Mybuilding.
Not ours. Not Crows.
His.
Flag one.
The heir’s eyes darted to me, the way they all did when they realised the shaved-headed psychopath had a bigger brother in the room.
People always assumed I’d be the reasonable one.
Bad assumption.
I leaned against the minibar, arms folded.
“You’re in violation of Rome’s code. That’s worse than violating ours.” I said.
“They lied,” the heir choked. “We didn’t—she said?—”
“No.” Rome’s grip tightened. “She didn’t.”
He hit the wall with the man’s back. Plaster dented. A framed print dropped sideways and crashed to the floor.
The heir’s yelp bounced off the ceiling.
Crow dialect slipped out of me before I thought about it.
“Leth ven vren. Kir ven coda.” I muttered under my breath.
Ease your hand, keep the lesson.
Most dynasties had scraps of old tongue, courtroom flourishes the Academy drilled into them alongside trade languages. Crows were different. We had a whole language. Built in cages and war rooms and ports. They didn’t teachoursat the Academy. Just like they didn’t teach our Codex. You learned Crow law from Crows or you didn’t learn it at all.
Rome’s head tipped half an inch, hearing it.
He shot back, words sharp and fast in Crow, the cadence older than any of the bloodlines watching us. “Nor say, Vadar. Sha ven skar touched.”
Not this time, brother. She was touched.
Crow dialect never landed soft in civilian ears. Old vowels, hard consonants, a rhythm built for orders and oaths, not hotel suites. The heirs went still, eyes flicking between us like we’d just started casting spells.
Good. Let them feel how far from home they were.
The heir in Rome’s grip tried again, desperation kicking in. “The girl was playing hard to get. She didn’t—she wanted?—”
Rome’s head snapped back a fraction.
“You cornered a dynasty daughter in my room,” he said.
Myroom.
Flag two.
“You ignored the panic button and my staff when they told you to leave.”
“She’s a DuPont,” the other heir slurred from the floor, trying to push himself upright, blood running from his nose. “She’s used to heir attention. She should be grateful.”
Rome turned.
