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“No, but now I understand it’s not because you wanna force me into something I don’t want.” She finally looked at me. “Right?”

I stared at her, wondering if I should admit I cared enough to want her out from under Father’s scrutiny.

“There has to be a way to convince the council to stop this,” Ash said.

“There isn’t.”

Cyn slapped his hand on a throw pillow. “You’re not even thinking of a way, are you?”

“No.”

Dwelling on how to dissuade Father from continuing his campaign to expose the supposed truth about Raelynn was an exercise in futility. He wouldn’t stop. When they calmed down, they’d understand it was a waste of time.

I crossed my ankle over my knee. “If she’s a danger to us or Elyrdin, we need to know. If Father confirms for himself that she’s a hybrid, then he’ll end his obsessive quest.”

“You think she’s dangerous?” Ash tensed, his teeth bared.

“No. But I don’t know what she’s capable of. None of us do.”

“She’s not—”

“Ezra’s right,” Rae said, cutting Ash off. “Even I don’t know what I’m capable of. I can’t transform. I don’t feel any different from how I did back on Earth. The whole thing from Cholian feels like a fever dream.”

“Don’t tell me you’re okay with dealing with that asshole?”

She looked at Cyn. “No. I don’t wanna be anywhere near Cornaith, but what else can I do?”

“Tell him no. We can’t, but you can.”

“But then he’ll hurt you.”

The corner of Cyn’s mouth lifted. “Worried about me, brat?”

She gave him a flat look. “Don’t start that again.”

He lifted his hands.

“They’ll leave her alone if she can prove she’s who Quinfina said she is,” I said, attempting to get the conversation back on track.

“Doubt it,” Cyn said, dropping back against the cushions again. “They don’t like she’s our Nyrith. Your dad said so.”

Zeke turned to him. “He didn’t say that.”

“Close enough. Said he thinks it’s all an illusion.”

Rae tensed once again.

Ash steepled his hands in front of his mouth. “So we have to contend not only with the Sephra clan but also with Cornaith’s inability to accept the truth.”

“Sephra clan?”

“Kairian’s family,” Cyn sneered. “We don’t know what Cornaith is doing with them, but it can’t be good.”

“None of that is relevant now. I understand why Father wishes to test her. Our bloodlines are pure—royal. Bringing a hybrid into that could ruin Father’s aspirations for us.”

Zeke’s mouth dropped.

Ash dropped his hands. “Aspirations?”