Jane
Joy was still sluggish when I brought her to the infirmary, wanting to be left alone and unwind after what had just happened. Hildegard would keep a careful watch.
She wasn’t injured, aside from the bite on her arm. It wasn’t the first. But the frost clinging to her hand was new.
Gwin led us into Barracus’ office. The walk there was a blur, my thoughts reeling and still rooted in the infirmary.
Inside the room, a heavy mahogany desk dominated the centre. It was my first time there, since the dining room was a mess.
Sap-green couches lined one wall, and an immense bookshelf towered to my right. I leaned against the opposite wooden panels while Gwin sank into the sofa. Cerridwen and Finn had taken the seats across from Barracus, who sat in a dark leather chair worn with deep creases. Reagan lingered near the window where the evening light traced his silhouette, his expression shaded with something I chose not to read.
But the faint distortion in the air around him drew my attention. His power was dense, more present. I could feel it from across the room.
“How is she?” he asked.
“She’s fine,” I murmured. “Just a bit shaken.”
Silence pooled for a moment until Cerridwen spoke.
“That is why we have to discuss this, starting with Malory.” Her gaze moved between Reagan and me. “Both of you will need to speak with her at Jane’s next appointment. Come forward about the family situation and why you waited so long.”
Reagan jerked his chin. “Finn needs to come as well. He can share our theories about the investigation she opened. Jane is not part of that discussion yet.”
“And Joy?” I asked. “My father obviously cannot be present, but won’t Malory want to see her?”
“It would be better if the Lord and Lady presented the situation,” Cerridwen replied. “Finn with you would be fine, but your sister might be too volatile. We can tell Malory she is recovering from the attack, and with Hildegard’s report she should be satisfied."
I blinked. My head felt far too heavy, and for a moment I wondered if I had misheard.
But Reagan’s stillness told me I hadn’t.
“The girl needs to go with them,” Barracus said in Cerridwen's direction. “Otherwise, Malory won’t be satisfied. She will simply summon her.”
“Lady?” I asked, staring at Reagan. “Did I miss something?”
He licked his lower lip, burying his hands in his pockets. Finally he gave his Second a dry smile. “Jane and I haven’t discussed that sensitive topic yet. But thank you for introducing it so carefully into the conversation.”
Realisation swept across Cerridwen’s face like a rising tide. “I assumed there was nothing to discuss. My mistake clearly. Butdo inform us. We will need time to prepare. A bonding ceremony changes our timeline, especially before we summon a Druid Matron to perform the rite. The sooner we know, the better.”
I exhaled, smothering my disbelief. What they had been discussing these past days, or what assumptions had been planted, I had no idea.
“Can we focus on Joy?” I asked, turning fully toward him. “The girl you baited into an extreme reaction to prove a point. Right?”
He dipped his chin, studying me as though gauging my mood. “It was a way to show you both the truth,” he said evenly. “But I didn’t know it would disturb—”
“There must have been other ways than telling her she nearly killed our father. You could have talked to her, could have explained.” A bitter sound left me, too weary to be a laugh. “But why would I expect that? I know perfectly well there is no compass in your nature. You do as you want and everyone else just adapts.”
His expression didn’t shift. It might as well have been carved from stone. The silence around us reminded me we were not alone, and that my temper was only worsening the moment.
“You saw it yourself,” Reagan said at last. “She can manipulate mana like any of us, and without even trying, which makes it dangerous. How do you think Malory will treat a girl who was raised as a human and cannot control her access to mana? Do you think she will not see your sister as a risk to others?”
“What could Malory do?” I asked, worrying at my nails.
“She could order your sister confined to a Healer’s Hall until she gains control,” Finnegan said grimly. “Or forbid us from seeing her altogether if she thinks Joy can be…a wild card.”
My entire body went rigid. “That is not happening,” I said, steadying my tone with effort, “under any circumstance. What do we need to do?”
“We must be forthcoming about your relics,” Cerridwen answered, calmly. “And how we just recently discovered that your access has been nullified.”
