"Thanks?" Zaeryn said, his voice trailing off into a question. He wasn’t entirely sure if she was actually complinting him or if she was just being incredibly polite while delivering a subtle insult.
Ingrid let out a short, lodic laugh. "It was a complint. Relax."
He walked over and dropped onto the bed next to her. She didn’t miss a beat, rolling onto her side and propping her head up on one hand to look at him. Their eyes t, and that comfortable, heavy weight settled into the air between them again.
"I’m curious," she said, shifting her gaze toward the ceiling and lying flat on her back. "What’s the deal with you and Kayla? You don’t have her Vitae signature, which is weird since she’s your aunt. Naturally, she should’ve been one of the first people you bonded with."
Zaeryn let out a short, dry laugh. "You could say we don’t exactly get along. That’s probably the understatent of the century."
Ingrid humd, her fingers tracing aimless, lazy patterns on the bedsheets. "That’s a sha. A Tier 1 bond would have been a massive boost for you."
"I know. But not with her," he said, his tone turning firm.
"Why not? She’s stunning. If you can handle a relationship with soone like Ravena, you could definitely bond with Kayla."
"Ravena is different," Zaeryn said, shaking his head. "Kayla and I have a history. She’s treated like garbage since I was a kid. There’s just zero trust there."
Ingrid nodded, her expression showing she followed his logic. "I get that. It makes sense." Then she smirked, giving his side a playful poke. "Still, she’s an absolute ten. You have to admit that."
Zaeryn stayed quiet. He wanted to argue, but he’d be lying to himself. Kayla was breathtaking, an eleven out of ten if he was being honest. Those sharp green eyes, that dangerous presence... he caught himself and cleared his head. There was no point in going there.
He looked at Ingrid, wanting to move the conversation along before he started thinking about Kayla Noctis in ways he shouldn’t. "Anyway, what about your mom? You said she’s at the Citadel now. I’ve been spending a lot of ti there lately, but I haven’t run into her."
Ingrid responded, "The Citadel is a fortress, Zaeryn. There are thousands of people crawling through those halls. Besides, she’s in the Vanguard tactical wing. It’s a restricted area. Unless you’re starting a war or getting a private talk from Lysara, you won’t see her."
Zaeryn shifted on the mattress, propping himself up on one elbow to look down at her. His other hand rested on her stomach, tracing patterns on her skin."So, the woman who walked in the other morning. That was Maelis? I would say she was imposing."
"Yeah, you could say that," Ingrid agreed, her eyes softening as she thought of her mother.
. "What about your other mom?" he asked, trying to keep his tone casual. "You ntioned she’s a Tier 3. Is she just as... intense as Maelis?"
Ingrid let out a low, vibrant laugh, her eyes sparkling with a mixture of pride and warning. "Intense isn’t the word for Nyx. She’s serious. If Maelis is the storm that hits you head-on, Nyx Nyxeris is the mountain that simply refuses to move."
"Her na is Nyx Nyxeris?" Zaeryn asked. "As in, her first na is Nyx and her last na is Nyxeris?"
"Yeah. She’s known as Captain Nyx. She’s a high-ranking military officer and a mber of the Royal Guard. She’s actually stationed at the Lumina Palace at the mont."
Zaeryn thought about this. Ingrid’s mom was Nyx, and she was a Royal Guard stationed at the Lumina Palace?
"Captain Nyx? I think I’ve t her before," he said. He didn’t rember exactly where or if he had actually t her, but the na sounded oddly familiar. "Or maybe I’ve just heard of her before?"
Ingrid thought for a second. "It’s probably the latter. I don’t think you’ve t her yet. She’s rarely in Sector 7," she explained.
After trying and failing to recall a face to the na, Zaeryn gave up. "Yeah, you’re probably right."
Ingrid rolled onto her side, her gaze traveling over Zaeryn’s face with a playful, predatory hunger. "And before that ’Strategic Asset’ brain of yours starts whirring—yes, she’s a Tier 3 Geokinetic. She can bend stone, soil, and mineral matter to her absolute will. I’ve seen her stabilize a shifting tectonic plate."
