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“On the plus side,” said Harper, “it means you don’t need to worry about using contraceptives. That’s neat, right?”

Lynnette just squinted at him. She was wondering if he was about to admit to joking, but apparently, he was being serious.

“Then again, if you really want to give birth, you could amputate your arm. Or try a surrogate. Personally, though, I’d just recommend adopting. Not enough people adopt, you know. The world already has plenty of kids in need of a good parent, but hardly anyone considers adopting unless they can’t have kids of their own. It’s a real shame.” Another beat passed as he watched Lynnette’s face. “Before you ask, yes, I’ve adopted many children.”

She wasn’t going to ask that.

“They’re all grown up now. It’s why I like to travel so much. They live all over the world. I’ve been thinking of doing it again, but now that I’m with the Vanguard, raising a child would be more complicated. Could also be more exciting, though.” He smiled and let his eyes wander upward a little. “Could take ‘em with me wherever I went and keep ‘em safe while I show ‘em the world. Fantastic, that’d be.”

Lynnette hadn’t realized Mr. Norez could speak at such length so easily. She was starting to think he’d just keep talking unless she stopped him.

“Anyhow, you’re still young. Probably haven’t given any real thought to such things, have you?”

She would have liked to say he was wrong, but he wasn’t. Lynnette had never been the type to fantasize about being a mother or a wife. If it happened, it happened. She didn’t see much reason to dwell on it any more than that. But now, apparently, her options had already dwindled without her knowledge.

An unsettling realization.

She resolved to think about it later. There was still an important question she needed to ask this person. “Can you tell me how to use Incineration?”

Harper briefly turned to the empty space next to him. “Are you talking about your glove’s hidden ability?”

She cocked an eyebrow. “Hidden? I only heard it mentioned in Callum. I don’t know anything else about it.”