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“It certainly helped matters.”

“You safeguarded our building relationship from interference,” Kai realized aloud.

I simply nodded.

There wasn’t much else to do. They’d put it together impressively well.

“Why?” Vorzyr asked.

“Because it became apparent to me that she was looking to make a connection with the three of you. Or re-connection on a deeper level where Kai was concerned. Ariana has never done that. Not without erecting walls in the process and severely holding back. With connection comes a sense of belonging. And, again, outside of our family, she’s never had that, certainly not at the level that I see between the four of you now. She believed it was off the table for her because of what she is, and how most of the supernatural world views her as a result.” I smiled. “Butthis… this disproved that for her.”

The two of them stared at one another incredulously.

And there was no immediate response or comeback.

Not only were they caught off guard, it seemed they were, perhaps,touched, also?

Something that seemed to be difficult for both of them to process.

The antithesis to that difficulty in emotional processing slinked into the room with a quiet confidence in the nextmoment. Nyx Laryn. Part sorcerer, part Incubus, and a being who was very highly regarded by my father’s love, Warlow Boyd.

I saw his eyes flame with his power briefly, which I knew to be him reading the situation through both observation and direct emotional resonance.

“Interesting,” he spoke, humor in his gaze as he looked from them to me. “Quieting the both of them down at once is a goddamn feat and a half.”

I chuckled and then he joined me, Kai and Vorzyr smiling with amusement, too.

“Ariana is just finishing up changing out of her soaked clothes. She… uh… after what happened outside, she didn’t want to use her magic again this soon. Not out of fear this time, because that’s shifted for her now, but out of needing to take a beat with it all.”

“To recharge,” I added.

“Yeah. Pretty much.”

“Understood.” I sank down onto the couch. “While she’s doing that and I have all three of you here, tell me, does Ariana know that you’re stockpiling her magic?”

All three of them tensed.

“Excuse me?” Kai asked, trying for stoic, but not quite managing it, because of the direct nature of my question, and it clearly being so unexpected.

“I don’t doubt that you believe it’s for her benefit, to aid her, likely against Cassius, yes? But what worries me is the action itself.” I looked at Kai. “While Vorzyr was here talking with me, I felt you retrieving traces of her magic from the implosion earlier. You weren’t changing and drying yourself from the torrential downpour like Ariana is… and like Nyx just did. You used your magic to accomplish that just like I did.”

Kai studied me. “You would have needed to be on the lookout for that in order to notice it, especially with your main focus being on your daughter right now.”

“Correct.” He was more learned in the magical arts than his parents were even aware of. And what he knew, especially this sort of thing, went beyond the scope of both Coven and Academy teachings. He was therefore clearly seeking knowledge on his own. It was both impressive and concerning. It actually reminded me of Ryker. But with Ryker, that had come at a price. He’d put himself in danger too many times to count. He’d risked his life and nearly lost it too many times also.

I certainly didn’t want that for Kai. Not only was he young and only just starting out, but he was so important to Ariana. Just like Vorzyr and Nyx were.

I went on to explain, “I was on the lookout for it. Ever since I felt Ariana’s magic in your Aetherbound Scepter. Not just her magic, but the fact that it had somehow been stabilizedandyou’d been able to create an actual failsafe to her power.”

“After what happened outside, I thought you weren’t about controlling her anymore, that you recognized the mistake in it,” Kai said.

“This isn’t aboutherpower. It’s about the fact that the failsafe is forCelestialpower. Something that Cassius wields.”

Realization set in for them.

“You want to use the Aetherbound Scepter to put Cassius down?” Kai asked.

“No. It’s too risky. You’d get, maybe, two shots only when you wield it against him. One miss, and another dodge by him and the one weapon against him is rendered inoperable. And we’re left with an enraged True Celestial gunning for you.”