## ALPHA ZEUS' POV

The thought of my brother, Maicon, was an ugly one. I wasn't afraid of him as a man—I had grown up without learning what fear felt like—but I dreaded the idea of his return. I remembered every detail of his exile. Five years ago, I had signed the decree myself, carrying out our father's direct orders to cast him beyond our borders.

His exile was supposed to last five full years. His time was almost up, though I couldn't remember the exact day it ended.

I stopped dead in the middle of the hallway. "Maxwell, what was the exact date my brother was exiled?"

Maxwell pulled...