“Who do you think she sent?” Dewalt countered.

“Fuck.”

“No, no. What does that mean? Who?” I jolted forward, hands pressed flat atop the table.

“The Scythe and the Scar.”

“Oh. That sounds ominous.”

“It is.” Both men spoke in tandem.

“Don’t they have real names?” I asked. Neither of them answered, and that unsettled me all the more.

“They’re the only two? Any word from our spies about the Silence? Did she stay home?” Rain asked.

“No one spotted—”

“Who is the Silence?”

“Well, that’s the point. We don’t know. She’s the sister who hides her face and her voice. Green eyes, tall build—that’s all we know,” Rain explained. I wondered if he found it annoying I’d kept my head in the sand, hiding from all knowledge of anything outside Brambleton. I knew the Nine existed, but nothing more.

“She was spotted in Nythyr the same day her sisters arrived, so if she plans to come, she’ll be late.”

“Good.”

“Did…” I hesitated, not sure if I wanted to bring her up. “Did Keeva have a name like that?”

“No. Those three are Nereza’s prized possessions. She wants their reputation known. Keeva fashioned herself as the deadliest, but the Silence is far more deadly. Her death toll is unknown.” Rain’s breath was warm on my shoulder.

We heard the front door slam open on a gust of wind, and Elora’s laughter echoed. I put my hands on the arms of Rain’s chair, about to stand. Uncertainty flooded over our golden bond, and I threaded my fingers through his as he wrapped his arm around me.

“Let her come to us. If we’re going to—I want her to see us as we are, as we’re meant to be. Not as it has been. Unless you think we should ease her into it?” he added in a panic.

Before I could move, the girl in question cleared her throat from the archway. “What in the name of all the gods is on your shoulder, Mama?”

Stunned, I didn’t move for a moment before bursting into laughter. Weariness, grief, my reconciliation with Rain, and the desire to see and hold her was too much.

“Come here, honey. Hug me, and take a closer look.”

Her eyes darted to Rain for a moment before she dumped a stack of books on the table and made her way around it.

“The Discovered Dragonhas a sequel,“ she breathed, excitement lifting her lips into a dazzling smile. “It’s about Alina’s sister and her love interest.” She traced her fingertip over the swirling ink on my skin and looked over my shoulder at Rain, posing her question to him. “Can I get one?”

“Elora Mae. No. You’re too young,” I replied.

“I didn’t ask you; I asked him. He gave one to Uncle Dewalt.”

“That’s different,” Rain said, shifting beneath me.

“You did what?” I whipped my head around to face him, catching Dewalt attempting to slink away out of the corner of my eye. “No, no. You two did what?”

“It was just one, and it’s almost completely faded,” Dewalt supplied, the tops of his cheeks turning red. “How do you even—” Thyra sauntered into the room, arms crossed with a devilish smirk on her face. “Oh, I’m going to kill you,” he growled at my Second.

“Hold on, someone explain.”

“Dewalt has tattoo on his ass.” Thyra barely managed the words before Dewalt lunged at her, and she dodged out of the way.

“You gave Dewalt a tattoo on his ass?” I asked my husband, twisting to look down at him.