The young female moving around the table flinched but kept her head down, her hands trembling as she poured steaming tea into two more cups.
“She was just doing her job, Jaxon.” Araya offered the female a kind smile, but the servant kept her eyes down, her face carefully blank. “Thank you for the clothes, sir. That was very thoughtful of you.”
“Of course,” Garrick said absently, his focus already drifting back to his papers. “I meant what I said last night—you’re family now, Araya.”
The servant scurried around the table, pulling silver lids off serving dishes to reveal platters of fluffy eggs and savory sausages. Another bowl held freshly cut fruit, and fresh rolls steamed in a basket beside a silver dish of creamy butter.
“Thank you, Belanis,” Garrick said as she topped off his tea. “That will be everything for now—yes, please leave the teapot?—”
“Milk and sugar.” Jaxon nudged the small pitcher and dish towards Araya. “You’re sweet to defend her, Starling,” he added softly, taking her plate and piling it high with food. “But remember your place here—it’s beside me, not her.”
Araya stared at him, any response she might have made dying on her tongue as he set her plate in front of her with a smile that didn’t reach his eyes.
“Darian was gone when we looked for him,” Garrick said without looking up once the door had closed behind the servant. “He knew he overstepped last night.”
“Coward,” Jaxon snorted, heaping food onto his own plate next. “So he can corner someone who can’t fight back, but he can’t face the consequences of his actions?”
“Darian is more dangerous than you give him credit for,” Garrick said, setting his papers down. His sharp gaze pinned Jaxon in place, his voice calm but edged with warning. “He may not hold formal authority over you, but he’s made a career of currying favor. With theright allies—and the right moment—he can cause more than enough trouble.”
Jaxon’s grin didn’t falter as he speared a fat sausage with his fork. “If he wants a fight, I’ll make sure he gets one.”
“Don’t underestimate him.” Garrick said evenly. He leaned back in his chair, his forehead creasing as he frowned at his son. “That’s exactly what Darian wants you to do. He thrives on exploiting arrogance.”
Jaxon grunted but said nothing, the silence broken by only the scrape of his knife against his plate.
“It would help,” Garrick continued, “If we had measurable progress to show the Arcanum—something to indicate that you’re making a difference.”
“Araya is ready to start imbuing the amulets,” Jaxon said around a mouthful of eggs. “Is that measurable enough for you?”
“Is that so?”
Garrick’s attention shifted to Araya, his eyes narrowing slightly. The weight of his gaze pressed down on her, but she kept her expression neutral, her back straightening instinctively.
“Processing the blood took longer than we expected, but I finished the final housing last night,” she said, relieved to return to a more familiar topic. “Once we install the bone blanks and imbue them, we’ll be ready to start testing.”
“And how long will imbuing take?” Garrick asked.
“They’re only blanks--” Araya chewed her lip, considering. “Not more than a few days, if that.”
“And do you believe they’ll work?” He asked.
Araya hesitated, choosing her words carefully. "Everything we have done up until now is based on theory,” she admitted. “Itshouldwork—but magic can be unpredictable.”
For a moment, Garrick said nothing, his gaze lingering on her as if weighing her words. Finally, he nodded. “Good. It sounds like we’re finally moving in the right direction, then. Where are you planning to conduct these tests?”
“I thought Ravonfar,” Jaxon said without missing a beat. “That’s where Araya helped her friend with those maternity clinics—with what she’s said about how the mist behaves there, it sounds like the perfect place to start.”
Araya froze with her teacup halfway to her lips. “Ravonfar? Are you sure that’s the best choice?”
“Why not?” Jaxon raised an eyebrow. “You’ve spoken about it often enough—how the shadows creep along the beach. It seems like a logical place to begin.”
“The people there...” Araya trailed off, setting her cup down carefully. “It’s a complicated district. The people there haven’t seen the good parts of the New Dominion?—”
“All the more reason for me to go,” Jaxon said. His hand found hers under the table, squeezing gently. “I want to see everything you’ve told me about. I wantthemto see what we can do to help—that we’re trying.”
Araya’s protest faded as she met his steady gaze. There was no mockery in his voice, no trace of his usual charm. Only conviction—and sincerity. She leaned toward him almost without meaning to, drawn to the hope in his words even as a quiet voice that sounded disconcertingly like Loren whispered a warning in the back of her mind.
Humans lie. Especially when they want something.
