"Senna's not subtle."
"Senna doesn't need to be subtle. She controls half the commerce in the districts. She can afford to be direct."
I nod. My fingers are pressing into my thigh hard enough to bruise.
"I'll attend," I say. "And I'll bring her."
Renan's boots hit the floor. He leans forward in the chair, elbows on his knees. Finally. Something fun.
Caius turns to look at Iowyn—really look, not the glance from before. She meets his gaze without flinching.
"Her," Caius repeats. He says it like he's tasting the word, deciding if he likes it. "You're bringing her."
"Iowyn. She comes with me."
"The Concord is for House representatives and their chosen advisors. She's—"
"She's what?"
Caius stops.
"Please." I tilt my head. "Finish that sentence."
His mouth opens. Closes. He looks at the ceiling, lips moving slightly as he works through options and discards them. His hand is still on his gladius—not threatening, just thinking.
"I had four endings to that sentence," he says finally. "You ruined all of them. They're gone now." He sounds genuinely mournful. "One of them was good. It had structure. It had rhythm. I was going to emphasize the second syllable—" He demonstrates with his hand, a downward motion like a blade. "Like that. For impact. Now it's just..." He makes a deflating sound. "Nothing. You gave me nothing to work with."
Renan's watching me with his mouth open, teeth visible. He knows what's happening. He knows what comes next if Caius picks the wrong word.
Iowyn hasn't moved. Hasn't reacted. But her fingers have curled at her sides—tight, like she's bracing. I want to cross the room and uncurl them. Press my mouth to her palm.
"Discord doesn't typically bring guests to Conclaves," Caius says.
"Discord doesn't typically do anything. That's the point."
"If the other Houses perceive this as a provocation—"
"So what?"
Caius goes quiet. He's reworking his picture of me. I can see it behind his eyes—Discord reshaping itself into something he didn't expect.
"If she's coming," he says, "she needs to understand what she's walking into."
"She understands."
"Does she?" He looks at Iowyn again. "The House heads will see a mortal woman walking beside Discord. They'll see a target. A weakness. Something to leverage."
"Then they'll see wrong."
"Will they?"
Iowyn speaks for the first time. "They'll see what Lord Discord wants them to see."
Her voice is steady. Calm. Not deferential—she's not performing for Caius's benefit. She's stating a fact.
My cock twitches.
Unhelpful.
