"I wasn't—"
"You were." I step in front of her, blocking his line of sight. "Don't."
Silence. The Discord elite exchange glances. Two of War's guards put their hands on their weapons. Beside me, Renan shifts his weight forward, hoping.
War's expression changes—irritation first, then something working behind his eyes, then his face goes blank.
"Fine." He takes a step back, hands spread, slow. "My apologies. I didn't realize the debt was... delicate."
Delicate.
I'm across the room before I decide to move. Not touching him—worse. I'm just there, close enough that his guards are shouting and reaching for weapons and Renan is laughing somewhere behind me and I don't care. My face is inches from War's. Close enough to bite.
"Say that again."
War doesn't step back. His jaw tightens, but he doesn't step back.
Wrong answer.
The chair is in my hand and then it's not—Loss of control—already shattering against the wall three feet from his head and I'm still smiling, still close enough to count his eyelashes, and there it is. There. The flinch he tried to hide.
"Pick a different word."
A beat. War's eyes flick past me—to Iowyn—then back.
"...Valued."
I step back. Smooth my jacket. The smile stays.
"Continue."
He does. Slower now, hands at his sides.
I'm not listening. I'm standing in front of Iowyn and I can feel her behind me, her breath still wrong. Her threads aretight and grey, that particular shade that means she's looking for a way out. She hasn't said a word.
War talks about alliances. Borders. Forces massing. Coin consolidating power. He wants Discord to stand with him, wants my people, my territory, my resources.
He asks a question.
I don't answer.
He asks again.
Fingers curl into the back of my jacket.
I stop breathing.
She's not pulling. Not tugging for attention. Just—holding on. Her knuckles press into my spine and then her forehead drops against my back, just below my shoulder blade, and she stays there. Small. Quiet. Hiding behind me.
The woman who told me to fuck off in my own territory. Who called me a monster to my face. Who stood in my bedroom and didn't flinch when I put my hands on her.
She's hiding behind me.
Something cracks in my chest. I don't know what. I don't care.
War is still talking.
I'm going to remove his tongue.
