That shoulder-bump startles a laugh out of Gene. "Oh, you're being serious?" he says. "No. Don't be proud of me. I've come through a lot of awful things, yes, but I've done more. I'm doing better, though. I'm trying."

He sighs. "Have you been able to speak with Vee?" Kaa were something he hadn't tried to mess with since he'd arrived back here. He had barely been able to connect to his own after his shadow test before everything went off the rails.