“I will try. Sadly, it’s not always up to me. I can’t help what gets through.”

Grimacing, Hauk made a scratching gesture on each side of his face.

Hadrian cringed as he dropped his backpack and covered his eyes with his hands. “Stop it! You’re killing me!”

“Yeah, well. You traipse there and you get where my thoughts go.”

Hadrian grimaced. “I need brain bleach.”

Syn handed him the bottle of Tondarion Fire. “It does wonders.”

“Thanks.” He took a swig before he turned back to Jayne. “You ready?”

“Lead and I will follow.”

Hadrian paused at her flippant words. Though he couldn’t read her, they struck him strangely as he had a feeling she didn’t really say them lightly.

He handed the whisky back to Syn before he resisted the urge to clap Hauk on the arm again. While he meant what he said about protecting them, the Andarion male was still skittish.

Not that he blamed him. Hauk had his own demons.

Maybe I was lucky, after all.

With his family dead, there had been no one to stab him through his heart. Poor Hauk didn’t have that. His family had let him down every way imaginable.

It was why Hauk had moved on and made his family with Nykyrian and Syn.

Nykyrian . . .

He had no idea who that was, but from the level of love and loyalty that Syn and Hauk had for him . . . he must be worth it. That was the kind of friendship he’d always wanted.

Someone who had his back. No matter what.

Family isn’t just those who share your blood. It’s the ones who are willing to bleed for you.

The Book of Harmony was very explicit when it came to defining family.

Those who stay. The ones who run toward you in a crisis without an excuse and expect nothing in return.

Who are you kidding, Hadrian?

He didn’t believe in their gods. How could he? Honestly, he wasn’t even sure why he kept that tattered worn out copy of the Harmony that Nero had given him when he’d been a boy.

The only explanation he had was sentimentality. It’d belonged to their father who had given it to Nero when he’d gone through confirmation.

But unlike his brother, Hadrian didn’t think for one moment that some esoteric god gave a single shit about them. If He had, He would have stopped the annihilation of a peaceful race before it happened.

Still . . .

He liked the poetry of the book. The optimism. Even if it was pithy bullshit at times.

You have to believe in something, kiddo.

He could hear Nero’s voice in his head. Along with his automatic response. “I believe in me.”

Maybe that was all there was to life. Believing in yourself. Because everyone else would just disappoint and hurt you.

When all was said and done, you came into the world alone and you left it that way.

By yourself.