"Why?"
"Because," Damian said bluntly, "they'll try something. And because walking in with you would make every cousin who hates me chew glass."
Gabriel's eyes narrowed.
They both let it hang. The room hummed with the low, constant noise of the market behind the walls.
"What's their motive?" Gabriel asked.
"Power consolidation," Damian said dryly. "I think the Graves have been taking some losses for a while. It seems finding treasures is becoming difficult even for them. Some uncles smelled weakness. The banquet is a mask. The old man is picking a faction to back."
"And you?"
"I'm the story they all pretend never happened." Damian shrugged. "If I show up with nothing, they'll humiliate me and close the book. But if I show up with you—if I show up with proof I can move weapons, transport, and allies—then I become inconvenient to ignore."
Gabriel considered it for three seconds. There was nothing really to lose here. Furthermore, Damian was now his business partner.
