"Here he goes," Castor said, watching Eric climb up to Abigail's balcony. "He should have a dramatic entrance."

"Castor," Altair said in a warning voice. "Don't be a show off."

"Is it showing off if they don't know it's me?" Castor lifted his hands and gave a little pulse of his fingers. A harsh breeze whipped up behind Eric, forcing the balcony doors of Abigail's room open.

"Must you do that?"

"Just because you don't enjoy your elemental power doesn't mean I'm not going to enjoy mine." Castor beckoned at the doors and a breeze pulled back through, shutting them again. "We should go, we're going to miss the show."

#

The doors closed behind Eric, and Phoenix turned her attention away from him. "How did you do that?"

Eric didn't acknowledge her question, his gaze flickering between Abigail and her. "You said the name in the pass," he said, focusing on Phoenix. "You knew it then. How?"

His turmoil filled the room – one look in his eyes and she knew he was about to unravel. He knew so little about himself.

"Do you know who your parents are?" she asked, cocking her head to the side. "Do you know anything about them?"

Eric hesitated. "No. But they must be dead, or not interested in me, to abandon me."

"They didn't abandon you." Phoenix stepped closer, not taking her eyes off Eric's. "They loved you. They loved you so much they couldn't raise me after you were taken, for fear the same thing would happen again."

"Taken?"

"I think you were two, but I guess I wouldn't really know." Phoenix held out her hand, bare, showing her marks. "You were stolen from them. Most of the Ancients thought you must be dead. Narissa stole you."

Eric flinched. "She didn't – she wouldn't."

"She did. She would. She couldn't have children of her own, but she knew she needed a child - to give an heir to the king. She probably wanted someone who would grow up to be strong, to be a warrior as well as a ruler. Someone who couldn't be challenged. So she chose a young Guardian. I have no idea how she found you, but she did."

Turning away, Eric moved toward the balcony doors, but stopped. "You can't know this."

"I can." Phoenix remained where she stood, watching him. "They told me, well, they told me you'd been taken. They didn't know where you went. I figured that out later. Castor and Altair told me enough."

"Castor." Eric shook his head. "You said it before, and I know that name."

"He's your Watcher. I'm sure you've seen him many times in your dreams. It wasn't until about a year ago that I remembered either of them outside of mine."

Eric glanced over his shoulder at her, fear and concern storming in his eyes. "I remember him." His eyes closed, and Phoenix knew he was feeling the same onslaught of pieced together memories – dreams with Castor. "I know him."

"He's an Ancient. One of the original eight, but not much older than either of us. Maybe your age in Braskian years." She stepped closer. "He's been watching over you since Narissa took you. Adonai chose him to keep an eye on you. He couldn't even tell your parents where you were. He had to keep it a secret."

"Do you...do you know my parents?" Despite being the older of the two, Phoenix felt like a much younger Eric looked out at her. Somewhere in her heart the name stirred. Ares. This was Ares, who Eric had been all along.

"I know them." Phoenix crossed her wrists and took Eric's hands, so their markings matched – his left hand in her left hand, right in right. "They gave me to Norman and Claire. They spent time with me all growing up. Both were too afraid of losing me the way they lost you to keep me close to them."

Eric's eyes narrowed, his lips pursing. She let things sink in for a moment, almost seeing the wheels spinning behind his eyes.

"Not all Guardians have marks. It's a sign of their parentage." Phoenix lifted their hands, holding his against her chest to better display the similarities. "The bolder the marks, the stronger the Guardian. But no two are the same."

Eric pulled his hands away, shaking his head. "I know what you're trying to say, but it's impossible. We're nothing alike. Just because we have the same marks doesn't mean –"

"I'm your mirror, Ares. You have Selene's light skin, and I have Elyo's dark skin. You have her eyes, but his chin. I have the opposite. We both have her nose and his shoulders. I'm fire," she formed a little ball in her hand, letting it blaze.

Eric let out a shaky breath. "And I'm ice." He brought up his left hand, a ball of ice forming, somehow solid and liquid at the same time, so cold a fog hovered around it. Phoenix turned her hand over his, dropping her fire down. A hissing noise and steam filled the room as their palms met.

"Brother and sister," Phoenix said, her lips twitching into the faintest grin. "Is it really that surprising?"

Eric stayed silent for a long moment, staring down at their hands – light and dark, blue and red, left and right. "I'm not alone."

"No. You're not. You never have been. Since the day I was born we were a pair, and since the day we met we've shared a bond. Now you know why."