"Nice," he said. A mischievous look appeared on his face. "You’re not really helping her by telling all this. Now I want a Geokinetic Vitae signature in my collection."
"I doubt that will be possible. You haven’t t her yet. She’s scary." Her smirk widened into sothing wicked as she reached out, her fingers dancing dangerously close to the waistband of his trousers. "But honestly, Zaeryn, you’re relentless. Is there anyone you aren’t trying to map for a bond? I already told you—she’s married to my other mom, and she would literally turn you into a garden statue before you even finished your first charming sentence."
She leaned in closer, her scent of rain and sun-ward pavent enveloping him as she lowered her voice to a sultry whisper. "She’s a hardened veteran, anomaly. She doesn’t do ’cute,’ and she certainly doesn’t do ’distractions.’ If you ever actually t her, you’d realize that Maelis is the one who’d be nice to you. Nyx? She’d just look at you like a variable that needs to be permanently deleted from the equation."
Ingrid’s eyes dipped to his lips, her expression shifting from teasing to genuine, heated intent. "So, how about we stop talking about my parents and your terrifying aunt? I don’t think you brought up here to give a lesson in Nyxeris family history." She moved her hands to his collar, giving a firm, possessive tug that pulled him down toward her.
---
Aegis Division – Central Research Wing
The hallway was sterile and slled of ozone and cleaning supplies. Polished white floors stretched out ahead, flanked by reinforced glass walls that gave glimpses into high-tech labs. Viora walked with her mother, Athea.
Athea moved with an easy, quiet grace. Her blue eyes were fixed on the path ahead, her expression perfectly neutral.
"Now that you’ve finally t him," Athea said, her voice barely above a whisper, "do you still think he’s a threat that needs to be taken out?"
Viora didn’t hesitate. "No," she said. "I don’t."
Athea shot her a look, one eyebrow arching upward. A ghost of a smile touched her lips. "That sounded very final. I’m surprised."
"Don’t get wrong," Viora said, her voice taking on a sharper edge. "He’s dangerous. His powers and what he represents politically... all of that threatens the stability of the Matriarchal Order. But neutralizing him? That’s not the answer anymore."
"What changed your mind?" Athea asked. She likely knew the answer, but she wanted to hear her daughter admit it.
"He’s not what I thought he’d be," Viora admitted. "He’s actually a good kid."
"In his own way, yes," Athea said, her lips curving into a faint smile. "And he’s a Lumina."
"He is," Viora agreed. "One of us."
They walked in silence for a bit, the sound of their boots clicking against the polished floor.
"But politics don’t care about personality," Viora continued, her voice sharpening again. "The Matriarch isn’t going to be happy that he exists."
They rounded a corner, and the corridor opened up into a large observation deck. Below them, a research lab was buzzing with activity. Technicians moved between holographic displays, and in the center, Sage Stellan was focused on a dead star beast held in a containnt cage.
Athea stopped at the window, looking down at Sage. "She’s brilliant. I think she and Dr. Veyne are going to make a lot of progress."
Viora crossed her arms, watching the girl below. "So she’s in a relationship with him?"
"She is," Athea confird. "The more accurate term would be that they’re bonded."
Viora smiled, though it was a dry, knowing look. "So he’s building a collection of bondmates. He isn’t exactly sticking to one partner, is he?"
Athea kept her eyes on the glass. "He’s special. He was never going to be left to just one woman. It’s just not in his nature, it seems."
"He’s certainly being efficient about how he chooses his partners," Viora noted, her eyes narrowing as she watched Sage. "If he keeps this up, he’ll have a foot in every major house and departnt. It’s a bold strategy. I wonder if he’s doing it on purpose or if it’s just instinct."
Athea turned to her daughter, her expression softening just a fraction. "And what about you, Viora? You’ve seen him and you’ve analyzed him. Where do you fit into that strategy?"
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