The moment the door closed, the weight settled back onto his shoulders.
Spa days were for healing. For pretending life was normal again. Jakob was glad Mallory had one. She had earned it a hundred times over since the shooting, but he had other business. The kind that didn’t come with plush robes or soft music.
Meg.
Onyxheim’s dungeon ward felt colder than the rest of the castle, even in the middle of the day. Stone walls pressed in and shadows lingered in the areas where sunlight had no opportunity to reach. Jakob moved through the corridors with purpose until he reached her cell.
He didn’t say anything.
Meg looked up sharply from the table when she sat and her hand flew instinctively to where a weapon would have been if she were still living like she used to. She froze when she saw him.
“The mighty king,” she said through a ton of attitude. “You’re a long way from home.”
“So are you,” he replied.
He undid the lock and entered the cell. Once he closed the door behind him, he leaned against it with his arms crossed. He ignored the bars that dug into his back. He wasn’t here to be comfortable.
She studied his face, her expression shifting as if searching for the best angle with which to manipulate him. He’d seen it before. It didn’t work anymore.
“You know why I’m here,” he said.
Meg exhaled, slow and measured. “If this is about the Ruecrags…”
“It’s about everything,” Jakob cut in. “It’s about my city. It’s about my people. And it’s about your sister.”
That landed.
Her jaw tightened. “Mallory dragged herself into that mess.”
“Only because she was looking for you.” Jakob pushed off the door. “Otherwise, she probably would never even have heard of Onyxheim. And because of you, she was shot because of it. Because of the alliances you helped build. Because you fed the Ruecrags information and leverage and pretended it wouldn’t burn anyone but your enemies.”
Silence filled the room, thick and brittle.
“You don’t get to pretend ignorance,” he continued, voice low but steady. “Onyxheim is still repairing damage you helped cause. People died. Families were displaced. And Mallory…” His voice caught despite himself. He cleared his throat. “Mallory nearly did.”
Meg looked away. He gave a silent cheer that he had finally hit a nerve.
He let the moment stretch. Then he said, “I’m not here to get answers from you.”
Her head snapped back up. “You’re not?”
“Nope,” he said. “I’m here to tell you that you have two options. And I want to be crystal clear that I am only doing this because of your sister. Your answer will determine whether or not she ever finds out this visit happened.”
He laid it out cleanly. No dramatics. No threats he couldn’t back up.
Justice or redemption.
She could continue on the path she was on, face trial, and accept whatever sentence and consequences followed. Or she could choose redemption and help him dismantle the Ruecrags from the inside. Names. Routes. Financial streams. Everything she knew.
“You’d be under watch,” Jakob said. “And you’d answer to me. And when it’s over, the courts would still decide your fate, but your cooperation would matter.”
Meg stared at the table with her fingers curled into her palm. “You’re asking me to burn every bridge I have left.”
“I’m asking you to decide who you are,” Jakob replied.
For a long moment, she said nothing. Then, quietly, “I need time.”
Jakob considered pushing her for an answer. He was making the offer. Meg had no room to negotiate or make demands.
