kitchen in his too-small grease-stained apron. For someone who could control his appearance with the flick of a wrist, he looked like shit. I probably looked a thousand times worse.

“Huh?” Sylus grumbled.

“We’ll be okay for a few hours. I bet we could even last a day.” Mumbles of agreement rippled through the crowd.

Sylus cocked a brow and I was too tired to process what she was saying.

“You make sure we can sleep. You should probably sleep, too.”

“Is it that obvious?” My words slurred together despite my best efforts.

They all nodded.

I felt like I was going to collapse right then and there. Sylus nodded and put an arm around my waist.

“We won’t be far.” He growled before weave walking me upstairs.

He practically threw me onto the bed and collapsed beside me. I opened my mouth to say something but he was already out like a light bulb. It didn’t take long for me to follow.