"Maverick's not your blood brother?"

"No. You are." Phoenix dropped her hands to her side. "But he's my brother just the same."

"How did I never sense it? Your signature is weak at best."

Phoenix pulled her necklace free from underneath her tunic, stretching the combined sun and moon pendant out for him to see. "This keeps me from being noticed."

Eric's whole body jerked as his eyes widened. He dug at the collar of his dress uniform and pulled a chain from beneath. On the end of the chain hung a pendant, larger than hers, but identical.

"Narissa said she gave me this to keep me safe."

A jolt of anger flashed through Phoenix. "I think she took what you already had and made it the cloak that kept our parents from finding you."

Eric frowned down at the necklace. "They gave this to me?"

"They gave me mine."

"Can I meet them?"

Smiling, Phoenix nodded. "I think that's a good idea. Selene, Elyo – I think you ought to come down here." She thought of the time of month and rolled her eyes. "Full moon be damned."

They appeared in a flash of silver and gold light. Selene already had tears running down her cheeks.

"It's not a full moon. That's still a week away."

Elyo said nothing, his jaw set as he stared at Eric. Phoenix knew they'd been watching him ever since they'd found out who he was, but this was the first time they'd seen him up close, distraction free. A heavy silence hung in the air, filling the room with an awkward discomfort.

"Ares," Phoenix put a hand on Eric's shoulder. "This is Selene and Elyo. Your parents. Parents, this is Ares, who answers to Eric."

Tension dissolved, Selene took a hesitant step forward. "Ar-Eric." She held out her arm in a formal Braskian greeting.

Eric mirrored the gesture, clasping her forearm as she clasped his. "It's nice to finally meet you."

With a quick tug, Selene pulled him into her arms – not an easy feat, with Eric being several inches taller. Elyo let out a whimper and wrapped his arms around both of them. The Ancients fussed over Eric, taking in every inch of him in ecstatic joy. For his part, Eric remained relatively impassive, observing, saying little. Phoenix could tell he was overwhelmed and a bit wary, but couldn't blame him. She'd grown up with visits from their parents, but they were strangers to Eric.

Phoenix turned to look at Abigail, but her friend wasn't in the room. Neither was Reed. She bit down on her lower lip and slipped out of the room.

Abigail had taken up residence in Phoenix's bedroom, Reed asleep in the center of the bed. She glanced up as Phoenix entered.

"How is he?"

"Hard to tell. He's with Selene and Elyo now. It's a lot to take in."

"What does this mean? His knowing?"

"I don't know. Hopefully that he and I can work together toward the same purpose." Phoenix sighed, watching Reed's steady breathing. "Why'd you leave?"

"Seemed best to give you two your moment."

"Or were you just avoiding telling him your own truth."

Abigail didn't meet her eye. "Things are different now. Maybe when all is said and done, the Militia disbanded and the Army under both Eric and Maverick's control...but no. Now's not the time. You've given him enough of a burden as it is."

"Burden?" Phoenix frowned. "How is knowing who he is a burden?"

"He's connected now. Family fills us up, but they also bring us down. If this comes to war—"

"It won't. Not now."

"If it did," Abigail continued. "Eric wouldn't just be worrying about himself now. He'd be worried about you."

"He'd be worried about me anyway."

"It's not the same. You worried about Maverick long before you cared about Eric in the same way. What happens if both are in danger and you can only save one?"

Phoenix stared at her, her heart hammering in her chest. "That won't happen."

"But if it did? And what will Eric do if you and I are both in danger. Who does he save? No. It's better to remove myself from the equation. Fewer choices need to be made."

"Just because you aren't telling him everything doesn't mean he suddenly wouldn't care if you were in danger."

"And what about Trey?" Abigail said, not even acknowledging Phoenix's statement. "There are people out there who want him dead. We don't even know who his parents are. Narissa already tried to have him executed once. Then that crazy woman at the Militia sent someone to kill him after she couldn't in the blizzard."

"What does Trey have to do with telling Eric about Reed?"

"It's all connected." Abigail stared straight ahead. "And I'm afraid it's all coming to a head."

Things are getting crazier.

Eric knows! ERIC KNOWS! Well, about his parentage, anyway. What do you think about the big reveal? Feels? What do you think he'll do next?

We need to head back to the castle. Technically Mav and the crew are on a different week than Phoenix, but their story is about to hit A MAJOR PLOT POINT that I'm jazzed about. So there's that.