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T hey thought Daisy had come to kill them all. Again .

A sudden laugh grated from Daisy’s throat, because of course she should have seen that, too. She should have paid attention. She should have realized that they’d been keeping information from her, keeping her quiet and placated in the dark, all this time.

“I’m sorry, Daisy ,” Jule said, and she did look sorry, the regret tightening her mouth. “ We hoped you weren’t still involved, but… you must see what it looked like. You were living with Lew Wallace , working very closely with him for years. And then you go spend time alone in that isolated cave, until Filak finds you there, and then you two…”

She grimaced, but gave a meaningful flap of her hand, suggesting that — oh. Of course. Daisy had… mated with Filak , without hesitation, that very first night they’d met. Just as if she’d been ordered to go off and do it. As if she’d been trying to — what had Jule said? — build the mate-bond between them.

“And what is a mate-bond, again?” Daisy asked, halting now — and that was losing the point, surely, but she couldn’t seem to take it back. Because it did sound familiar, didn’t it? Like something someone had said before…

There was an instant’s empty silence, but then down the table, Rosa cleared her throat. “ It’s a biological connection between orcs and their mates,” she replied. “ It’s not coercive — it doesn’t override your free will — but it often increases your attraction and satisfaction in the relationship, especially over time. I know Gwyn and Efterar usually try to mention it to anyone new, but it was really chaotic when you arrived, so…”

She left it hanging there, giving Daisy that escape, just like a good friend would. But both of them knew it was rubbish, because of course Gwyn and Efterar had probably mentioned it to Daisy — and of course she’d ignored it, again. Just like she’d ignored what they’d said about pregnancy. And just like she’d ignored those other whispering hints from Rosa , too. We’ve researched you. Where have you two been hiding, all this time? And even what she’d just said, when Daisy had first come into this very room…

I knew she would come. I told you she had nothing to do with it.

It dragged Daisy’s thoughts back to the point, to yet more of the sinking miserable truth. Because it meant — it meant Rosa had known about all of this too, since the very start. And even if Rosa hadn’t believed Daisy was a murderer, she’d still hidden the truth from her. On purpose. For weeks. And they were supposed to be friends, they were friends, and Daisy couldn’t deny the hurt plummeting in her gut, the sudden sharp stinging behind her eyes.

“I’m so sorry, Daisy ,” Rosa said, in a rush, and her eyes suddenly looked bright, too. “ You have no idea how desperately I wanted to tell you, but I vowed to Jule and Grimarr when you first came that I wouldn’t! It’s been such a horrible vexing mess, and none of us knew what to think, or who was involved, and —”

Her voice broke off there, her head shaking back and forth, but her glimmering eyes had darted beyond Daisy , to something behind her. To — to Filak .

As if… as if… they’d suspected him , too?

Daisy whipped around, stared at Filak’s eyes beneath his cloak. But yes, he’d understood exactly what Rosa had just said — and no, he didn’t even look surprised. If anything, that look on his face was just anger, and frustration, and resignation.

Because — he’d fully expected something like this. He hadn’t trusted them, from the very start. Nei trust them , he’d told her. Never trust them.

But — for them to believe Filak capable of such a thing? Of conspiring with his enemies, the people who had already destroyed his life in the north, so he could kill more of his own people here, too?

“You honestly thought Filak was part of this awful attack?” Daisy demanded toward the table, and for some reason, the anger was finally stirring, deep and hot in her chest. “ You thought Filak would conspire with Lew and me to kill you? Really ?!”

No one answered, and Daisy’s eyes swept over them all, the anger hitching higher. “ When Filak found out what Lew was doing,” she snarled, “he kidnapped me. He locked his new mate in a dungeon . And then he came here and told you about it!”

There were multiple grimaces around the table, and Rosa was wringing her hands together, looking genuinely aghast. “ Look , we didn’t know for sure,” she gulped. “ It’s just — Filak didn’t ever tell us anything , before that! And once he brought you here, he constantly went to such great lengths to be with you, to make sure we never spoke to you alone! And you kept taking off alone together too, disappearing for gods knew how long, hiding things from us, and given everything else we knew at the time —”

She shot Daisy another helpless, miserable look, and too late, the rest of it was rushing in, too. How Filak had first come here reeking of blood. How he’d kept hoarding gems and coins. How he’d refused to tell anyone here about his family, or the Skyli , or where he was going, or what he was doing.

“And that was still enough for you to suspect us both of murder ?” Daisy asked, her voice still sharp. “ To believe we were both pretending, all that time? Even when you came and questioned me in the dungeon? When you released me? When Filak tried to give me the sálugjald ? When you told me to stay here safe with you until the attack?”

Rosa’s face crumpled, and she shook her head. “ We didn’t know!” she cried, high-pitched. “ We just didn’t know , you said all the right things, even our — our experts thought you were telling the truth, but you also kept offering to go back to Lew , and it didn’t make sense that you wouldn’t know anything about your own long-term partner’s project! But then he sent that regiment after you in the wrong direction, and we learned about the Skyli , and you’ve just been so lovely, and —”

She paused to gulp for air, wiping at her eyes with her sleeve. “ I know it’s no consolation now, but” — she dragged in another deep breath — “ I didn’t really ever believe it, sister. Especially once I got to know you. You’re so open-minded and empathetic, so accepting and welcoming of other people, there’s no way you would ever support something like that. And also, you’re just so focused on your art, and on creating and experiencing it, that you shut out everything else. I mean, you still haven’t even noticed that you’re famous .”

She choked a little sob-laugh, the sound twisting bitterly in Daisy’s gut — was Rosa mocking her? But no, no, that look in her eyes was something else, something between admiration and regret.

“It’s absolutely brilliant, sister,” she continued. “ You’re brilliant. Like you have a pure shining light you share with us all. And of course your awful ex saw that too, and of course he would do whatever the hell he could to hide all his mess from you. To keep your light all for himself.”

It shuddered deep in Daisy’s belly, echoed fierce and strange against all the rest, and for a brief, desperate breath, she wanted to run over and embrace Rosa , to weep into her arms. To shout at her, and grieve with her, and tell her everything she’d seen about Lew , and Filak , and her son.

But — no. No . They’d lied to her. They’d suspected her. They’d conspired against her. She couldn’t trust them.

Filak had been right, all along.

And without another word, another look toward them, Daisy staggered around, and escaped into the darkness.