Page 95

I nod slowly, recalling his words. “He said it’s a family you choose.”

Her expression softens, and she inclines her head. “Exactly. Lyxander is our brother, not by blood but by bond. He was missing for two years, Aella. Two years of not knowing if he was alive or dead….” Her voice wavers, and my heart aches for her. “You returned our brother to us. Helping you is the least we can do.”

Cynna scoffs. “Let’s not pretend she’s some savior. If it hadn’t been for her interference, I would have found him myself.”

I stiffen, my gaze snapping to her. But before I can say anything, Titaia places a hand on Cynna’s leg, her fingers curling.

The two women share a look. Titaia’s expression is calm, but there’s a quiet insistence in her gaze.

Cynna exhales sharply. “Fine,” she mutters. “I’m grateful too. For what it’s worth.”

The tension in the room eases slightly, but my mind is still racing, trying to process their words. Gratitude. Help. Kin. It all feels so far removed from the world I’ve known, where trust is a rarity and aid comes with strings attached more often than not.

“And you?” I ask, looking to Silas.

“Everything they’ve said.” He shrugs, arms still crossed. “And I’m on board with any opportunity to get under my mother’s skin.”

Cynna meets his gaze, and the two share a smirk.

I bite my tongue, holding back the questions I want to ask about their strained relationship with the queen. Now is not the time, and they certainly have no reason to confide in me. Breathing deeply, I nod. “All right. So, where do we begin?”

“Strong emotions are usually the trigger. Fear, anger, grief—anything that pushes you to the edge,” Silas says.

Rhaya rolls her eyes. “Or joy. It doesn’t always have to be something negative.”

“Joy, huh?” Kato says. “Well, there was that one time someone emerged during sex.”

I choke on a laugh. “You’re joking.”

Kato’s expression is the picture of innocence, though the glint in his eyes betrays him. “It’s rare, sure, but it’s happened. Strong emotions, remember? And, well…that’s about as strong as it gets.”

Rhaya groans, pinching the bridge of her nose. “Kato, for the love of Boreas, can you not?”

“What?” he says, feigning offense. “I’m offering an example.”

“A perfectly valid example, if you ask me,” Titaia says, and Cynna rolls her eyes.

“Thank you,” Kato says.

I shake my head, still laughing despite myself, but the sound falters as sensations flash through my mind. The heat of hands on my waist. The brush of a thumb against my throat.

I freeze, forcing my face to remain neutral. “Well,” I say. “I think we can safely rule that option out.”

Kato raises an eyebrow, but I avoid his scrutiny, focusing instead on the fire crackling in the hearth.

“Fear’s easier to provoke,” Silas says. “There’s always Iphigenia’s—”

“Silas,” Rhaya snaps.

The room falls silent.

“What were you about to say?” I ask.

Silas hesitates, his eyes darting to Kato, then Rhaya. She shakes her head subtly.

“It’s nothing,” he says dismissively.

“It didn’t sound like nothing,” I press.