"How could that be...? No. No, that’s impossible. That can’t be real!"
"Logan—Vander died by my hand. I was the one who pushed him down. I watched him fall into the fire."
"When I was holding Jinx, his bod—" Silco couldn’t finish. Hollow-eyed, he tried to drop back into his seat, but the chair had already been kicked over when he stood up.
Logan reacted instantly, grabbing Silco’s arm so he didn’t crash to the floor.
"Did you ever find Vander’s body afterward?" Logan asked, staring at Silco seriously.
"I left him there," Silco answered, looking back at Logan.
"What are you two even talking about?!" Vi cut in violently, forcing herself between them. With her back to Silco and her face to Logan, she demanded loudly, "Are you joking right now? I saw it too. That’s not a funny joke, Logan."
"Calm down, Vi. I have no reason to lie to you. Vander matters to too. I’m not going to use him for so sick joke," Logan said.
Then he turned to look at Jinx. Isha was pressed close to her, with Zeri and Ekko standing behind them.
Zeri clearly had no idea what was going on, while Ekko just stared at Logan with his mouth slightly open.
Logan lifted a hand and beckoned Jinx over.
But hesitation flickered across Jinx’s small face.
She bit her lower lip, her nose wrinkling as she looked at Logan.
Should she go over?
Did she... still have the right to be part of anything that involved Vander?
"Co here, Jinx," Logan said.
At his voice, Jinx sucked in a breath, set down the pen she’d been using to tease Janna, and walked toward Logan.
Then she stopped at his side.
No longer bursting with energy, she looked pale and drained, shrinking behind Logan as she watched Vi—riled up and shaking—and Silco, who looked like his soul had been ripped out.
"That’s Vander," Logan said. "Who in all of Zaun didn’t know him? But after that day, Silco—did you ever hear anyone talking about where Vander’s body was buried?"
Silco raised his head to Logan. "No. But Vander did disappear. I left him there on purpose, because they would take him away and bury him."
Logan nodded.
If that was the case, then it wasn’t strange at all.
If Singed used Vander’s body for experints, then it was probably from the people Silco sent afterward to retrieve the body. Because no matter how vicious Silco was, there was no way he would willingly hand Vander’s corpse to Singed to be turned into a lab specin.
Silco and Vander were brothers. They’d once stood on the sa side. Later they split because their paths diverged, but what they’d shared didn’t just vanish.
Leaving Vander there so the people of the Lanes—people grateful for what Vander had done—could take him and give him a proper burial...
That reasoning held up.
Except for one problem.
Singed was a thief.
"That’s where it goes wrong," Logan said. "Vander was probably taken by Singed—and used for experints."
"But even if that’s true," Silco said, "he was dead then. Even if Singed ’brought him back,’ what ca back would be an experint. A monster."
As he spoke, he nodded, his tone turning absolute. "That wouldn’t be Vander."
"Silco—he cares about Zaun more than anyone," Logan said. "And he has two kids here he can’t let go of. He won’t surrender."
"..."
"And besides," Logan added, "we have Janna now. She can help us."
The goddess curled up inside the little house Jinx had made for her. Hearing her na, she froze, as if she wanted to say sothing—then said nothing at all.
Could she... really?
Even at her peak, she couldn’t bring the dead back to life. What was Logan talking about?
But Logan’s thoughts were clear.
Maybe Janna couldn’t.
Ahri definitely could.
"Yes—yes, we have Janna!" Vi finally understood what they were saying, and the words ca out in a rush. "If what Logan says is true, then we have to find him. We have to find Vander!"
"We can’t let him beco a monster. I can’t just leave him alone out there."
"Powder... you feel that too, don’t you?" Vi looked at Jinx.
This ti, Jinx didn’t argue with the na. Her lips parted. Behind Logan’s back, her hand clenched tight around his clothes as she lowered her head. "I... I don’t know."
"What?"
"Powder, what are you saying? That’s Vander! You... you don’t want him to co back?" Vi went still. Her voice rose for a split second, like her temper was about to ignite—then she forced it down, looking at Jinx as she lowered her voice.
Vi knew this wasn’t the mont to explode.
"Of course I want him back," Jinx said, lifting her head to Vi. "He wasn’t just your father. He was mine too."
"But I’m scared. I’m scared!" Jinx’s eyes shook. "What I did... would Vander bla ? Would he forgive ?"
Logan went quiet, about to speak—when another voice cut in.
"Jinx."
Silco closed his eyes, and said softly, "He will."
"He will. I’m sure of it."
When Silco opened his eyes again, his certainty was unwavering.
Yes. Vander would.
No father refuses to forgive his daughter’s mistakes. More than that—fathers will carry those sins for their daughters.
If it were him... he would, too.
Silco once couldn’t understand Vander.
But now, Silco was Vander.
Jinx was his daughter. And if Vander truly ca back only to rage and refuse to forgive Jinx, then Silco wouldn’t mind killing him again—even if Logan killed Silco for it.
He would still do everything he could to make Vander die a second ti.
Jinx was perfect.
No one had the right to condemn her.
Silco’s gaze gradually steadied, cooling into focus.
He looked at Logan and said in a low voice, "Alright, Logan. Tell everything—tell how I’m supposed to find my brother. The brother I killed... and who sohow ca back."
"Easy," Logan said. "First, we find Singed."
"Once we find him, we restrain him imdiately. Don’t listen to a single word he says—doesn’t matter what it is. Lock him down first, and then I’ll figure out how we deal with the rest."
Logan’s voice was hard with conviction.
He raised it, making sure everyone heard. "I have a way."
"Sevika," Silco said. "You heard all of that, right?"
"I understand," Sevika nodded. She turned and walked straight out of the room.
"Logan," Silco said seriously, "at the latest by tomorrow, I’ll turn all of Zaun upside down and find Singed for you."
"I won’t make you wait long." After he said it, he looked at Jinx.
Jinx was looking back at Silco, her expression tangled and complicated.
If Vander ca back... then what did her relationship with Silco beco?
Two fathers?
It was sothing Jinx had never imagined—no... maybe she had three fathers.
Would Vander accept Silco?
The worry was practically written all over her face.
"Don’t worry," Silco said with a small smile. He reached out, wanting to touch Jinx’s cheek—but his hand hesitated and stopped halfway.
What was he to her now? With what right did he get to comfort her?
But in the next mont, Jinx reached out first—she grabbed Silco’s hand and pressed it to her face. She looked up at him with wide eyes, and Silco understood everything in them.
"..."
"Everything will get better," Silco said deeply. "I promise."
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