The sound of the lock turning clicks in my ear as she opens the office door. She steps inside like we all work for her—shoulders squared, back straight. Even in the cheap T-shirt she’s wearing today, she looks like the royalty she was always meant to be.
But turned Black Blooded… and chose a human.
She puts my dad above all else. And somehow, that just makes me love her even more.
I can feel her emotions changing already—she’s looking at him the way she always has. It took me years as a kid to understandwhy the love she sends me feels different from what she feels for him.
I don’t even want to go there.
“Dad, I have some updates,” I say, pulling both him and Mariano away from the screen.
They quickly turn, alerted. Dad’s already rising from his desk, stepping toward me.
“You’re back early. What’s wrong?” he asks.
Mariano wastes no time sliding into Dad’s seat, getting comfortable like he owns it. As usual.
Dad eyes me, one brow raised with impatient focus.
He gets the hint fast—or maybe it’s just a dad thing. Maybe both.
“I started with Sur-El city,” I begin, then glance at Mom. “I found out a lot of things I didn’t know… I’ll need to ask you more later.” I let her know, but don’t wait for a response, turning back to Dad.
Suddenly, his office feels much bigger than it should. Like the walls stretched. Or maybe that’s just the heavy worry creeping into my chest.
Is that me… or mom?
“I spoke with Queen Marcella. Her daughter’s missing too,” I say, keeping my tone even. “It’s a long story, but she thinks her daughter was taken to land. She suspects humans are behind the disappearances.”
Mom’s sharp gasp catches me off guard. She rarely breaks composure—especially not in a crisis. Not like this.
I frown as I quickly pull out the pendant the Queen gave me, still faintly glowing, and open my palm for them to see.
“This is tied to her daughter’s powers. The weaker it glows, the more pain and danger she’s in. The brighter it is, the closer she is. It detects her royal bloodline.” I pause for breath. I hadn’t realized how tense I was.
No. It’s notme. Now I’m sure.
“Mom? What’s wrong?” I ask, turning to her. That panic etched into her face, too. She knows something. And she definitely doesn’t like it.
She doesn’t answer. Just turns to Dad and steps closer, her hand reaching for his arm with a kind of vulnerability I’ve never seen from her. It makes my chest clench.
“Myko, what’s going on? Do you know why she’s this shaken? Did Pedro say something?”I reach for him, inhaling slowly to try and ground myself—and to keep Mom’s emotions from spiking mine further.
“Luca…” her voice comes out faint. Unsteady. Worry lines every part of her face now.
“Do you think it’s—”
“No,” Dad cuts in fast, his voice sharp. “It’s not your fault. And even if it’s what you think it is, I’ll take care of it.”
He’s trying to calm her. But I can hear it, rage boiling underneath. Something cracked him, too.
“What are you two talking about?” I ask, jaw tightening.
“Just some wedding talk here,”Myko mutters in my mind.
That damn wedding again?
“Nothing,” Dad snaps. “I’ll bring you in on it later.”
