She lifted a shoulder. “Call it a mother’s instinct. I knew there was more to your decision to return. I wanted to see where you had been and see who else was there. Did I expect a child? No. I expected a lover. Who I would have killed to hurt you as you hurt my son.”
“She didn’t hurt him. He hurt her,” Adeuto said angrily.
Athira narrowed her gaze. “He is not a pure demon.”
I didn’t answer.
She continued. “So he will possess some power of his mother. Unique power. Her way of thinking. He will have her help.” Her gaze lifted to mine. “And that of her twin in the dungeon. Carmine told me that you know the truth.”
One second. That was all I needed to portal inside her. That was the quickest attack I could think of, and I would barely emerge from it alive. But Iwouldlive, and so would Adeuto.
Athira was watching me in silence, and her crimson eyes darted between mine. “I am glad that you did not end up a disappointment, Syera.”
She’d never used my name more.
“I need you to withhold your attack,” she said next.
I sucked in a breath. “What?”
“If you can do that, then I will remove the dagger from my grandchild’s neck. He is starting to wriggle, and my daggers are very sharp. We have business to discuss.”
I blinked. Did I believe for a second that Athira didn’t intend to kill Adeuto and me? No. She’d realized that she couldn’t kill both of us in this standoff. Carmine’s mother was bargaining for time, as I’d just done.
I nodded. “I will hear what you have to say.”
Athira snorted in reply, then sat on the sand.
Adeuto ran to me, and I hugged him close, never taking my eyes off my enemy. “Mama, I had to leave Grandfather.”
“I know, my love. You did what you had to do.”
“Neti helped me.” His voice trembled, and despite his bravado, I could sense that very little was holding him together right now.
The nismus butted me, and I turned to set Adeuto atop the animal.
“Thank you,” I said to her. She looked days away from birthing her own young. This journey wouldn’t have been easy for her.
As for why a nismus was helping me in the first place, I had no clue. I just hoped to live long enough to answer the question.
I didn’t sit. “Speak.”
Athira tilted her chin. “This explains and changes a great deal.”
“I’m sure it explains a lot, but what does it change? You should know that I am very close to ending your life, Athira. Speak quickly if you have something worth saying.”
Her expression was grave. “Like most demon women, I was eager to become a grandmother. I did not relish the weak human mate of my son at first, but I would have accepted your young even as you were. Of course, with the son as my king, I hoped for a girl.”
“That he would not kill.”
Athira said, “That he would notneedto kill. The urge of a king to kill any threat to the throne is not something they can control. Not my mate, nor your father, and not Carmine. I watched as each of them was forced to kill those who challenged their power. I witnessed their despair. I am grateful that my mate never had to kill Carmine or die by Carmine’s hand. And I would not wish that fate for my son. Carmine would not wish to survive his son. He would wish for his son to win.”
I wasn’t sure what to make of all that, but my heart thumped in my chest for a different reason. “What are you saying, Athira?”
Carmine’s mother swallowed. “I am saying that I will help my grandson to ascend the throne. I can see that he has the potential to do so. I can see that we will need such a leader as him in the future. And I can see that he will be formidable with his mother, aunt, and grandmother surrounding him.” Athira took a breath, and pain reflected in her gaze. “I will uphold what I believe Carmine’s wishes would be if he could know the truth. I will help you to kill my son.”
I sat on the sand.
Then I gaped at her. “You cannot be serious.”
