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“Why do you want to find out the sex at all?” a woman behind me interjected.

“If it's a boy, we could prepare ourselves better,” the ambassador replied.

“It won't be a boy!” Gloria snapped. “Believe me, I would know if this girl had slept with one of the male Quatura currently alive.”

“Higher powers may be at work,” the ambassador continued calmly and matter-of-factly.

Gloria stopped. Her gaze darkened. “What higher powers?”

“The gods, of course,” said the woman behind me hastily, probably trying to save the ambassador from making a mistake.

Gloria didn't respond.

And I lost myself further in the ornamental patterns of the carpet, blocking out their voices until the women had left the study.

A shadow fell across the carpet. Then I saw the hem of a white-gray robe. A pointed finger touched my chin. My head was lifted. Ice-cold, light blue eyes met mine, and I shivered.

For the first time in a long time, I was cold.

“Who is the father of this child?”

She didn't scream, her voice quiet yet demanding.

“It doesn't matter.”

Normally, that sentence was enough, and every Quatura knew that the mother herself had taken care of the father and that he would no longer cause any problems. That he was human.

Usually, I was bad at lying, but in this moment, my voice wasn't shaky because I was in a trance that made this existence more bearable.

I couldn't feel my body or the connection to my elements. The unbridled destruction could burst out of me if it wanted to. But I was too weakened by my own shock.

“So, he won't be a problem?” Gloria asked, narrowing her eyes. “Give me the name and I'll take care of his memories.”

She didn't believe me. Of course she didn't believe me.

“No.”

The word came easily. I didn't even have to think about it.

Gloria had just turned away, but paused in her movement.

“Excuse me?”

“No.”

It slapped. My head jerked to the side. Warmth shot through my cheek.

It took me a while to lift my head and look at Gloria's flat hand, which was still hanging in the air.

Her eyes were wide. She pressed her lips together and her wrinkles seemed even deeper as she stepped closer to me and grabbed my neck again, making me hold my breath.

“You have feelings for a human,” she uttered in disbelief.

I avoided her gaze.

“Have you ultimately lost your mind?!”

She threw me back, but this time there was no one there to catch me, and I crashed back into the armchair.