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Marcos wasn’t sure what the reason was, but he suspected that finally being able to see his father again had something to do with it, even if the man was still unconscious. The presence of the other Rainlords might have helped, too. Dimas in particular.

The party of limousines didn’t stop for another break until they reached Seisoro, and by then, it was nearly dark again. They’d been driving all day long, and yet Moaban was still a few hours away. Everyone needed to stretch their legs, use the restroom, and finally get a bite to eat. Marcos entered the gas station’s little store with his sisters and a host of guardians, including Dimas and Hector.

Marcos didn’t know what to make of the Atreyan lord. He looked to be about Cisco’s age, but that didn’t mean anything. The guy could be eighty years old for all they knew, and from the sound of it, perhaps he was, since he’d apparently gone up against Melchor Blackburn and not died in two seconds. Marcos had been hoping someone would ask Hector about that, but no one did, and Marcos wasn’t comfortable asking himself, so he just let the matter drop.

It did make him think of Cisco, though. And Gema. He wondered where they were now. He wondered if he would ever see them again. But mostly, he wondered if they would hate him.

When Shenado had told him what his mother had done, he hadn’t understood. It had taken a while. It was a difficult thing to grasp. That someone had actually sacrificed their life for his...? That it had been Ma...? That she was just gone now...?

It still didn’t really make sense to him, if he was honest. How could she do a thing like that? How could she have loved him that much? He’d never done anything to deserve that kind of love. He’d caused her nothing but problems. How could...? It didn’t...

‘Marcos,’ came Shenado’s echoing voice.

And abruptly, he realized that he was just standing there in front of a shelf full of chips. His nose was running, and his eyes were hot with tears. He wiped his face with his sleeve. ‘Sorry,’ he said.

‘There’s nothing to apologize for,’ said the eagle with burning black eyes. She wasn’t quite perched on the shelf, instead hovering just slightly above it.