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"I am not a child."

"You are my sister."

"That is not the same thing."

He frowns. "To me, it is." The admission fills the room. He knows it is unfair. That does not make it untrue. Caelen turns away from me and faces Rhyven again. "And you." Rhyven waits. "You knew exactly what I would think."

"Yes." Rhyven nods once.

"You knew I would want her out." Caelen continues. "So you kept me ignorant."

Rhyven looks at me once then looks back at Caelen. "I respected her decision."

"You endangered her."

"No."

Caelen steps closer. "You put her in rooms full of restricted history. You let her use an unstable manifestation. You took her to a failing ward anchor." "I didn't take her anywhere."

Rhyven's answer does something to Caelen. "Don't." Caelen's voice turns cold. "Don't hide behind wording."

Rhyven's jaw tightens. "I'm not."

"You're her Chief. You have authority over her." Caelen states.

"In Sky Wing." Rhyven corrects him.

"And you used it."

Rhyven's jaw tightens again. "No."

"Bullshit." The word strikes harder than a raised fist.

Rhyven remains where he is. "Every decision connected to Blood Echo was hers."

"You expect me to believe that?" Caelen's tone is getting colder by the minute.

"I don't care what you believe." Caelen's expression hardens. Rhyven continues before he can answer. "I care whether she survives what's coming."

The room goes silent. Caelen stares at him. "What's coming?"

"I don't know."

"Then stop speaking like war is already here."

"The wards are failing." I start. "People are losing control of their magic. The Academy is investigating. Records have been removed."

Caelen looks at me. "The Council—" He starts.

"The Council is weeks behind." Rhyven's voice does not rise. It does not need to. "Whatever this is, it is already moving."

Caelen looks toward me. Then back to Rhyven. "And your answer is to train her until she breaks?"

The question finally draws something sharper into Rhyven's face. "My answer is to make sure she doesn't."

"She comes back from Sky Wing barely able to walk." "She returns the next day."

"That isn't proof she's safe." Caelen's voice doesn't soften.