Page 138 of Reaper Said Mine

Ursa steps closer. “That’s bad.”

“That is early,” Vakka says.

Skahar nods. “Early bad often grows teeth.”

The first cluster is predictable. Warlord compromised by human journalist. Press access tied to sexual influence. Soulmate bond changes negotiation posture. Reaper instability raises concern among observers. Then the uglier branches. Coalition aides whispering that Ursa is steering Gnash away from recognition. Alliance staff suggesting she is a hostage with soft captivity language. Combine-linked feeds implying I claimed her to control coverage after the assassination attempt. Dawson’s network has not run anything yet, but their internal chatter, intercepted by systems I did not admit existed, already circles the word scandal like carrion birds above heat.

Ursa’s face hardens in the dim light.

I feel the blow through the bond before she speaks.

“Dawson’s people,” she says.

Vakka zooms one thread. “They are drafting multiple packages.”

Ursa reads the tags aloud, each word colder than the last. “Love or leverage. Captive correspondent. Pirate king’s human bride. Survivor journalist caught in Reaper seduction scandal. Oh, that is just classy as hell.”

My claws flex.

Skahar watches me. “You see.”

“Yes.”

“Do you understand?”

“I understand I should have killed more rumor brokers when I was young.”

Vakka mutters, “That was your takeaway?”

Skahar taps the crate with his cane. “Powerful enemies are paying attention because you have done something they can understand. They never fully understood why you wanted recognition without surrender, why you showed mercy without announcing it, why you taxed instead of burned every ship that irritated you. But love? That they understand badly enough to use.”

Ursa’s shoulders square. “It’s not love they understand. It’s ownership, weakness, scandal, appetite. They’ll translate it into whatever makes the story useful.”

“Exactly,” Skahar says.

I look from the rumor map to her. “Then I deny nothing.”

Ursa turns sharply. “Gnash.”

“No.”

“You cannot just meet every manipulation by standing taller in front of it.”

“I can.”

“You can, but it won’t always work.”

“It will work for me.”

“It may hurt the negotiations.”

“The negotiations are already under attack.”

“It may hurt your people.”

That stops me.

Not because she is wrong, but because she knows exactly where to place the blade.