Everything in me went still as Keegan’s hand found my arm instantly, not pulling, just anchoring.
His attention snapped forward as the space in front of us shifted.
Keegan’s father stepped into the street like he’d always been there.
Rendel.
The breath caught in my throat before I could stop it.
I gasped softly, my gaze flicking to Keegan without thinking, because I needed to see it. Needed to know if he would react.
Keegan didn’t move.
He didn’t speak, but something in him changed.
Twobble took a few steps forward as if he thought he was shielding father from son.
Silence stretched between us, and it didn’t feel calm or thoughtful. The moment felt like everything had just shifted, and none of us had quite caught up yet.
I glanced at Keegan again, because he still hadn’t said anything, and that worried me more than if he had snapped or pushed back.
Keegan didn’t look at me right away. His gaze stayed locked on Rendel, his shoulders set in a way I hadn’t seen since the woods.
Rendel didn’t react either, but something in the air tightened again, like the space between them carried more history than thought possible.
I shifted my weight and looked between them. “Are we just going to stand here and pretend this isn’t… something?”
Keegan’s jaw ticked slightly. “We don’t have time for that right now.”
“It sounds like we definitely have time for it,” Twobble muttered. “Why not throw in a toxic father-son relationship to add to the whole complexity of the situation. It's what separates the good from the great.”
I appreciated Twobble’s timing and glanced at Keegan, who didn't seem as pleased as I was.
“No,” Keegan said, sharper now. “We don’t.”
“You're being led by the Priestess, and you don't even know it,” Rendel said.
“Start from the beginning,” I said. “You said we’re being led. How?”
Rendel didn’t hesitate. “The Priestess knows how you think. She knows what you’ll prioritize.”
“My mom,” I said.
“Yes.”
The word landed heavily.
“So she moves her,” I continued, my thoughts starting to line up in a way I didn’t like. “Forces urgency. Forces a reaction.”
“And she ties that urgency to the stone,” Rendel said. “You go to the stone, she follows you, and she has everything she needs, and you do the hard work for her.”
Nova stepped closer, her voice steady. “Which means every path Maeve takes connects back to the same place.”
“But if I go to my grandmother's compound, then she has us both, and that isn't acceptable either.”
“I'm not sure if we should be listening to this man,” Keegan said. “After all, he's not very good with responsibility or loyalty.”
Rendel took a step forward. “If it's the stone you want first, you must make sure that she doesn’t follow you.”
