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“I didn’t want him to,” Nyx cut in. “It would have only hurt you. And for no reason. I’m fine now.”

Even with being given a way out by Nyx, shockingly, Kai didn’t take it, and actually told me sincerely and with a whole lot of regret all over him, “I’m sorry. I didn’t want to upset you when you’re already dealing with so much. But it wasn’t my call to make, to withhold that from you. I apologize, Ari.”

Wow.“Thank you.” I smiled. “It’s okay, Kai.”

“Just like that?”

He didn’t speak the words, but I could feel it in the air between us.Just like that, after what your parents kept from you?“I understand why you did it, and you’ve now just told me the truth, so we’re good.”

I could see the relief all over him, before he then squared his shoulders and eyed Vorzyr. “Yes, those were death blows. It was his intention to dispose of us and clear the path to Ari.Untilshe screamed.”

We all started at his observation.

“It wasn’t a misfire when he went for me. He missed intentionally. I would have survived if you hadn’t snatched me before I’d hit those rocks. It would have put me out for a while, yes, but it hadn’t been intended as a deathblow.”

“You’re saying he showed mercy?” Vorzyr asked, skeptically.

“More than that. He did it for Ari. For his role as her Guide. He realized in that moment how important we are to her. Him also telling her that she is to stay at Maven Academy strongly suggests her comfort is important to him—or perhaps just to his mission. Andthatsignifies that he can’t do his job where she’s concerned if she is isolated, cut off from those she cares about, or in emotional distress, and destabilized in her life situation.”He stared out at us in turn, a gleam of hope sparking. “There is power in that.”

“Power inourhands,” Nyx realized aloud, grinning.

But Vorzyr was shaking his head. “You’re giving that bastard too much credit.”

Kai frowned. “It’s not credit.”

“His analysis is sound,” I told Vorzyr.

“We can’t trust in it. Those manipulative fuckers can’t be humanized either. They don’t have emotional depth. They come down to the mortal plane with a specific mission in mind and carry it out at the will of the Celestial Plane like sub-human automatons with no thought, emotion, or sentience of their own.”

“What’s going on with you?” Kai asked.

Nyx frowned as he studied him. “This is personal. There’s actual hate for Cassius here, not just concern and distrust for Ariana.”

I shifted on the couch and reached out, grasping Vorzyr’s hand. “What is it, my dragon?”

“It’s not… we need to focus on this immediate issue.”

“We can’t do that if your head’s not in the game,” Kai told him.

“Fuck, Kai.” He pulled his hand from mine.

I grimaced as I saw the pain in his eyes and the distress as he started pacing.

“Well, am I wrong?”

“Of course not, because when could that ever be the fucking case? You’re all fucking knowing, aren’t you?” he bit back with an edge.

Fortunately, Kai let it roll off his back and didn’t escalate the situation. His curiosity was leading the way as was his thing, sure. But I also saw him looking over at me worriedly, his other intent in going that route with the animosity coming off Vorzyrclearly being not to upset me and make things worse than they already were.

His gaze fixed on my right hand, and I jolted as I looked down to see it trembling, little sparks of my silver power emanating from it.

Shit.

I closed my fist and managed to will them away, pulling it back.

Vorzyr’s rumbling voice directed my attention back to him, as he said, “There were rumors circulating surrounding my grandfather’s death, whispered conspiracy theories that reached my ear when I was a child. But when I approached my parents about it, they denied there was any truth to them. Now, though, with these Celestial-rooted abilities I’ve been demonstrating lately, it obviously occurred to me that my parents lied, that those rumors could be true. It only hit me recently, because I didn’t know the Command of Beasts ability was Celestial-rooted until Ariana explained it to me, and that was the ability that I exhibited in front of my parents. Not the Primal Celestial Resonance. That has a more obvious connection to Celestial heritage.”

“What rumors?” Kai asked.