Theron's brother was named Kael.
William watched them embrace in the dim light of the Underbelly tunnel—two brothers who had been separated by war, by loss, by the cruelty of the old Council. Kael was thinner than Theron, his face gaunt, his eyes hollow. He had been hiding for years, surviving on scraps and fear.
"I thought you were dead," Kael whispered.
"I thought you were erased."
"They tried. They couldn't. I ran."
Theron pulled back and looked at his brother's face. "You ran. You survived. That's enough."
Kael shook his head. "I didn't survive. I just didn't die."
William stepped forward. "Kael. I'm William. I'm a friend of Theron's."
Kael's eyes darted to William's face. "I've heard of you. The boy who broke the Council."
"I'm just a person."
"People don't break Councils. M
