It was a promise.
“I…” I stuttered, unsure what to say, despite all the arguments I wanted to throw his way. But his dark gaze held me prisoner, leaving me unable to defend myself.
The tension pulled tighter between us all, stretched thin and ready to snap, when Walder moved. He rose to his feet before placing himself between them without ever truly blocking the space. His presence settled like something immovable.
“That’s enough,” Walder said calmly, his voice quiet yet carrying effortlessly through the room, before he continued,
“I understand your resentment towards him, Wye, but you are in my house now, in my Vault, and I don’t need to tell you what that means.” His tone was measured, though something sharper edged beneath it now.
Oblivion stilled then, not in submission, never that, but in recognition, as Walder’s gaze flicked briefly toward Bo before returning to him.
“He paid,” he added, the words carrying more authority than they needed.
“He took my Siren, Tarik,” Oblivion stated, as if this were some great crime against him. As for me, I opened my mouth ready to argue when Walder warned, quietly,
“I wouldn’t deny the claim again, little dove, for my friend’s patience does have its limits.”My mouth snapped shut after that, making him wink at me before facing Oblivion once more.
“That may be so, which is why I will allow you to question him, but you will not do so as though this space belongs toyou,” he stated, making Oblivion grit his teeth before nodding in acceptance. As the line had clearly been drawn and for the first time since Oblivion had entered the room, he had been made to pause. Although it didn’t last, because his attention shifted again, returning to me with a weight that made my chest tighten.
“You left with him, freely?” The underlying hurt in that question made me flinch.
“I told you,” I said quickly, shaking my head as the denial rose before I could stop it,
“I’m not your Siren.”
“That claim on your skin says otherwise,” Oblivion replied, his voice steady and unyielding. My breath caught as my hand lifted instinctively toward my neck before stopping halfway, my thoughts scrambling to hold onto something that made sense.
“No,” I pushed, the words coming faster now,
“And I can prove it!”
He narrowed his eyes at this, his lips thinning as if he was seconds away from saying to hell with the rules and just grabbing me.
“How?” Walder was the one to ask, lifting a hand to stop Oblivion before he could protest.
“The relic… I used it and it… It didn’t show anything, it didn’t react, it was just… me, as I am… nothing.” I pushed out painfully, making Oblivion flinch before closing his eyes as if pained by my words once more.
“Don’t say that, Inanna… ever again,” Oblivion said, his voice dark and foreboding, as though I had committed some unforgivable sin by even speaking the words.
Walder, meanwhile, released a heavy sigh, his gaze shifting from me to Oblivion as though already bracing for what would come next.
“That is why you ran from him?” Walder asked, making me nod.
“So, you see, I had every right to…” Oblivion's furious snarl of anger stopped Bo from saying more.
“Who was holding it?” Walder asked, his tone quieter now, more focused.
“What does that matter?” I shot back, the words slipping out before I could temper them.
“I know what I saw.”
“Answer the question,” Oblivion said smoothly, his gaze already shifting past me with intent and going directly to Bo. Someone who had now gone statue still and looked oddly guilty.
“Erh, he was,” I said, gesturing toward Bo,
“Bo had it in his hand. I just looked.” Heavy silence followed then, before Oblivion spoke again, his tone precariously calm as he asked,
“You are in possession of the Mirror of Veritas?” Walder inclined his head slightly.
