Steps echoed behind us. The Scion shoved them into the room.
My breath jolted. Onorio didn’t seem to breathe as he saw his family. Their delicate wrists seemed to be bound, even the child’s. Daria’s face was impassive as she was dragged forward, her blond hair tangled as though someone had manhandled her.
“Reagan is the unreasonable one?” I said before I could stop myself, bitterness crawling over me.
Madden watched me with that unsettling calm, and I still had no idea what he wanted. “We treated Onorio’s family kindly, but alas, children are brats and mothers can be easily rattled.”
My jaw clenched.
“Please,” Onorio begged. “Let me take them home.” He looked ready to hurl himself across the room.
I kept my face steady and turned to her. “Daria, are you both all right?”
Her gaze flicked from Onorio to me. “Yes,” she said, chin lifted, though the strain tightening her features betrayed her. She was hurt, or frightened.
The Scions kept both mother and child just out of reach.
“If you let them go now,” I said, “I will lower my ward and stay.”
Madden’s mouth curved. “I appreciate your willingness. In that case, let the baker step out of your ward and re-join his family. You may lower it after, and they will be free to leave.”
“Remove their bindings first,” I said, and caught the faint narrowing at the corner of his eyes. “And allow them to leave. Or I will fling out of here.”
“Very well.” He gestured to a Scion.
The bindings dissolved from Daria and Jack. I allowed myself one glance at the boy, who pressed tight against his mother. Onorio’s sorrowful eyes flickered to me as he murmured an apology. I nodded, and he stepped through the ward to reach them. I sensed no barrier preventing them from flinging, which meant they could leave.
Onorio walked cautiously towards his family. I could barely draw a breath. Madden eyed me expectantly.
When I released my ward, my wrists snapped together as the binding swept around them.
My pulse quickened at the familiar hold.
“Can’t wait for my next meal at your shop,” the brown-haired man said to Onorio and Daria. The words would be friendly if it wasn’t obvious it was supposed to be a threat.
Daria met my eyes, worry flashing there. Her mouth parted as if she was about to speak.
“Go,” I urged.
Onorio gave me a strained nod, pulled his family into his arms, and in the next blink, they vanished.
I exhaled slowly and glanced down at my hands. My wrists were crushed together so tightly it felt as if the bones scraped each other.
Madden had drawn near, his eyes on my robe, still clutched in my grip. “Being a ruler no longer means what it once did,” he murmured, then walked away, inclining his head toward the Scion with the marked temple.
The man’s attention shifted to me. His arm extended. As if poised tocast.
My heartbeat lurched. I stepped back, but hands clamped around my arms and wrenched me still.
“Wait,wait.” The desperation in my voice cracked. “What are you doing?”
The man smirked. “I can see what Caius liked about her. Can’t we use her?”
Madden stopped short and swivelled toward me, his expression indifferent. “She is trouble to keep. Do it, Cahir. We need to leave.”
“No, wait.” I jerked against the two men, tension gathering in my legs.
Cahir sighed and turned his attention fully to me. I thrashed, trying to wrench free.
