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“An heir from him is unlikely, then?” Kyer tilted his head after Jarek confirmed that with a nod. “That answers another curiosity. I was considering Chiman being Luka’s father.”

A collective shiver seemed to roll through everyone in the room.

“Praise Ettan,” Lilith exclaimed. “Luka’s never seen the man. And he looks nothing like him.”

Jarek’s mind immediately jumped to Caine. It was haunting how much the boy looked like him. And then there were the dreaded implications behind it if Brialis really was Luka’s mother.

But Caine had been dead for centuries. Unlike most of the empire’s history, that was documented, and nothing was going to change it.

Genetics could be unpredictable. That’s all he needed to explain Luka’s resemblance to Caine, regardless of who his father was.

Sterling folded his arms on the table and angled toward Kyer. “May I steer the conversation somewhere else? Only slightly off course?” Kyer extended a hand, and Sterling smiled, focusing on Lilith. “Not that all of this Hazevale family history isn’t just delightful, but I’d like to get to know your Stalkers a little more. Specifically, the one you mentioned has a history with Luka.”

The only time Lilith’s aura bloomed with genuine fear and not anxiety during this conversation was when she recounted her close call with Neir in Reave. She did well hiding it the first time, and she tried to again now—lifting her posture and bringing her hands down smoothly, yet firmly on the table, despite the dark green cloud billowing from her skin.

“What about him?”

“Chiman was absent from all of Luka’s blood drawings, but this man was there?”

“He didn’t have the Vulpes Flare if that’s what you’re getting at.” She bit her lip and started bouncing her foot under the table. “Shit. I completely forgot…”

“What?” Sterling prodded.

“Neir. He had at least two of its blessings.”

Silence fell, punctuated by the creaking of their chairs.

Despite everything he did, Valen was a traditional man. Though the result may not resemble his original goal, he wanted the balance set by the Primordials’ pairs to remain as unaffected as possible. He knew if the bonds were broken, Eizreth would suffer in the long run, and that wasn’t something that fit into his dream of long, quality lives for his subjects. That came with carefully crafted rules like minimal disruptions to auras through calling them or solidification. And though Valen wasn’t very spiritual, he still respected the need for souls to pass between the living plane and the Aithre Domain, for their vessels to be worthy of them, and for souls to only bear one blessing—to limit their power.

Sometimes Jarek forgot how long it had been since his first life. He often had to stop and think how much had changed in that time. Things might have been so far gone now that Valen might have disregarded it all and permitted multiple blessings to a single soul, but then why was this the first Jarek was hearing about it? And if Neir was among a limited number of vessels selected to be given multiple blessings, why? Why the Vulpes and not the Guardian?

The Serpent glided under his skin, riled at the thought of the Vulpes. It was his soul’s opposite, and the Diseased Serpent had enough of a mind to not let Jarek ignore its whereabouts forever.

But he wasn’t an Imordial, and he couldn’t fix its bond. All he could do was release them both.

“Which blessings?” Jarek found himself asking, breaking the stale air first.

“Telekinesis and shape shifting,” Lilith said.

“It’s not a stretch to assume he has the aura calling blessing, too.” Sterling grinned again, this one a little wider. “A thrice blessed soul. And you’re sure it wasn’t the Vulpes?”

“I’m sure, but there was another odd thing. I didn’t sense him at all, but he was able to pinpoint me.”

Maude spoke up again. “And Luka? Was he able to sense him?”

“I never asked. I assume he can’t.”

Maude made a disapproving huff. “After all this time, you two never thought to ask him more about this man?”

Lilith flexed her wrist, annoyance apparent in her voice. “I had the pleasure of being under that asshole's thumb for a few hours, and I’d prefer to forget it ever happened. I can’t imagine the length of time Luka had to endure him. I never force it, but if he does bring it up, then I’ll entertain it.”

A subtle tension rose in Jarek’s chest at the familiar motion she was making with her hand. It was the same reflex she had when he questioned her about Luka’s healing capabilities.

That was hardly proof of an association, but Jarek was looking forward to finding this Stalker and wringing his neck like a bird.

Partially satisfied, Maude backtracked. “So was it the god, or not?”

“No,” Lilith answered.