But, all that in mind, she seemed to find refuge in her parents.

“What—” I started.

“This power I lost. Do I get it back?”

“Yeah. I got mine back after ten minutes or so.”

Rain nodded.

“What happened with Erin?”

“The Fallen ruined it. I ruined it. She wouldn’t leave. I couldn’t stay.”

“I’m sorry.”

“Don’t let me hurt Mama. I’d do it in a stupid way that might get people hurt,” he said.

“Yeah,” I said. I nodded slowly. “One day, maybe you return the favor on that.”

He made a small, amused sound. Aside from a laugh here or there, at the bad cape names, or a good moment with Tristan, I wasn’t sure I’d ever seen that from him.

“Sure,” he said.

“All set, coming down!” March called out. “We’re taking this slow.”

“What would you have done, if she hadn’t called it off?” Rain asked.

“Controlled collapse of the structure,” I said. “If she had hostages in there, I’d set it up so she’d have to tell me.”

The whiteness in my eyes flared up. I rubbed at one eye, uselessly.

“There’s a chance she’d throw their lives away to fuck with you,” Rain said.

I drew in a deep breath, sighed. “Yeah. That was a risk.”

“With some people, you don’t get to win,” Rain said. “She’s that kind of person. Be careful.”

I nodded, folding my arms.

“I like the costume,” he said. “March told me I shouldn’t be so negative all the time, so I figured I’d say it. I feel like I’ve missed a lot.”

I winced.

“What happened?” he asked.

“Damsel happened.”

“Damsel?” he asked. “Is she okay?”

“She’s alive and mostly intact,” I said. “Damage to her prosthetic. But someone else is dead.”

“Shit. Is it—”

I could hear March. “I’ll catch you up on particulars later. But you should know, because we’re going to have to explain it to Looksee.”

Rain nodded. “Shit.”

March emerged. She had Mama Mathers wrapped in a bedsheet, which was bound with cord that had tassels on the end. Something from her costume, it seemed.

I didn’t know or trust March. “Is it her? That’s Mama Mathers?”

“It’s her,” Rain said. “I’ve seen her enough to know.”

“You and I need to have a conversation about your power,” March said. “The emotion power.”

“I forgot to turn it off while you were inside.”

“I know what it does,” she said. “It’s not strong.”

“It’s never strong.”

“But it’s not useless either. Nearly useless,” she said.