Page 57 of Mantle

“Yes. On our way to Cornelius’ vault that day.”

“I know it’s part of why you’re so happy to have been invited to Arcanum Order. It could give you access to knowledge that could fix things where that’s concerned.”

“It could, yeah.”

“You should tell my grandfather, Kai. He could really help you.”

“You know I can’t tell anyone outside of the three of you. It’s too much of a risk. It could compromise my parents and the entire Coven’s wellbeing.”

“Maybe they need to be compromised. Maybe they deserve it.”

I jolted at her words.

And Kai completely stilled.

She pushed off the bed then as well, and walked to him, urgency radiating off her.

“They’ve trapped you. Not out of nastiness or vindictiveness, but—”

“Fear. It was out of fear. From powerlessness. And that’s something I understand.”

“If you don’t move beyond understanding soon, you’ll be forced into that role. We’re close to graduation now. Time is running out.”

“And I’ll find a way.”

“Letmehelp you. I can use the Celestial knowledge that Cassius has allowed me to access and—”

“No.”

“What?”

“It could compromise you. Interference from you in an entrenched and highly traditionalist institution like Maven Coven would come with massive political blowback. I won’t have you caught up in that.”

“Kai, I can’t just stand by and let them steal your future.”

“Seems there’s a lot of that kind of bullshit going around lately,” Vorzyr’s rumble sounded just before he materialized inside the room in a cloud of teleportation. He lifted his chin at Kai. “Wouldn’t you say, Kai?”

“You’re ready to tell them?”

“I don’t want it to be true, so I didn’t want to speak to it.Orto relive it through talking about it.Butthese last few daysworking with Jaxon have made it clear that bottling it up hasn’t been doing me, especially my animal side, any favors. In fact, it’s causing a shitload of instability. And I can’t have that, not with what’s happening, and not with being around the three of you. I won’t risk you getting hurt because I’m not able to get control. And I won’t let myself get to that point—especially not because of them.”

“Them?” Ariana queried.

“My parents.”

Ariana frowned and held her hand out to Vorzyr. “Tell us, my dragon. What’s happened?”

As she offered that, something broke in him, his defenses coming down. And as he walked to her, I choked when a wave of grief and agony surged from him.

It was so overwhelming that I could barely breathe through it.

Holy… damn.

11

~Ariana~

Heads would roll.

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