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“Yes.” He shrugged. “You’re aware that we’ve had lovers throughout our marriage.”

“Yeah, but not with my paternal great-aunt!” She hissed. How could he be so nonchalant?

“Well, Eliza was different. She softened Lilith’s anger. Her passing broke her heart. I don’t think she’ll ever truly recover from her loss. For those years with Eliza, Lilith had patience. Enough that I could leave her and explore the world with my friend, your…mate.”

Rowan took a deep breath. She was half afraid of the answer, but she needed to know. “Friend or friend?”

He let out such a raucous laugh that she got two more mouthfuls in as he recollected himself. “You’re really not letting that marksettle, are you?” He shook his head. “You know that’s got to be torture for him.”

Her eyes narrowed, “Pardon me?”

“Lilith was the one who realized it. You’re not offering the bond any part of you, nor are you asking it for anything. If you wanted to know, you could simply reach in and explore it, but you’re afraid.”

“I’m not af-”

“I helped raise you, Ro. I know when you’re afraid, and you were afraid when you stood next to him on that pedestal, and then when you met his family, and even now that I’ve called you out on your bullshit.”

Rowan growled as she stuffed another bite of cake into her mouth to give her an excuse not to respond.

“You have spent less than a month at his side and look at you, acting like a little beast.” He laughed.

Rowan sighed. “One day it’ll be too much. One day he’s going to give into his godhood.”

“Ah, is that all that’s stopping you? He’s as stubborn as you are, Rowan. He doesn’t consider the power his, as such he won’t give in.”

Rowan narrowed her eyes. “Are you okay with the mark now? I thought you were going to pop a blood vessel yesterday.”

“It’s hard to deny that the two of you work. As loath as I am to admit it. I’ve never seen himhappy.”

She rolled her eyes. “Well, I’m not. The asshole side-lined me.”

Lucifer scoffed. “You came back. No harm, no foul.”

“I call foul!”

“It is your pride talking. I’ve warned you to not let it get away with you.”

“Hi, Pot. I’m Kettle.”

Lucifer snatched the spoon from her hand. A tendril of a shadow crawled from his hand to hers. “Pride and fear are such an ugly look on you.”

“When’s the last time you saw your daughter?”

His nose flared. “When you aim to hurt, you really go for the jugular, don’t you?”

“I apparently got it from my great-grandmother!” She clenched her fists. “How could you guys have kept this from us? I’ve begged to learn more about our past. I knew I wasn’t normal from the day I set half of the forest on fire because I threw a tantrum. Hundreds of animals died because you guys didn’t know what to do with me! Do-does Ama know?”

Lucifer’s shoulders softened. “Yes. But only because of you.”

“Me?”

“When you were born…Rowan, I didn’t know your mother, much less your sisters, existed. But when you were born, you died. Lilith told me about everything in the same breath that she asked me to come to the Eastern Elven Kingdom to help save you.”

“Died?” Rowan’s eyes widened.

“When I came, I was too late. I tried everything to resuscitate you. You’ve always been small, but you were born early, too early. You cast magic from inside your mother’s womb, trying to save her from an assassination attempt. It cost you your life.”

How could they have hidden so much from her? “How did you save me?”