“The fledgling has settled?”
Dax’s expression hardened.
“Veya is stable for now.”
“Then she remains contained.”
Dax moved toward the table.
“She is not a prisoner.”
Rhen’s silver gaze lifted.
“She is heretic-tainted, unpredictable, and attached to this house through an unstable tether. Choose whichever softer word helps you sleep.”
Malakai raised his hands.
Are you leaving her management entirely to Dax?
“Yes.”
Dax stared at him.
Rhen continued before he could answer.
“He has decided she matters. That makes him useful.”
“To whom?” Dax asked.
“To me.”
The answer carried no embarrassment.
Rhen returned his attention to the map.
“Keep her functional and away from the perimeter. I do not care what else you do with her.”
Cole’s gaze moved briefly between the brothers.
“Can we focus on the larger problem?”
Nobody argued.
Cole indicated the unanswered reports.
“Sule’s contacts have heard nothing. His secondary properties are empty, and no guard has seen him return through the main routes.”
Dax folded his arms.
“Mary says his personal blade is missing.”
Malakai signed,The council has demanded another audience. They know something is wrong.
“A king does not disappear while his borders are being tested,” Cole said.
Rhen’s expression did not change.
“He is not acting as king.”
