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They certainly weren't looking at him like he was their peer, though. They were looking at him like he had all the answers, like he was above reproach or question.

The only outliers were Roman Fullister, Matteo Delaguna, Joana Cortes, Silvia Blackburn, and Nere Blackburn. For whatever reason, the Blackburns had decided not to take Nere with them to Vantalay, and with her being such an important figure in the family, Silvia had been chosen to stay behind and watch over her.

Joana, meanwhile, being the head of her own little House, had chosen to stay behind of her own volition. "Someone should be here to look after the children," she'd said.

Ostensibly, she'd been referring to all of the children from all of the Houses, but Hector had a suspicion that she was doing this especially for Zeff and his kids. He was her brother, after all, and she must have known how worried he would be to leave them here.

A part of Hector was still surprised by the fact that Zeff had elected to join the Vantalay rescue team. After everything that man had been through? Leaving Marcos and Ramira here where he couldn't protect them must have been a tough call to make, even for the sake of the other Houses.

Man. If Zeff knew what was happening right now, the news that Hector had just received... it would tear him apart.

He absolutely could not let Zeff down here, Hector thought. Or any of the other Houses, for that matter. There were dozens of very young children here in Warrenhold now, their parents having all gone off to fight in a war and rescue their kin.

Hector was determined. No matter what happened, as long as he was still alive, nothing was going hurt these little Rainlords.