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“A pure-blooded line keeps the legacy intact,” Hadrian replied, tone thick with smugness. “Too many diluted bloodlines these days, it’s no wonder civilian rulers have risen over the last few decades.”

It couldn’t be him, I thought. Hadrian would never risk tainting his lineage with a scavenger’s blood. Not with that comment .

I extended my hand. “Nice to meet you properly.”

Caius clasped my wrist instead, pulling me a breath closer. His gaze dropped to the flame relic at my palm, narrowing with interest.

“I felt the heat at that dinner,” he murmured. “Let me know if you’re up for a duel in the quell-off later.”

“A duel?” I arched a brow.

“No barters,” he said, smiling like he already knew the outcome. “Just win or lose. That’s how I prefer it.”

“Do most people barter?”

“Most do. I like the rush of a clean victory.” He said it like someone who rarely lost.

I met his stare. “Fine. I’ll duel you.”

“Western grounds,” he said. “Meet me near the courtyard in three hours. Let’s see what kind of flame you’ve got.”

“It’s antecedent,” I replied evenly. “Very powerful. Very old.”

His head tilted, expression sharpening. “Then maybe we’ll be evenly matched. Though I should warn you, I’ve never lost.”

With a snap of his fingers, he vanished.

Shit. Hadrian hadn’t been exaggerating about the invisibility power.

Hadrian turned back to Archer, his tone suddenly lighter.

“Feel free to wander. I imagine a few Serpents are eager for a word with you. And now that your heir’s marriage has—dissolved, I might offer some introductions.

Our family, at least, isn’t prone to drama.

Forgive me for ever suggesting that courtship. ”

Archer met his gaze coolly. “I won’t be needing your suggestions.”

Hadrian’s smile tightened. “Very well. I’ll see you both around. ”

As we walked away, Archer leaned in, a smirk tugging at his lips. “We’ve been here for five minutes, and you’ve already challenged Wrathi’s heir to a duel?”

I shrugged. “He might be my brother, and I’m going to find out tonight.”

“And how exactly?”

“Quell sharing. When Malachi and I shared one, something clicked.”

Archer gave me a sharp look. “Most don’t share their quells willingly. It’s… personal.”

I winked and drained the rest of my drink. “Well, if you have suggestions, I’m all ears.”

We stepped into the main hall where music and movement pulsed like heat. Dancers spun between marble columns. Light shimmered through crystalline flutes, and the air was thick with the scent of oranges and expensive cologne—the kind my father used to wear to Serpent meetings.

I nudged Archer’s chest with a finger. “This isn’t so bad. I don’t know why you were so worried about this place.”

Before he could respond, the front doors creaked open. A man stepped inside, tilting a black curved hat over one eye. “Entertainment has arrived,” he drawled. “Prepare your gold. I repeat—prepare your gold!”

I glanced sideways. “An illusionist?”

He grinned, flashing yellowed teeth. “Finest herbs and strongest brew. Perfect for warping the mind while discussing politics... and payment.”

Archer’s hand caught my wrist. “It only gets worse the longer we stay,” he murmured. “The Serpent lifestyle… it can be cruel.”

My stomach knotted. “What else happens?”

He didn’t answer. Just nodded toward the corridor beyond the torchlit hall. “There’s a brothel down that hallway. ”

A short, bitter laugh escaped me. “Have you been?”

“No.”

A side gate groaned open behind us. I turned as a procession of figures stepped through. They moved slowly, hunched and trembling. Their clothes were torn. Eyes blank. Faces pale like they hadn’t seen daylight in weeks.

“What’s happening to them?” I whispered.

Archer moved closer, guiding me gently out of the way. “Barren civilians,” he said, voice low. “They’re either offered sanctuary here… or sold to Serpents. To scrub floors, tend land, maintain estates.”

A slow burn crawled beneath my skin. “That’s wrong. They’ve already lost everything, and now they’re being sold?”

“I told you about the Autumn realm that went barren when we were at the academy,” Archer said quietly.

“Hundreds of thousands were displaced. This… this is all they have now, unless they choose to live as powerless scavengers. Some survive long enough to earn gold and reclaim land. Their grandchildren might awaken magic again. The younger they are, the stronger the chance it holds.”

One of the women who couldn’t have been barely more than a girl, let out a strangled sob and crumpled to her knees. A nearby guard turned sharply, yanking her upright by the arm.

“Archer, I can’t—” My voice cracked. “I need to help her.”

“Stay here.”

Before I could protest, he was already moving.

Archer stepped between the girl and the guard. “I’ll take her.”

The guard narrowed his eyes. “She goes straight to the bidding room.”

Archer didn’t blink. “How much do you want?”

“You can bid like the rest,” the guard said .

