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The aide grunted.
Cain politely dismissed him. Once the solar room door closed behind the gargoyle, Cain cut his gaze to Ishtar. “The melodrama is getting old. You only embarrass yourself at moments like this.”
An angry blush turned her face crimson. “Tell me it isn’t true.”
“What is it exactly you’re referring to?”
Her eyes flared. “Do not play stupid with me. You know what I’m talking about. Have you gone completely mad?”
Cain leaned back in his seat. “Can we truly say that any Ancient is actually sane?”
She squinted. “What game are you playing?”
“None whatsoever.”
“Liar. You do not claim women. You do not claim anyone. You keep everyone hanging on the periphery of your life. Yet, you left your seal on her.”
“I did,” Cain confirmed, satisfaction dripping from his voice.
“Why? You must have an angle, but I am not seeing it.”
“There isn’t one.”
She scoffed, flapping a hand. “Life itself is a game to you and, as I once warned the witch, we are all just pieces on your chessboard. She stupidly paid no heed to my warning.” Ishtar propped her hands on her hips. “Do you think that your seal will protect her from the Aeons? Is that it? If so, this was senseless. You have only made her more of a target.”
“There is no possible way to make her more of a target. Regardless of what you believe, I had no ulterior motive. I imprinted my seal on Wynter because I wanted to lay a rightful claim to what’s mine. Simple as.”
“Yours?” Ishtar scoffed. “You don’t even know her.”
“Time will fix that.”
“She doesn’t know you.”
“Wynter understands me better than anyone.”
Ishtar’s eyes blazed. “She understands who she thinks you are. But the real Cain? She has not met him, has she? She has no clue what you are, what you can do, or how badly you could hurt her. The monster she carries is nothing compared to yours. She has no idea that your creature even exists.”
“Not yet, but she will.”
Ishtar’s mouth fell open. “You cannot seriously plan to tell her about it.”
“I have no choice. It wants to keep her. Permanently.”
“You cannot think that will ever happen. She would reject your monster in an instant.”
His creature snarled at that. “Lilith’s old consort didn’t reject her monster.”
“That was different. You are different. You have more—and much darker—secrets than the rest of us.”
“Wynter could handle them.”
Ishtar’s hands slipped from her hips. “What you are saying . . . is that you not only plan to tell her about your creature, you plan to tell her everything?”
“At some point, yes.”
She shook her head, utterly baffled. “Why would you do that? Why trust a mortal with such secrets? Her life will be over in the blink of an eye. For heaven’s sake, Cain, you are not being rational.”
“You coming here and having a tantrum because I claimed a consort isn’t rational.”
