"Do you truly want to find out?" Corbin asked.
Silence rested between them.
Dorian's heel began to tap on the floor as Reverie put the paste on the scratch by his collar. "If it meant not having to endure any more of Reverie's terrible caregiving, I might consider it more," he finally said, smirking sideways at her.
"I thought she was entrapped? Or dead?" Reverie asked. "Whatever the Venari did to her."
"No one's ever killed a Lesser One before," Corbin said.
"Is it even possible?" Dorian wondered.
But Corbin and Dorian both seemed to have the same thought at once.
Rhaif’s sword.
"You think?"
Corbin wrapped his arms over his chest, giving the notion apparent thought. "Maybe you should have sliced through that Architect. We'd have found out."
"But would that mean any weapon made by a Lesser One could kill them?" Dorian wondered aloud. "And you wouldn't let me use it against him."
"I stand by that decision," Corbin affirmed. "How many other weapons have been made by Lesser Ones?"
Dorian shrugged. "Draven's horn. Not exactly like he could have stabbed her with that, though. I don't believe the phoenix blades were made by Duarb. I think that was Draven's design."
For a moment, the pair settled into their thoughts, stillness ringing between them. Until—
"Too bad we can't," Dorian said, realizing it would be a mistake to kill her.
Corbin's head tilted. "After all she's put your family through, you don't want to end her?"
"I definitely do," Dorian said. "But if we do, there won't be a backup plan for if we screw something up in this Age."
Corbin cursed. "The fucking Signs."
"Yeah," Dorian grumbled. "The fucking Signs."
"What signs?" Reverie asked. "What are you two on about? Why would you want your mother dead? If she did come when you changed the waters, wouldn't that be beneficial to you? Perhaps she could help."
Dorian kept forgetting how much she didn't know. He sighed, and Corbin gave him a half-smile.
"I'll let you handle that," Corbin muttered as he slipped on his clothes.
"What's wrong with your mother?" Reverie asked.
"Remind me to tell you of her crimes one day," Dorian mumbled. "It's too long of a story for tonight."
Corbin huffed at them and slipped his shirt on. "I'll meet you both up at Dag's for dinner."
The Belwark gave the door two slaps as he exited. Reverie continued smearing the paste on his wounds, face squinted in concentration. Her finger pressed deep against one of the bruises, and she rolled her eyes when he grunted.
"Spoiled," she repeated.
He eyed the smugness on her features. "You know, I've not seen anyone blush like that in years," he said, referring to when Mons had walked naked around the room.
“Oh, I’msorry,” she drawled. “Did you not see that thing?”
“Oh, I did,” Dorian chuckled.
