“Then you speak it too fluently,” Saint snaps.
“Better than choking on morality,” he counters snidely, sneering at Saint.
My hand hits the table—not hard, but hard enough to shut them all up. The sound echoes, sharp and final. “Enough.”
The silence after that is immediate, heavy. I turn to Wraith, narrowing my eyes at him. “You’re sure nothing happened.”
His jaw tightens. “I said nothing happened.”
Vale chuckles under his breath. “You’re a terrible liar, brother.”
Wraith’s hand curls into a fist, but I don’t let it go further. “Stop,” I order. “Both of you.”
Vale raises his hands in mock surrender. “Whatever you say,Your Majesty.”
I ignore him. My focus stays on Wraith. There’s a tension in him that doesn’t belong to guilt—it’shunger. A kind he doesn’t understand yet. And that’s somehow worse.
“You let her get under your skin,” I say quietly. “If that continues, she’ll destroy this crew from the inside out.”
“I haven’t let her do anything,” Wraith bites out. “You think I don’t see what she’s doing? She’s trying to divide us.”
“She doesn’t have to try,” I murmur. “You’re doing it for her.”
His nostrils flare. “Watch it.”
“I am,” I reply. “That’s the problem.”
No one speaks. The sound of the clock ticking in the corner suddenly feels too loud.
“She’s not what she says she is,” Ash says finally, breaking the silence. “Not just a thief, or a witness. She’s trained, I can feel it in my fucking gut. The way she studies us, the restraint, the silence—it’s deliberate. She’s been coached for interrogation, and I want to know by who.”
Vale’s smirk returns, sharp as a blade. “Then maybe it’s time we oblige her.”
Saint’s voice turns cold. “You’re talking about torture.”
“I’m talking about answers,” Vale argues.
“I won’t bless that.”
Vale’s grin deepens. “Didn’t ask you to,Father.”
I let them argue for another breath, then stand. The motion alone is enough to silence the room.
“Tomorrow,” I say evenly, “we begin formal interrogation.”
Ash’s brow lifts. “All of us?”
“All of us,” I agree. “Together. She’s already playing one side against the other. I won’t give her the chance to pick us off individually.”
Saint leans forward, voice low. “And if she doesn’t talk?”
“Then we find out how far she’s willing to go not to.”
Vale’s smile is wicked. “Finally.”
Wraith mutters, “You’re enjoying this too much.”
“And you’re not enjoying it enough,” he scoffs.
