Quince seemed slightly offended, for he’d forgotten his mistake by now, but he let it go.

Aaron and Ishibashi agreed and headed out on the ghost dragon while Maiven and the rest reboarded Gorgrun and Astrid and continued to Ashguard’s palace.

The two men hadn’t spent much time together lately except in battle. “I’ll be glad when this is over and we can go back home,” Aaron said to the scientist as they glided along. “I miss our quiet island. I miss Daniel and Kaylee. And Ito and Sato.”

“There will be time for catching up,” said Ishibashi, trying to smile but feeling weary. They both knew it was true—it seemed they had all the time imaginable. Ishibashi and Aaron hadn’t talked much lately about the seaweed and how it potentially made them immortal. It was old news. And besides, Kaylee didn’t know the truth, so there weren’t a lot of opportunities to chat about it. Aaron was racked with guilt about not telling her, but how could he? That his life would extend forever while hers would end was heartbreaking.

“Are you holding up all right?” Aaron asked. The old scientist was slight, but he wasn’t frail. Still, this had become quite a lengthy ordeal.

“I have never been better,” Ishibashi said. “This has been a long journey, but I believe it will be a satisfying one. I’m glad I came along to see this beautiful world. I was thrilled to experience the volcano system—what a ride! And so happy to spend time with you, my son. I must tell you, Aaron, that I wasn’t sure about you for a long time. But I am so pleased with the man you have become.”

Tears sprang to Aaron’s eyes. He hadn’t been expecting praise, and the normally quiet scientist had caught him off guard. It was especially meaningful at a time when he was feeling guilty for Thisbe’s actions and wondering if there was some family flaw that would plague the Stowes forever. If Aaron and Thisbe had it, would Daniel someday turn to his evil side too? Aaron had so many questions, and Ishibashi usually had answers. But Aaron could only whisper, “Thank you.”

It was as if Ishibashi could read Aaron’s mind. The old man put his cool, wrinkled hand on top of Aaron’s. After a moment he said, “Every day is a new day, Aaron-san. A chance to try again. We can’t control other people’s choices. But with our gift, we can continue to gain wisdom and be there for our loved ones forever to try to steer the way.”