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He shrugged. “Do I need a reason to look happy?”

Her lips pursed. Yes, apparently.

Aiden didn’t take it personally. They were all dealing with the siege in their own ways. Him? He kept busy. Fixing things. Focusing on problems with actual solutions.

Aimee, well… she was still looking for her happy place.

Voices drifted past the tent.

“Wait, so you’re telling me a human fixed the flash cannon?” a woman asked, incredulous. “By herself?”

“That’s what I heard,” a man answered. “Though, given she’s the Marquess’ ward, can’t say I’m surprised. A man like that—I imagine the smart rubs off.”

Aimee’s expression soured even further. Aiden sighed.Here we go…

It wasn’t unusual to hear people murmuring about Taly these days. The Savior of Ebondrift was all anyone wanted to talk about. They needed something to hold onto, and she’d given them that, even as she disappeared.

Aiden passed her a mug of tea. Aimee accepted it stiffly, muttering a thank-you into the steam.

“Are you going to use your words or make me guess what’s wrong?” he asked.

She didn’t look at him, just shrugged and muttered, “They talk about her like she’s some kind of myth.”

“Well, turning the tide of a losing battle and risking her life to send a lifesaving message kind of fits the mold, don’t you think?” He took a seat across from her. “You seem angry.”

“I’m not angry.” Her grip tightened around the mug. “I’m just…annoyedthat people don’t see the ridiculousness. Talya… well, she’sTalya.”

She said their cousin’s name like it was a slur.

And wasn’t that still something—Taly was Cori. The baby cousin they thought they’d lost.

There was a time when Aiden couldn’t imagine Aimee being anything but elated to have Cori back.

He, of course, knew better now.

“She’s really not that bad,” Aiden said. “I mean, I get it. You’re bitter about Skye. But if you could just let that go—”

“I’ve let him go, Aiden,” Aimee insisted, voice cold. “I told you that.”

She had. He just didn’t believe her.

Maybe there had been some push to move on, sure. He’d give her that. But then Taly had disappeared, presumed dead, and Aiden couldn’t help but wonder if those ambitions had been rekindled.

“I’m just saying,” he tried again. “You might actually like her if you gave her a chance.”

Aimee barked a laugh. “Have you been smoking your own mirthroot again?”

Yes. He’d seen more than he cared to these past weeks, and it helped with the nightmares. Still, not the point.

“You liked Cori.” He met her gaze. “And they are, technically, the same person.”

The moment the words left his mouth, he regretted them. Aimee’s face twisted. Her fingers curled as if resisting the urge to slap him for the audacity of conflating the two.

Aiden sighed. He thought they’d made progress—that surviving the harpy had smoothed over some of the animosity. But whatever thaw there’d been was gone now, frozen over by something colder.

He wasn’t sure what changed. She’d been the one to chase this—Cori’s return, the truth, the proof. And she’d found her. That dogged determination hadfinallypaid off. She should’ve been basking in it—lordingit over them.

Instead, she was sulking.