"Did you really think I didn't know?" My father moves to the window, looking out at the twilight of the Shadow Court. "About the Order of the Silent Blade? About your missions?"
My blood runs cold. "How?—"
"The assassination in Blackvale last summer. The informant you cultivated in the Eastern Provinces. That advisor who 'accidentally' fell from the tower during the trade negotiations." He turns to face me, his expression unreadable. "Seraphina, I'm not a fool. An Omega, even one on suppressants, operating as an assassin for four years? You think I wouldn't notice? Wouldn't investigate?"
The implications begin to crystallize, sharp and painful as ice forming in my chest.
"I know about the Order," he continues quietly. "I know what they do. What they've trained you to become."
"And you said nothing?" My voice cracks despite my attempt to control it. "You let me?—"
"Let you what? Find purpose beyond being bred to some Alpha councilor?" His Alpha scent remains carefully neutral. "You were going to be matched at sixteen, Seraphina. Some alliance marriage to strengthen the family position. Instead, you found another path. A darker one, perhaps, but one that let you keep your autonomy."
"You approved of me becoming an assassin?" I can't keep the disbelief from my voice.
"I approved of you not being reduced to a breeding mare." He steps closer, his golden eyes holding mine. "The moment you presented as Omega, your life was over—or it would have been, if you'd followed the traditional path. The Order gave you something else. Something more."
Cassian looks between us, clearly lost. "Father, what are you saying?"
"I'm saying your sister is far more capable than you've ever realized," Father says without looking away from me. "And now, that capability will serve a greater purpose."
"What purpose?" But I already feel the trap closing.
"Malakai is powerful," Father says bluntly. "The most dangerous Shadow Lord in generations. This marriage—whether it came about through Cassian's mistake or not—gives you access no one else has. His chambers. His trust, eventually. His vulnerability."
My stomach drops.
"You want me to kill him," I say flatly.
"I want you to be prepared," he corrects. "To protect yourself and your interests. Malakai is not a safe man, Seraphina. He's a monster who has killed countless Light Court members over the centuries. If you find yourself in a position where you must act to save yourself, to save your brother, to serve the Light Court's interests—" He pauses meaningfully. "Then you act."
"You're asking me to assassinate the Shadow Lord."
"I'm asking you to survive," he says quietly. "By whatever means necessary. If that means playing the docile Omega until you can escape, do that. If it means finding leverage to ensure your and Cassian's safety, do that. And if it means..." He doesn't finish, but the implication hangs heavy in the air.
Cassian's face has gone pale. "Father, you can't be serious?—"
"I'm deadly serious." Father's voice hardens. "Your sister has skills most people don't know exist. She's survived things that would have broken others. And now she's going into the most dangerous faction in Shadow Realm, married to its most ruthless lord." He looks back at me. "Use everything you've learned. Every skill, every technique, every instinct. Whatever it takes to protect yourself and come home alive."
The words sound like concern, like a father worried for his daughter's safety. But I hear what lies beneath: Kill him if you get the chance. Eliminate the threat. Serve the Light Court.
"And if I refuse?" I ask through numb lips. "If I choose not to... act?"
"Then you survive however you can," Father says. "But know this—Malakai has made enemies of the Light Court for centuries. If an opportunity presents itself to end that threat, the Court will expect you to take it. Your brother's continued safety may depend on your cooperation."
The threat is subtle but clear. Do this, or Cassian remains at risk.
He places a hand on my shoulder briefly, then removes it. "You've trained your whole life to survive, Seraphina. Even if you didn't realize what you were training for. Now use those skills. Be smart. Be careful. And when the moment comes—if it comes—don't hesitate."
When they finally leave, I stand frozen in the center of the room.
He knows. He's always known. And now he expects me to use everything the Order taught me to assassinate Malakai.
The weight of that expectation, that mission, settles on my shoulders like heavy chains.
But what terrifies me most is that part of me is already calculating how to do exactly what he's asking.
Hours pass. The light fades from the narrow windows, replaced by the unnatural darkness of the Shadow Court—a blackness so complete it seems to swallow sound itself. I should sleep. Should conserve my strength for tomorrow. But every time I close my eyes, I see Malakai's face, feel the phantom weight of his shadows on my skin, smell that intoxicating Alpha scent that makes my traitorous body respond despite my hatred.
