Hades
We walked in silence for a few paces, the tension of the last exchange still humming in the air. The narrow tunnel curved left, its walls lined with more of those faintly glowing crystal veins, the light catching in Maera's hair.
She didn't look back at me or Cain. Her gaze stayed fixed ahead, but I saw the way her jaw worked, how her shoulders dipped just a fraction when she thought no one was watching.
She was trying to collect herself.
"Being the mother of the Beta who is the tyrant's right hand…" she muttered, almost to herself. It was too soft to be a declaration, too bitter to be nothing. "It doesn't exactly inspire loyalty in the ranks."
I let the words hang for a moment, measuring them, measuring her.
"I know what it is," I said finally, my voice even.
That made her glance at me, the smallest flicker of surprise breaking through the stoicism.
