"I killed three Rift-Stalkers by myself," Marcus said, and there was pride in his voice, but also something else—a need for approval that Reidar recognized because he had seen the same thing in Jake's eyes when he first met him. But Jake was older, while Marcus was just 9.
Reidar put both hands on Marcus's shoulders. "You did well, buddy. You protected your mom."
Marcus's composure cracked for a moment, and Reidar saw the boy underneath the soldier. The kid who just wanted his dad to come home and tell him everything was going to be okay.
"I'm going to get you both out of here," Reidar said, standing up and looking at Martha.
"Where? The city is surrounded by monsters. The Aegis can barely hold the barriers. And now there are portals opening everywhere. We felt the tremors." She looked at the window. "What's happening, Reidar?"