“No.” Archer’s voice dropped to a lethal whisper. “Name your godsdamn price.”

The guard muttered something too low for me to catch. Then he looked around once, cautiously. “She’s yours,” he said. “But if you breathe a word about this, I’ll find you.”

Archer returned, his expression grim. The girl clung to herself, arms locked around her narrow frame, eyes darting toward him like a wounded animal.

I stared at him, heart hammering. “What the hell is happening?” I whispered. “Does the king know this goes on at Serpent gatherings?”

“There’s nothing he can do,” Archer said tightly. “It’s sanctioned within realm borders. Legal, by their laws. These people—” he exhaled, jaw tense, “—they’re displaced. I’ll make sure she has a home in Demetria. If she wants it.”

She thought he’d bought her for himself .

If North Colindale had fallen sooner, if my father hadn’t rationed what little we had, maybe I’d be the one standing there in threadbare cloth, waiting for a coin to decide my worth.

“Where did my father’s civilians go?” My voice was barely audible. “How many of my people were sold?”

Archer’s voice dropped. “I tried to shield you from this. I wanted to. Most of North Colindale has made it home by now… but some are still missing.”

My throat tightened. “This is wrong.”

A slow, mocking voice cut through the air. Lasar stepped into view, smirking as he nudged Archer’s shoulder. “Taking after your grandfather, are you?” he drawled. “Didn’t think you were the type to buy servants.”

Archer’s jaw tensed. “I don’t condone my grandfather’s past. That Spring realm we allowed entry into Demetria? It will never suffer like this again. I made sure of it. ”

But all I could see were the hollow eyes of the woman he’d bought to save.

“Amria?” I gasped, the name ripping from my throat. “She was bought? From her barren realm?”

Archer’s voice lowered. “I stopped it the moment I took power. Amria is not a slave.”

“But she’s a servant. She serves you… and me.” The gown clung too tightly now, suffocating in places it hadn’t before.

“She chooses to stay,” he said quietly. “She has the freedom to leave whenever she wants. And trust me—Amria doesn’t serve anyone who doesn’t earn it. She enjoys her life. She holds her own.”

Before I could respond, Lasar’s voice sliced in. “Your father’s heir is here, Severyn. Alone. Let’s see if a taste of elite indulgence breaks him.”

I turned fast.

Bridger stood just inside the entrance, shaking hands with Hadrian. He had the same angular jaw, the same smug grin. But now, a serpent’s head was branded across his arm. His silver hair was slicked back, and he wore a tailored suit with a bow tie—like he belonged here. Like he always had.

“Perfect,” I muttered, the words like iron on my tongue. “I came here to find my real father. Not to watch my fake one parade his heir.”

Lasar’s smirk deepened. “Can’t say I’m surprised.”

“What’s that supposed to mean?”

He leaned in, his voice was dark with something I couldn’t place. “When a woman who wields death enters a room, men either run or fall to their knees. That kind of power terrifies people. Your mother had them bowing.”

I held his stare. “Do you know who my father is?”

The humor drained from his expression. “I wish I did. Your mother came to these gatherings. She had… admirers. ”

My voice caught. “Admirers? Please, give me a name.”

“Your instinct to come here wasn’t wrong. He is your father, Severyn. Blood doesn’t define family. Andri loves you like his own. Whoever your father is, he doesn’t matter.”

But I watched as his eyes followed Hadrian.

“In a world where blood matters…” I whispered. “I want the truth.”

Lasar’s tone dropped, suddenly heavy. “What I’m about to tell you, no one else can know.”

I nodded. “Okay.”

“Hadrian was a Serpent mentor during your mother’s time,” Lasar said. “But if you plan to accuse him, don’t. You’d be safer not knowing at all.”

“Lasar—”

His grip tightened on my shoulder. “They whisper about the man whose land survived famine. But no one dares call someone ‘sinister’ when he buys barrens. Hadrian’s bought many over the years.

And a girl raised as a Scavenger?” He shook his head.

“She’d do anything to survive. Even bear a daughter for a man she knew held power. ”

“I can handle the truth,” I said.

His fingers dug in deeper. “Fallon killed people. Some of their families are here tonight. Her quell was stripped, but her dignity?” He paused, gaze hardening. “She lost that when she met Hadrian… and realized who she was to him.”

Archer’s breath hitched beside me. “What are you saying?”

Lasar leaned in slightly. “You already know. The truemate legend.”

Archer scoffed, but there was no humor in it. “You believe in that political myth?”

“There’s no doubt in my mind,” Lasar said, calm as ever. “I saw them together. ”

The weight of it all pressed hard against my ribs. “It’s him,” I said at last, the words barely more than a whisper. “Hadrian is my father.”