“Leave us,” his father said.
The Hybrids shuffled off, some more reluctantly than others. Yuki cast a worried glance at Yiran. Yiran ignored him; he couldn’t let himself be distracted.
“You seem to be taking things well,” his father remarked, scrutinizing him.
Yiran needed to dispel his suspicions. He raised his left hand, showing his scars, reminding his father ofwhohad given them to him.
“I hated the old man,” he said with a sneer, even as his chest hurt. “I’ll admit I was shocked you did that at the teahouse. Wish you’d told me your plan and what would come after. I wasn’t prepared, so I ran. I didn’t know what was happening after the block on my meridians lifted. But I suppose all’s well that ends well.” He raised his other hand, the gloved one. “I’m in full control now.”
Curiosity pooled in his father’s eyes. “And what else did you find out about your abilities?” He was laser-focused on one thing and one thing only.
“I’m an Amplifier.”
The news didn’t go down as well as he’d thought it would. While his father seemed impressed, he also looked suspicious. “How did you know that?”
“The white lantern that Yuki brought me to for healing told me about them,” Yiran lied.
A chill settled in his father’s voice. “Yukiknew what you were all this time?”
Shit.Yiran hadn’t meant to drag the Hybrid into this. “It was a private conversation between me and the white lantern. Yuki doesn’t know. I haven’t told anyone else until today.” He scoffed lightly. “I didn’t believethe white lantern at first, to be honest, but then the teahouse happened. I felt the surge of energy and magic inside me—it wasn’t just a release of the block on my core and my meridians. It was something more. I went to look for the white lantern afterward, and she confirmed everything.”
“Amplifiers have always been a rumor in Guild circles. I was never completely sure if they existed. But I suppose knowing how the Guild and its Council work, there’s always truth in the rumors.” His father sounded bitter.
“Like how they keep denying that Hybrids exist,” Yiran said, driving the needle in.
“The Council will be after you now.”
“I figured. The white lantern said that under the right circumstances, I’d be able to absorb spiritual energydirectly. That’s what happened when the first separation spell was cast on me. Somehow, it unlocked part of that ability that was suppressed. I can be more powerful if I hone it.” Yiran laughed. “The Councilshouldbe afraid of me.”
He let that thought linger, certain that his father’s mind was whirring with the possibilities of exploiting his son’s innate abilities.
Hoping for more information about Surin and the other abducted Exorcists and the talisman, Yiran said, “I couldn’t help hearing something about the next phase. Are we transforming the Exorcists? I’d love to watch.”
“Tonight would’ve been the first of our trials,” his father revealed, “but Celeste waylaid me.”
So the Exorcistswereimprisoned here. The compound was big. Yiran had to know their exact location. “The night’s still young,” he said. “Where did you get the spell from, anyway? What does that talisman even look like?”
His father smiled faintly. “An agreement.”
He’d ignored Yiran’s implicit request to see the talisman. Was the talisman really on Song Liming’s person? Yiran only had Yuki’s word for it. He tried a different tactic. “What’s up with Celeste? She didn’t seem happy with your plans and about me.”
“Divergent views will always arise in a big group,” his father said dismissively.
Yiran adjusted his glove absently, feigning indifference. “You know, you could cast the spell on me.”
His father’s eyes flashed, and he regarded Yiran more seriously.
He’stempted. It was so easy.
Yiran wanted to slap himself. He’d been so starved of parental affection that he’d believed what his father had said that day at the cliffside. Believed that they had a chance for a real relationship. It seemed his father didn’t see him as anything more than a tool to advance his ambition. The truth hit harder than expected. Anger and sorrow tangled inside him, but how he felt didn’t matter. The only thing that mattered was his task.
“It’s a risk I’d be willing to take. Like you said, revolutions live and die by their leaders. You said a leader needs the will to do things, however unsavory. If Cel and the rest are unhappy about me, I should earn my place, prove that I’m all in with them—that I’m in this with you.” Yiran was speaking faster now, excitement teeming in his voice. “I’ve had a similar spell cast on me before, and it was fine. It worked well, in fact—because my core is special.”
His father didn’t look fully convinced, but he was listening intently.
“Power is the only thing that matters,” Yiran went on, looking meaningfully at his glove. “I don’t ever want to be in an inferior position again. Think about what this new spell could doforme.”
His father narrowed his eyes thoughtfully. “Let me show you something.”
