Broken. I’d just told Ezra broken wasn’t wrong. Yet here, the instant Brit knew she could have children, she wanted one, and the whole room celebrated fertility.
My Majekah destroyed. It dismantled anything unnatural and returned it to its components. A woman wasn’t broken because she couldn’t have kids, but fertility was an undeniable part of our biology. Something unnatural had taken root inside us, and my magic broke it down.
Everyone deserved to make their own choice.
I hadn’t realized I started shaking until Ezra pulled me into his arms.
“Focus on passing the tests.” His chest rumbled against me. “We’ll figure out what comes next together.”
I took a deep breath and squeezed him back. If this was true, I could help, maybe even change the balance of power between men and women.
Chapter 24
Ezra
Iwokethemomentanother body shifted in the tent. Quinn wasn’t in my arms; she was across the room, my useless sword still hidden at her side. I’d stayed in the Westwater’s home to be with Quinn, not share an intimate space with Silas.
“Don’t give me that look.” Silas cracked his neck. “I wake with one woman under my arm, usually two. Your mug’s about as welcome as a shit stain.”
I let myself have one scowl before schooling my features into their usual mask.
“What do you usually do in the mornings?” Silas asked.
I scrubbed my short hair. “Coffee, then run.”
“Running’s for the young.” He patted his knees, still under a blanket. “But I’ll join you for that coffee. Do we need to go over the rules again?”
I shook my head. My time with Quinn was limited unless she was with a group, so my attention wouldn’t raise suspicion. Two hours a day at The Pit kept my cover and let me track the families’ changes to the structure, giving us a better idea of what was coming.
I dressed in leather pants with studs covering my hips and one of Silas’ simple tunics before placing my little specs onto my nose. It was strange not needing a hair tie. I even caught myself searching for one before realizing.
Prepared or not, I left the tent.
Quinn wasn’t awake yet. I forced my focus away from her, joining Silas and a few of Ravana’s family at the big kitchen table. A cup of hot, brown, liquefied life found its way to my hands.
“Our family’s up to something with Quinn’s test,” one of the tan-haired men said.
“We already knew that,” another muttered.
“No, really up to something.” He leaned in. “Marcus met with someone from the castle.”
“Who?” Silas asked.
“Don’t know. Not a trainee. Harry said Gloria said Libby saw him at the bakery on The Mile—with someone in black, pink hair.”
I blinked. Rumors stacked on rumors.
Silas leaned back. “Worth noting. Useless for now.”
“Could ask,” the man shrugged, “but Libby still won’t talk to us since the cake.”
Another man perked up. “The cake?”
That launched a family drama I didn’t care to hear. I drained my coffee and went for a run around The Assembly.
‘Morning, Love, are you running?’
My heart squeezed. I hated sleeping away from Xan—but it was good for us.‘Yes. I missed you.’
