And Nyx, already seated, watches me with that knowing smile.
"You were touched," Valdris says without preamble. "The world saw it."
"Are you compromised?" Marcus adds, voice sharp with suspicion.
I take my seat—last in the circle, slightly back, lower than the others—and meet their stares with practiced calm.
"No," I say evenly. "I'm focused."
I pause knowing.
"And I have a proposal."
That gets their attention. Valdris’s flames flicker higher. "Explain."
"We can’t control what people felt when they saw her. Or what they think they saw when she reached for me. The narrative is already moving—and trying to crush it will only make it stronger."
I pause. Let that settle.
"But if we let her stay visible, if we make her familiar—marketable, even—then she becomes a symbol. And symbols can be managed. Stories can be rewritten."
Nyx leans forward, interested now.
"I’ll feed the right leaks. Whispers of instability. Of hunger. Of a girl in over her head. If the public starts to fear her, we don’t have to. They’ll do the work for us."
I look directly at Marcus. "Visibility is vulnerability. And the more she shines, the easier it’ll be to gut her—if we decide we need to."
"She's untrained. Emotional. The more visible she becomes, the more she'll rely on public approval. The more she needs to be seen as benevolent." I pause again, letting them follow the logic. "It makes her controllable. Predictable. She won't risk anything that might turn them against her."
Marcus leans forward, interested despite himself. "And you'll monitor this... how?"
"I'll stay close. Report everything. Guide her choices when possible." The lies flow easier now. "Let her think she's choosing her own path while we direct where it leads."
"And if she becomes too powerful?" Valdris asks.
"Then we know exactly where to find her. And everyone will be watching when we act."
They exchange looks—the kind of silent communication that means they're weighing the proposal.
"It has merit," Marcus admits grudgingly.
"The visibility aspect is sound," Valdris agrees. "Better to know where she is than let her disappear into hiding."
Eris speaks, her voice carrying that otherworldly quality. "Your thread was faint before. It's not anymore. It burns silver now. Bright enough to see from the Veil itself."
Something cold settles in my stomach, but I keep my expression neutral. "Then you know exactly where my loyalties lie."
"Do we?" Marcus challenges. "Because from where I sit, it looks like you've developed an attachment."
"I've developed an investment," I correct. "She's powerful. She's going to reshape everything. I intend to be on the winning side when she does."
The lie tastes familiar by now. Comfortable.
"Very well," Nyx says finally, speaking for the group. "We approve your strategy. Keep her visible. Keep her manageable. But Thane?" Her eyes lock with mine. "Don't make the mistake of thinking we can't see the difference between duty and desire."
The dismissal is clear. The magic begins to pull at me again, preparing to send me back.
"One more thing," Eris calls out as I start to fade. "The next time she touches you? She'll leave more than just a handprint. She'll leave a piece of herself. And you'll take it willingly."
